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elinamaria's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
Think this book may be better read rather than listened to so that you can underline and refer back to it! Very interesting ways of reading the world lost too us because of technology and lack of knowledge.
chapman's review
4.0
This is an incredibly interesting book. There are signs all around, often very obvious ones, that without the knowledge of the cause behind or the meaning of something go unnoticed. This really opens the eyes to the incredible amount of information on the world around you that is laid out before you.
I'm looking forward to working my way through his series of books and improving my observational skills and knowledge. To be able to go for a walk and have this information learned in my mind to apply to my surroundings.
Really insightful and enjoyable read!!
I'm looking forward to working my way through his series of books and improving my observational skills and knowledge. To be able to go for a walk and have this information learned in my mind to apply to my surroundings.
Really insightful and enjoyable read!!
annatwentyseven's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely read, detailed and loads of new knformations. Will definitely read through again!
atticmoth's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Five or six years ago, when I was super depressed, I would fantasize about running away to the wilderness and living off the land. This manifested by me buying lots of books on the subject and subsequently never reading them (because I was depressed). This, and many other books by Tristan Gooley, was one of those. My past self would have been disappointed to find out that The Natural Navigator is not a wilderness survival guide, but now I was much more charmed with Gooley’s meditative philosophy than if it had been. His emphasis is on presence in the moment, and he puts forward natural navigation as a way to enrich time spent in nature, not as a survival method.
Would some of the skills taught in this book come in handy in a life-or-death situation? Probably, but it’s more than just a list of facts presented without context. Gooley’s emphasis is on navigation without instruments like a compass or GPS, and he uses indigenous groups from all over the world as case studies. He expresses his philosophy clearly, rife with literary allusions, which gives it a more human touch than some non-fiction books have. But it’s also very scientifically rigorous and dense with information.
On the surface, it looks a bit like light reading, but the concepts are actually really difficult to digest (though no fault of the author; it’s actually just really advanced!) He does his best to explain complex astronomical concepts that require a degree of spatial reasoning that I lack, so I had to look up animations of the sun’s orbit or the phases of the moon in 3-D to supplement this reading. Perhaps a documentary would have been a better way of conveying this information? I understood the ecology sections better, because that’s where my background lies, but I’m not sure the uninitiated would have as easy a time.
Would some of the skills taught in this book come in handy in a life-or-death situation? Probably, but it’s more than just a list of facts presented without context. Gooley’s emphasis is on navigation without instruments like a compass or GPS, and he uses indigenous groups from all over the world as case studies. He expresses his philosophy clearly, rife with literary allusions, which gives it a more human touch than some non-fiction books have. But it’s also very scientifically rigorous and dense with information.
On the surface, it looks a bit like light reading, but the concepts are actually really difficult to digest (though no fault of the author; it’s actually just really advanced!) He does his best to explain complex astronomical concepts that require a degree of spatial reasoning that I lack, so I had to look up animations of the sun’s orbit or the phases of the moon in 3-D to supplement this reading. Perhaps a documentary would have been a better way of conveying this information? I understood the ecology sections better, because that’s where my background lies, but I’m not sure the uninitiated would have as easy a time.
mick_travel's review against another edition
3.0
I agree this is more a history than a guide. The reader is encouraged to pay attention and draw conclusion. More something for people, who have never notice their environment.
kedawen's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book I'll return to again and again as I learn to notice the significant details around me in the natural world. There's so much valuable information packed into this little book! The illustrations were great as well.
I really liked the way it was organized, split up between the moon, the stars, the weather etc. Some of the individual sections had odd tangents that I didn't feel fit in with the rest and weren't given any context, but other than that the book was filled with the kind of interesting facts I love to learn.
I really liked the way it was organized, split up between the moon, the stars, the weather etc. Some of the individual sections had odd tangents that I didn't feel fit in with the rest and weren't given any context, but other than that the book was filled with the kind of interesting facts I love to learn.