This One Wild and Precious Life: A Hopeful Path Forward in a Fractured World
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Sarah Wilson
- ISBN：1760556734
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Summary
Will you sleep through the revolution？ Or do you want to wake up and reclaim your one wild and precious life？
We live in truly overwhelming times。 The climate crisis， political polarisation， racial injustice and coronavirus have left many of us in a state of spiritual PTSD。 We have retreated， morally and psychologically; we are experiencing a crisis of disconnection - from one another， from our true values， from joy， and from life as we feel we are meant to be living it。
Sarah Wilson argues that this sense of despair and disconnection is ironically what unites us - that deep down， we are all feeling that same itch for a new way of living。 this one wild and precious life opens our eyes to how we got here and offers a radically hopeful path forward。 Drawing on science， literature， philosophy， the wisdom of some of the world's leading experts， and her personal journey， Wilson weaves a one-of-a-kind narrative that lights the way back to the life we love。 En route， she leads us through a series of 'wildly awake' and joyful practices for reconnecting again that include:
- Go to your edge。 Do what scares you and embrace discomfort daily。 Use it to grow into your Big Life。
- #buylesslivemore。 Break the cycle of mindless consumption and get light with your life。
- Become a soul nerd。 Embrace poetry， deep reading， art， and classical music to light up your intellect。
- Get 'full-fat spiritual'。 How to have an active practice - beyond the 'lite' 'rainbows and unicorns' - and use it to change the world。
- Hike。 Just hike。 Walking in nature reconnects us with ourselves， and with our true purpose。
- Practise wild activism。 If you can get 3。5 per cent of a population to participate in sustained， non-violent protest， change happens。 We create our better world。
The time has come to boldly， wildly， imagine better。 We are being called upon， individually and as a society， to forge a new path and to find a new way of living。 Will you join the journey？
We live in truly overwhelming times。 The climate crisis， political polarisation， racial injustice and coronavirus have left many of us in a state of spiritual PTSD。 We have retreated， morally and psychologically; we are experiencing a crisis of disconnection - from one another， from our true values， from joy， and from life as we feel we are meant to be living it。
Sarah Wilson argues that this sense of despair and disconnection is ironically what unites us - that deep down， we are all feeling that same itch for a new way of living。 this one wild and precious life opens our eyes to how we got here and offers a radically hopeful path forward。 Drawing on science， literature， philosophy， the wisdom of some of the world's leading experts， and her personal journey， Wilson weaves a one-of-a-kind narrative that lights the way back to the life we love。 En route， she leads us through a series of 'wildly awake' and joyful practices for reconnecting again that include:
- Go to your edge。 Do what scares you and embrace discomfort daily。 Use it to grow into your Big Life。
- #buylesslivemore。 Break the cycle of mindless consumption and get light with your life。
- Become a soul nerd。 Embrace poetry， deep reading， art， and classical music to light up your intellect。
- Get 'full-fat spiritual'。 How to have an active practice - beyond the 'lite' 'rainbows and unicorns' - and use it to change the world。
- Hike。 Just hike。 Walking in nature reconnects us with ourselves， and with our true purpose。
- Practise wild activism。 If you can get 3。5 per cent of a population to participate in sustained， non-violent protest， change happens。 We create our better world。
The time has come to boldly， wildly， imagine better。 We are being called upon， individually and as a society， to forge a new path and to find a new way of living。 Will you join the journey？
Reviews
Laura
，
I have to say i agree with many of the ideas in this book but found the tone somewhat patronizing。
Callie Seward
，
Put this at the top of your reading lists。 If you care about humanity and our children and the future of this planet， this will change your life and absolutely set your soul on fire。
Hannah Dillard
，
This is a little extreme in certain areas， but I love Wilson‘s honesty and her format of writing。 Extremely interesting—plus， there are hiking trips throughout！
Annika Phillips
，
I'm not one for reading long reviews， so I won't write one。 I read Sarah's last book- the beast- and really struggled to understand it as I have， thankfully， never experienced anxiety in the way she shares about。 When this book was recommended I was a little weary to read it because of my difficulty emphasizing with her last one。 However， the title and cover art really caught my attention。 I saw it in a book store one day and opened it up。 The dedication simply said:to young peopleAnd I was sold I'm not one for reading long reviews， so I won't write one。 I read Sarah's last book- the beast- and really struggled to understand it as I have， thankfully， never experienced anxiety in the way she shares about。 When this book was recommended I was a little weary to read it because of my difficulty emphasizing with her last one。 However， the title and cover art really caught my attention。 