Customer Reviews

A Reenchanted World: The Quest for a New Kinship with Nature

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I strongly believe that whatever hope for the future we and other species have lies not with technology or the recovery of consumerism but with the subject matter of this book--a renewed emotional connection with the natural world. So I was greatly looking forward to reading this book and maybe as a result am a little disappointed.

Don't get me wrong. It's a good broad (if therefore somewhat necessarily shallow) look at the history of the subject. If you have a long-standing interest in this topic, you'll be reading about a lot of events you remember but there will probably be enough you missed that you should keep pen and paper nearby to jot down subjects for further investigation.

We get brief looks at a wide range of related topics: indigenous spirituality, famous authors, Gaia theory, earth photos from space, Earth First! and related groups, wildlife, positive and negative religious effects, land use law, motorized recreation, politics, and many more.

Some subjects seemed oddly missing. For instance, although arts are touched upon, there's no mention of musician Paul Winter who made many recordings on the exact subject of our relationship with the natural world.

In general, rather than having this read like well-researched recent history, I would have preferred more current examples of people talking about their attempts at connection with the earth. Let's hear from the wildlife rehabbers, and the organic farmers and gardeners, and the pagans, and the eco-warriors, and the conservation biologists.

But if you're new to the topic, this is essential history for you. It will help raise your interest and lead you on to more reading, experiences, and connections with the earth and like-minded humans.

This is one of the best books I have read on the interesting subject of meaningful relations between humans and other creatures. The author offers a plethora of stories about inter-species relationships that are both captivating and remarkable. He describes many current human activities and projects that are serving to bring us back in harmony with Nature. He is unremittingly hopeful as he foresees the emergence of a `culture of enchantment' - people who recognizes nature as sacred and alive...people who will MAKE Nature sacred. I especially like his words when he says that we can "renew communication and establish kinship (with Nature) through ceremony and ritual".

Gibson has surpassed most of the masculine-oriented environmental writers of the 20th century as he places emphasis on the relationship between humans and individual organisms (as opposed to relationships with species or ecosystems or with `Nature') - he realizes that specific connections to animals and particular landscapes are vital. He also says that if we lose grizzlies (or any other aspects of wild nature) then what we primarily lose is our ability to grow through relations with them. He really gets it!

On the down side, Gibson, like virtually all writers who are envisioning a human transition from `empire to Earth community' (David Korten's words), makes the mistake of identifying spirit and `making-sacred' as the foundation for the movement. In describing his vision of a culture of enchantment he says "More than an ideology, this quest for connection indicates a fundamental rejection of the most basic premises of modern thought and society". What he means is that we must reject the modern scientific vision of the world that gives us a machine-like, pre-programmed world made of dead, inanimate matter answering only to the vagaries of chance and the unyielding universal laws of Nature. We must have a new paradigm which transcends and includes the lifeless model that holds sway now. Gibson and others will not succeed in grounding the vital transition they envision by making an end-run around science...they must face it head on. Unfortunately, Gibson, at this point, is not doing it.

For an in-depth critique of the limitations of modern scientific methods and a fascinating explanation of the emerging holistic paradigm (scientific paradigm), not to mention an interesting evaluation of the forces that are holding it in check, you should read Beyond Male-Think: How Challenging the Dominator Model Can Open Our Minds by P.J.Tryon.

As a citizen of planet earth, I believe Mr. Gibson's book gives a well considered and researched historical review, warning and ultimately, hope to the average layperson who is concerned, and quite often, frightened for the future of our natural world. Using the term "reenchantment" originally gave me a confused and uneasy feeling. Was this to be a book of science or new age rhetoric? Gleaning ideas, facts and history from many varied sources, the author manages to weave a story that is at once discouraging but hopeful. The final chapters, however, show one the difference even a single personal campaign for change can make to turning the tide of what seems eminent disaster. This is a very worthwhile and important book.

The best nonfiction of its type I've ever read. One of my all-time favorites. A Reenchanted World: The Quest for a New Kinship with NatureA "must read" for every lover of nature, wildlife and wild places.