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tiboutoo's review against another edition
2.0
I always finish books, but couldn't finish this one. And it was a Rebecca Solnit book?!?
rickirobin's review against another edition
3.0
Oh, I wanted to love this so much more than i did. I love the topics the book gives space to, but i found myself skimming more than i wanted to and not absorbing as much as i often do of Solnit's work. Perhaps there was too much name-and-book-dropping to let my mind really wander. Perhaps i'm just less interested in Paris than i should or could be. The last few chapters were the most interesting to me: Vegas and lady-walking.
dkathunt's review against another edition
3.0
A lovely, if sometimes overly too-philosophical-for-me collection of musings on walking and how it fits into our psyche, culture, and history. Some wonderful observations about the decline of walking and subsequent loss of contemplation and appreciation of time and nature.
hurricanejoe's review against another edition
4.0
I found Wanderlust: A History of Walking to be very thought-provoking. Rebecca Solnit writes about walking from many different perspectives. She studies how philosophically, walking is connected to how we think and view the world, and how journeys help to transform our perspectives. I found her analysis of walking as a political act and target as one of the most interesting. She considers topics ranging from protesting, to falsely arguing women inferiority to men, to the corporate control of walking spaces. She also discusses the negative repercussions from lifestyles that fail to include walking - how our migration from the cities to the suburbs has left us lonely and without much recourse than to waste away our time in front of the television. All things that resonated with me on many different levels.
The only negative about this book is that at times it feels targeted towards more academic minds and drones on with imagery that I found dull and ultimately did not offer much in the way of the topic of walking. With my second attempt, I was able to finish it before I needed to return it to the library. While I only gave it four stars for that reason, I am absolutely grateful that I took the time out to take in this book.
The only negative about this book is that at times it feels targeted towards more academic minds and drones on with imagery that I found dull and ultimately did not offer much in the way of the topic of walking. With my second attempt, I was able to finish it before I needed to return it to the library. While I only gave it four stars for that reason, I am absolutely grateful that I took the time out to take in this book.
brianmcgrady's review against another edition
4.5
Incredibly useful to anyone who thinks about walking.
grotta's review against another edition
2.0
This book is far more enjoyably read as an occasional essay than as a book to take on start to finish. The main themes are fairly repetitive...walking is a more social form of transportation, it relates better to our evolutionary pace and is thus relaxing, etc. In the end it basically comes down to, we have the modern day comfort of being able to choose to walk, and it is satisfying.
I enjoy walking, but the author's relation to a small part of why we walk (basically for relaxation and social protest) left me thinking there must be more to it by the mid point of the book. Nothing new truly came about after that point either...more of her experiences, more about Paris and San Francisco, and that's it.
For a 'history' or 'analysis' go elsewhere. For a bit of self satisfaction that you make time to be on your feet in the modern world, this can be enjoyable in pieces.
I enjoy walking, but the author's relation to a small part of why we walk (basically for relaxation and social protest) left me thinking there must be more to it by the mid point of the book. Nothing new truly came about after that point either...more of her experiences, more about Paris and San Francisco, and that's it.
For a 'history' or 'analysis' go elsewhere. For a bit of self satisfaction that you make time to be on your feet in the modern world, this can be enjoyable in pieces.
mglampshade's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so ~2020~! Like many people, I started going for more walks during the pandemic. Starting in March I started going for a 2-mile walk every day (in the snow), and by the end of August my dad and I were walking 3 2-mile walks per day. Observing life around me during these walks became the most calming parts of my days. It is so refreshing! Now that I'm back at college, I've found I quite enjoy walking my 1.5-mi commute instead of taking the bus or train. There's something so calming about choosing the slowest mode of transportation possible. . . observing life from a perspective of 3 mph.
I've had this book on my TBR for awhile, but after 2020, I knew I should read it soon, because its contents might be more meaningful to me now. Indeed they were. This book covered many different aspects of walking, including: ancient philosophers and their ideas about walking, walking for fun,
urban vs. rural walking environments, the relationship between walking and thinking, and the dangers of walking after dark. This book was such a refreshing nonfiction reading experience. A lot of us walk every day, but how often do we think about the history and the philosophy involved in the act of walking? This was a calming and eye-opening read. I recommend it to anyone who got out for a walk during this pandemic. :~)
I've had this book on my TBR for awhile, but after 2020, I knew I should read it soon, because its contents might be more meaningful to me now. Indeed they were. This book covered many different aspects of walking, including: ancient philosophers and their ideas about walking, walking for fun,
urban vs. rural walking environments, the relationship between walking and thinking, and the dangers of walking after dark. This book was such a refreshing nonfiction reading experience. A lot of us walk every day, but how often do we think about the history and the philosophy involved in the act of walking? This was a calming and eye-opening read. I recommend it to anyone who got out for a walk during this pandemic. :~)
araucaria's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5