I saw it in a book store one day and opened it up。 The dedication simply said:to young peopleAnd I was sold。 Sarah puts into words so much of what my heart and soul hope for， long for and mourn all at once。 Words I haven't known how to say。 I absolutely love when authors do this。 I stand in awe and appreciation when they can put our very hearts onto paper in ways that we never could。 As a christian， there were parts that I felt myself wanting to argue about （typical， hey？）。 But this book was profound。 And beautiful。 And wonderful。 And so honest。 It bares our humanity in its rawest forms。 It writes out our pain in the most undeniable way and also writes our way through it。 It holds so much hope that it brought me to smiling， joyful tear-filled eyes。This book is now among some of my favourites I have ever read。 I will be coming back to it many times over。 。。。more
Paige Poole
，
I really LOVED this book。 It almost feels like Sarah is a friend having a fantastic conversation with you， taking you on this journey of exploring truths and realities we （the collective） we have perhaps avoided or denied for too long。 I think it’s a must read for 2021。
Danielle Nicole
，
Admittedly， I didn't read this book from start to finish。 I jumped around looking for the parts that would resonate most with me and I think that's what allows me to give it three stars。 I'm fascinated by minimalism and love being in nature， so I thought it would be a sure-fire fit， but I agree with some of the other reviews that at times it becomes preachy and almost as if the author is removed from her participation in what got us to this point。 Admittedly， I didn't read this book from start to finish。 I jumped around looking for the parts that would resonate most with me and I think that's what allows me to give it three stars。 I'm fascinated by minimalism and love being in nature， so I thought it would be a sure-fire fit， but I agree with some of the other reviews that at times it becomes preachy and almost as if the author is removed from her participation in what got us to this point。 。。。more
Kali Napier
，
This was so much more than what I expected。 It’s a clarion call， it’s personal， it’s global， and it resonated deeply。 One I will reread。
Hunna Armstrong
，
I loved this book！ I feel it’s the wake up call we all need。 It was inspiring to read and delivers not just education and research， but actionable ways to achieve change and do our part as a collective。It’s the kind of book that I will re- read to really get the most out of it。
Vanessa
，
I really really wanted to like this book as a few people had recommended it to me - I got half way through and just had to put it down - I couldn't read anymore how evil a lot of people are and how bad capitalism is。 I guess I share different values to Sarah。 I really really wanted to like this book as a few people had recommended it to me - I got half way through and just had to put it down - I couldn't read anymore how evil a lot of people are and how bad capitalism is。 I guess I share different values to Sarah。 。。。more
Magda
，
（4。5） This book - part memoir， part philosophical study， and part ecological treatise - was such a surprisingly delightful， inspiring read。 It explores issues surrounding sustainability， the climate crisis， personal health and wellness， and various other aspects of modern life but is much more philosophical in its scope and tone， which I found incredibly refreshing and engaging。 Sarah Wilson is a fascinating human being who doesn’t hold back and totally practices what she preaches - I’ll tell yo （4。5） This book - part memoir， part philosophical study， and part ecological treatise - was such a surprisingly delightful， inspiring read。 It explores issues surrounding sustainability， the climate crisis， personal health and wellness， and various other aspects of modern life but is much more philosophical in its scope and tone， which I found incredibly refreshing and engaging。 Sarah Wilson is a fascinating human being who doesn’t hold back and totally practices what she preaches - I’ll tell you right now that she’s definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea， but for many of us， she’s the straight-shooting， marches-to-the-beat-of-her-own-drum best friend （or hiking buddy） we truly wish we had。 。。。more
Geneva Yoder
，
This book just didn't cut it。 Maybe I'm not youthful and that was the problem？ Didn't finish and don't plan to return to this book 😒。 This book just didn't cut it。 Maybe I'm not youthful and that was the problem？ Didn't finish and don't plan to return to this book 😒。 。。。more
Thomas
，
DNF: 50% completionThe book begins with Sarah Wilson claiming she's come upon ideas so revolutionary that there isn't even a name for them yet， that there's going to be some sort of social revolution out of these ideas。 Turns out they're just go on walks/hikes， climate change is bad， recycling is good， and we need to spend more time away from technology and more time with each other。 There was also no fact-checking done by her editor or publisher because some of her sources wouldn't be allowed i DNF: 50% completionThe book begins with Sarah Wilson claiming she's come upon ideas so revolutionary that there isn't even a name for them yet， that there's going to be some sort of social revolution out of these ideas。 Turns out they're just go on walks/hikes， climate change is bad， recycling is good， and we need to spend more time away from technology and more time with each other。 There was also no fact-checking done by her editor or publisher because some of her sources wouldn't be allowed in a freshman college paper。 She claims to have spoken to over 100 experts in their fields but mostly quotes books she's read。 I found myself having to constantly stop reading so I could go on her website， check her list of sources， realize the source is an opinion article from someone who is not an expert in the field， and then do my own research to find the most basic facts on the topic。 The writing is oddly antagonizing， like how she repeatedly brings up the man she met in a coffee shop who dared to use a single use coffee cup while also saying that she needs to stop getting onto people about little things like that， yet here she is acting like he was some hypocrite。 Another thing she brings up repeatedly is some neoliberal conspiracy against sugar （She claims calories-in-calories-out is a neoliberal conspiracy yet doesn't mention any fraudulent studies， any companies who funded these studies。 Once again， no sources for her claims。 Also she has multiple cookbooks about not eating sugar so she has a bit of a bias）， how there's a neoliberal conspiracy against climate change activism， and just an overall tone of antagonistic guilt that made me not want to listen to any of her points even when I agreed with them。 If you are trying to change someone's mind and you say， "Put that in your pipe and smoke it，" they won't listen to you even when they're on your side。The hiking portions read more like excuses to talk about places she had been and had barely anything to do with what she had just brought up。 There's no flow to the book， it's just a lot of scattershot ideas like it's three books in one and none of them are particularly good or insightful。Where I stopped reading was when she offered dangerous mental health advice。 She claimed to have a manic episode coming on and simply went for a hike and it went away。 She made a point to say she's not on medication either。 She doesn't say that she's an outlier and this wouldn't work for everyone， she doesn't say that you should speak to a mental health professional before trying anything like that。 At that point I had enough and couldn't continue the book。 Overall it suffers from a severe lack of editor input and reads like a first draft rather than a coherent set of ideas。 。。。more
Chandria Bennett
，
She uses the term "neoliberal" very liberally， even when another term would actually be a better fit， along with other ways of saying things like "put that in your pipe and smoke it" that gives off a very uninviting attitude。 I agree with probably 80 percent of what she says。 But the way she says it and the other 20 percent full of major problems makes me not want to agree with her at all。 Frankly， some of the things she says are just dangerous。 For example， talking about how she goes out hiking She uses the term "neoliberal" very liberally， even when another term would actually be a better fit， along with other ways of saying things like "put that in your pipe and smoke it" that gives off a very uninviting attitude。 I agree with probably 80 percent of what she says。 But the way she says it and the other 20 percent full of major problems makes me not want to agree with her at all。 Frankly， some of the things she says are just dangerous。 For example， talking about how she goes out hiking with next to nothing and no food or water is not a good idea。 Also， getting food from strangers plates to take home。 She does say to reheat to a high temperature， but she doesn't say what temperature。 Talking about how her mental health and autoimmune issues are treated not with medication， but with good old exercise and changing her mindset is alarming in that I could see how people who are struggling with their own issues would go off their medication to try her method。 Her method only treats the symptoms， not actually helping treat the root of the problem that is a physical or chemical imbalance in the body。 As someone with an autoimmune disorder and mental health issues of my own， I don't think it's possible to actually have the problems she claims to have and be medication free。 One or the other has to be false and even if it isn't， I still would say her recommendation there is dangerous。 Some of the references to the claims she makes are from scholarly sources and I'm very happy to read the full article for more information and learn something new。 But other references are one-off opinion pieces with zero medical or scientific expertise to be had about a medical or scientific claim。 That's really bad form for a book you claimed to take years to research and write。 Also， she claims to have interviewed a lot of people， but there are very few actual interview conversations in the book。 A majority of the names mentioned are pulling information from their books or papers， not actually from specific conversations she had with them。 Which is fine， but don't consider that an interview because it's misleading to your readers。The hiking portions mostly lend nothing to the narrative and just seem like a way to brag about her worldly travels。 The things that do tie in to the rest of the book could easily have been summarized in a less pretentious manner in the section they apply to。 The story of her miscarriage and abortion also is sad， but doesn't seem to fit into the context of the book and the points she's bringing up。There is utterly too much useless name dropping， such as her interview with Russell Brand that literally is about nothing her book is about， and not enough name dropping where it matters， such as when referencing claims to studies or articles or what have you。 In general， there seems to be a huge disconnect in the parts of the book。 It jumps around a lot， she goes off on tangents and seems to forget her original point， and some arguments contradict previous arguments， like the author wanted to be on the extreme end of every argument， whether it made sense or not。 It just makes for a very confusing read and by the end you're not fired up and motivated like she seems to want。 Instead， you're just wondering what exactly she was trying to tell you。 For someone so environmentally conscious， I'm shocked and disappointed that she doesn't say her book is printed on recycled materials， doesn't use biodegradable ink， or offset the carbon impact of printing by planting trees。 She also talks about never needing to buy butter because she apparently eats out enough to bring home butter from restaurants。 She should be recommending eating at home where you control food waste instead of supporting restaurant food waste。She doesn't list enough small changes as examples of what to do and many people wouldn't be willing to start with what she recommends。 And her personal examples are ridiculously extreme。 For example， in the side comments she mentions that you can use half the laundry detergent than recommended and still clean your clothes just as well。 That's a wonderful change that takes no effort that a newly converted environmentalist could start with。 And it was only mentioned in the side bar， not the actual book。 。。。more
Weronika
，
My rating lands somewhere between 2，5 and 3 stars。 I definitely think "This one wild and precious life" would benefit from narrowing down its scope， as it feels like a book on everything and nothing while concentrating on one or two chosen aspects would let the author truly flesh them out。 The first and last 50-odd pages constitute the weakest part overall （perhaps save for some points made in the "be an adult" chapter）， where the author gets overly preachy。 I have some doubts about Wilson's met My rating lands somewhere between 2，5 and 3 stars。 I definitely think "This one wild and precious life" would benefit from narrowing down its scope， as it feels like a book on everything and nothing while concentrating on one or two chosen aspects would let the author truly flesh them out。 The first and last 50-odd pages constitute the weakest part overall （perhaps save for some points made in the "be an adult" chapter）， where the author gets overly preachy。 I have some doubts about Wilson's methodology， too （or lack thereof） - I appreciate that she posted the sources on her website， but I'm a bit sceptical about her approach - the name dropping and throwing around references to various researches at times feels more like a classic example of ad verecundiam rather than a proper evaluation of sources （let's face it， it's not hard to find some authorities and sources to back up our claims， but where is the nuance gone？）。 Especially with Wilson's historical references， it seemed like she didn't exactly succeed in portraying the full picture （it certainly took more than just 'two months of protesting and activism' to destroy the Berlin Wall and communism）。That said， I don't regret having read this book。 It IS thought-provoking， it does bring attention to many significant issues with the modern world and （mostly western-centric） civilisation。 It did make me realize certain things and start thinking about what I can do to work on myself， my relationship with others and the environment。 Wilson makes a lot of spot-on claims and observations that are worth noting and becoming aware of （how we constantly come up with excuses， how we're hiding behind technology， have a hard time connecting to ourselves and others， and more）。 Besides， her journey is deeply personal， making this book a fast and overall quite friendly read。 So， despite the flaws mentioned above， I think it's worth picking up and trying to take out some bits to think about。 。。。more
Katie Dupuis
，
It was an eye opener for me certainly！ I took some of her advice obviously with a grain of salt， as with most things， Sarah is an inspiring individual and I appreciated her perspective， inspirational quotes， and cited factual information to scare us into seeing the potential dire reality if we don’t start making changes in life/ take action when necessary （activism）。Overall， I appreciated the information， and will definitely be following up with some of her recommended literature。 :）
Nush
，
I so want to enjoy the way in which Sarah Wilson writes and shares her experience。 However I have found with this book （and her first book now that I think about it） that about half way through it starts to grate against me。 I would love to read something she writes that isn't so deeply intertwined with her own anecdotes and life experience， just about the facts， there is peek of this at about the 95% mark of This One Wild and Precious Life， but for me it was too little too late。 And this is the I so want to enjoy the way in which Sarah Wilson writes and shares her experience。 However I have found with this book （and her first book now that I think about it） that about half way through it starts to grate against me。 I would love to read something she writes that isn't so deeply intertwined with her own anecdotes and life experience， just about the facts， there is peek of this at about the 95% mark of This One Wild and Precious Life， but for me it was too little too late。 And this is the crux of it， she writes from her heart and it is therefore tied up in her own experience。 I read this book on the heels of finishing Bill Gates impressive new book How to Avoid and Climate Emergency - which may account for the low score I gave Wilsons book。 The explanations and facts Gates has the bandwidth of understanding and strategy required to start to slove the planets issues was significantly better expressed。I initially picked up This One Wild and Precious Life because I wanted a more Austrlaian and personal journey and understanding of climate change and what an individual can do， but ultimately found that while her message is important this is the not the format I wanted this information presented to me。 I found some of her ideas， such as hiking without water a little out there。 As someone who plans and organises obviously I would find it difficult to understand Sarahs ability to just go with the flow （but also note she does benefit from people along the way who have planned and prepared and brought food etc which she happily partakes in）。 。。。more
Lisa
，
Meh。
Amanda
，
Could not finish this book。 Was hoping to be inspired。 I was not。
Erik
，
This is one of those books that came to me just at the right time in my life。 The book has a couple of themes， but as she likes to point out early on is that she really wanted to call the book “Wake the Fuck Up”。 Collectively， our society has been all feeling stuck， and we are all struggling to cope。 We are constantly bombarded with stories about everything falling apart， how the world is burning， huge refugee crises， the gap widening between the haves and have nots， and we just feel helpless。 I This is one of those books that came to me just at the right time in my life。 The book has a couple of themes， but as she likes to point out early on is that she really wanted to call the book “Wake the Fuck Up”。 Collectively， our society has been all feeling stuck， and we are all struggling to cope。 We are constantly bombarded with stories about everything falling apart， how the world is burning， huge refugee crises， the gap widening between the haves and have nots， and we just feel helpless。 Instead of doing something about it， we just continue to scroll on our phones or just binge-watch the next show。 But more stuff that we don’t need。The existential threat of our time is the climate emergency。 Unfortunately， it is one of those broad problems that is like a hyperobject （a term coined by Timothy Merton）， a problem so large it is hard to wrap our minds around it。 Instead of doing anything about this problem， we react with a panic and get caught up in the “fear-guilt-anger-despair-overwhelm” cycle。 We go down the rabbit hole and come out in a state of despair， become overwhelmed， and the just start the cycle over again。So one of the things that the author blames our crises on， including the climate emergency， is capitalism。 In her words， “Capitalism is a cult。 We are so ensconced in it， we are blind to its power。 Like a cult。” We live in a disposable world where those of us in the west are consuming the resources of five planet Earths， a lifestyle so unsustainable。 Of the materials flowing through the consumer economy right now， only 1 percent remains in use in six months after sale。 This is just a couple of the points that she makes on how we need to change our ways。So what can we do？ The way she deals with it is she walks and hikes all the time。 To walk is to reconnect with nature and feel a part of the earth farther than apart。 “To walk is to commit a most deviant act！” Frederick Nietzsche had a great quote about ruminating about ideas while walking: "all truly great thoughts are conceived while walking。" Another thing we can do is read。 “You can't consume much if you sit still and read books": Huxley。 To this extent， you could say reading is a form of deviance。 Reading falls into a range of activities she refers to as soul nerding。 Soul nerding is about studying our predicament with considered curiosity by absorbing evolutionary biology， intellectual history， philosophy， anthropology， and above all， literature。 Also poetry and music （particularly classical）。 Voltaire called it cultivating our garden。 Meditate， even badly。Another large theme of this book is to consume less。 That is the ultimate antithesis to capitalism。 “It's not about buying the "right" or righteous things and throwing out the wrong。 It's about buying less。 And less。 And， as often as possible， buying nothing at all。” She has some pretty radical advice， such as her everything you own down to one bag。 Ditch your car。 Buy nothing but food and toilet paper for 13 months。 Buy second hand。 Don’t waste any food。 These are all things we should try out。 Probably not as extreme as her， but if we are being honest about change， we have to get serious about trying several solutions at once to save the planet。 The truth is that no one is going to come save us and we are not separate from or above nature。 Finally， consuming less isn't just buying or wasting fewer things。 It is also an approach to all aspects of life。 It’s doing fewer activities。So what else can we do？ Change can happen if people who are worried about where we are heading protest and speak out。 One study from global movements on change came up with a figure that if you can get 3。5 percent of a population to participate in sustained， non-violent protest， change happens。One of the last quotes in the book that I actually think summarizes where we are was a text Australians near the 2020 bushfires received: "You are in danger and you need to act immediately to survive。" 。。。more
Angela
，
I found this book a great way to push people to do something now， to do what's necessary， to keep hope and to realize that it's often through darkness that we see light。 I found this book a great way to push people to do something now， to do what's necessary， to keep hope and to realize that it's often through darkness that we see light。 。。。more
Kevin M。 Labadessa
，
I read this book on April Fools Day and it was totally fitting。 Only a fool would believe this leftist new age propaganda。 The author believes Capitalism is evil， and that it was selfish to grow the human race because what about dear Mother Earth。 The thing is the earth is not my mother but God the creator of all things is my father。 Also look at the title of this book， this is not one life but just a sojourn here on earth until I’m reunited with my Lord and savior Jesus Christ。 I want to tell M I read this book on April Fools Day and it was totally fitting。 Only a fool would believe this leftist new age propaganda。 The author believes Capitalism is evil， and that it was selfish to grow the human race because what about dear Mother Earth。 The thing is the earth is not my mother but God the creator of all things is my father。 Also look at the title of this book， this is not one life but just a sojourn here on earth until I’m reunited with my Lord and savior Jesus Christ。 I want to tell Miss Wilson to step on the grass and go shoot some deer （JM） as this really is a disposable planet。 When Christ returns there will be a new heaven and new earth where His people will live forever worshipping him。 Avoid this book！！！！ 。。。more
Leslie
，
Perfect for the times。 I made a lot of margin notes and underlines。 Will likely re-read。
Ashley
，
The good parts of this book were INCREDIBLE。 I work in a bookstore and we received an ARC of this。 I started reading it one night and instantly fell in love。 We didn't have any copies of the book available for sale in the store yet， but I still found myself talking about the book to several customers。 As soon as copies came in I bought a copy for a friend- like。。。I was SOLD on this book。。。。but then I kept reading。 And stuff just sat a little funny with me。 I've been interested in hiking for a wh The good parts of this book were INCREDIBLE。 I work in a bookstore and we received an ARC of this。 I started reading it one night and instantly fell in love。 We didn't have any copies of the book available for sale in the store yet， but I still found myself talking about the book to several customers。 As soon as copies came in I bought a copy for a friend- like。。。I was SOLD on this book。。。。but then I kept reading。 And stuff just sat a little funny with me。 I've been interested in hiking for a while， but the hiking parts kinda dragged and just felt like a weird/misplaced list of adventures。 Sure， there were some tidbits in there that made it tie in。。。but overall， it felt totally unnecessary。 I'm SO grateful I stumbled upon this book- there are aspects of it that were really valuable and helpful for me- enlightening， encouraging， some of it really resonated。 And I'll probably still recommend it to people。 But that recommendation will have a bit of a caveat。 It's gonna take me a few days to really figure out what exactly I found so。。。off-putting about the book。 I didn't notice any fat-phobic or neuro-atypical-shaming as other reviews have mentioned， but I would echo all of the comments about the book needing a stronger editor。 There's some REALLY good stuff in here。。but it all just feels a bit messy。 But not intentionally messy。 When I first started reading the book I thought it felt coolly laid-back and kinda stream-of-consciousness-like。 。。。but as I got deeper in to the book it just started to feel less chill and more messy and scattered。 Now my review has become totally messy and scattered， so who am I to talk about that？！ Point being， this is TOTALLY worth reading。。。but I think it's a book you can give yourself permission to skim。。。and skim pretty liberally。 。。。more
Cheryl
，
“It’s hard to talk about something so nebulous…so everything。 Something is not right。 We’re not living life right。 To try to grasp such a pain， to find the beginning and end…it’s a foggy feeling， an itch we can’t quite get to…。 In part， it is a state of shock from the constant bludgeoning of global crises and news of the stunningly immoral behavior of our world leaders…It is also a despair。 The planet is burning， refugees cry out for help， the gaps between the haves and the have nots has become “It’s hard to talk about something so nebulous…so everything。 Something is not right。 We’re not living life right。 To try to grasp such a pain， to find the beginning and end…it’s a foggy feeling， an itch we can’t quite get to…。 In part， it is a state of shock from the constant bludgeoning of global crises and news of the stunningly immoral behavior of our world leaders…It is also a despair。 The planet is burning， refugees cry out for help， the gaps between the haves and the have nots has become a cruel chasm， and we…， yeah， well we scroll。 And binge-watch。 And buy stuff。 Which makes the itch worse… I realized I had to find a better word than “itch。” I looked around at other people’s faces， downcast and scrolling as they waited for their bags， and I realized that what we’re all feeling， at the most basic level， is disconnected。 Disconnected from what matters， disconnected from life as we thought we were meant to living it， disconnected from our care and love for it all。 Ironically， in such inverted times， it’s our disconnection that actually unites – or connects – us。”I have been thinking more deeply about my role in sharing photos of our planet and how I hope it plants a seed of love for it， and that will grow into wanting to protect it。 We protect what we love。 I add quotes more consistently recently to my photos to enlarge the experience: beauty， yes， but also we have a responsibility to the earth， to our fellow humans on this earth。 One of my projects is “translating” some ideas and words of nature writers in a way that is more accessible。 I remember someone read a book I loved and said they didn’t know half the words in it; since our language can be beautiful， I place high value on the words that may not be in everyday lexicon， and I think some may be turned off。 I get so very excited when I have to look up the meaning of a word， others may not。 That is one of the reasons I read this book， looking for how this author is speaking to the generations behind me and looking for accessible language。It is a mixed bag with some luminous beautiful ideas， some hard truths about ourselves and the planet， and some oddities that could have been skipped entirely。 It wants to be everything， and lands really hard sometimes。 This is a soul journey， and personal reflection of what she has learned on it and there is a lot that resonates with me。 You have to take a deep breath， suspend judgement， and realize this is not a science book， a climate book， a hiking safely book， or anything you may think it is。 It is a diary。 And in a lot of ways， a testament to the human spirit transcending mental illness， which is obvious， and she talks about her struggle with bipolar disorder often， and has suffered from it。 I did not know who she was， and it seems irrelevant to what she is doing here， although she explains it in her personal journey。 Some of the hiking sections were perfect travelogue， and perhaps inspiring to go there， but her writing was most luminous when she was describing what it does， because she is right。 It changes you， these long hikes or walks or forest bathing forays。 It is how we evolved and what our bodies love: it is not a news flash that our bodies hate sitting。 Another section on “soul nerding” is trying to inspire now generations of people who can’t pay attention to a long article or book， and really how I have connected to the world。 And last， some rah rah cheerleading to wake up from cynicism。 Nature This breed of hiker， I like to think， is a study in what the hills can do to a person。 You head off， kitted out， a strident， striding human， top of the food chain， in charge of your destiny and determined to conquer the world with your carbon-fiber accoutrements。 But then something happens。 After a few hours you succumb to the mountain。 This behemoth， this original thing， doesn’t exist to be conquered。 I mean， who do we think we are？ If I were to describe how I feel once this succumbing happens， it’s like the mountain wants to hug me。 Really it does。 As I wind around the switchbacks， a centrifugal force pulls me in and envelopes my being and my thoughts。 Suddenly I cease focusing on the exertion and resistance。 I stop thinking about arriving or my fatigue or when I should stop to eat more chocolate。 And the raw energy of this original thing steps in。 It’s colossal。 And it is always there， just waiting for me to shut up and join it。 I thought about birds migrating as one flock now as I started to find my flow on the trail。 In the absence of a scientific explanation they called the phenomenon “group soul。” Scientists in 2013 came up with the term “murmuration” to describe this behavior （in starlings specifically） and used principles of physics to map the patterns。 Group soul。 Goodness， what a marvelous term for something so indescribable yet so known and intuitively true。 And it hit me， just as the Vedic poem had the night before: We go back to life by unifying with group soul。We emerged into human-hood walking in nature。 Our human brain evolved because we got upright and walked。 Our sentience and awareness – the stunning and special stuff that sets us apart in the animal kingdom – evolved to the rhythms of walking and in response to the patterns in nature we saw when we quit schlepping around on all fours and began looking upward。 Hiking brings us back to our nature because hiking is how we know our nature。When we walk， we have the emotional space to discern where the hell right and wrong land for us。 Also – and I just adore this factlet – the rhythm of walking is the same as the theta brainwaves that govern intuition and our “gut judgment。” Theta cranks up when we walk because it is needed for spatial positioning。Awe is quite a specific experience。 It happens when we view beauty amid vastness， predominantly in nature， triggering a deep sense of belonging。 Our smallness against a backdrop of immensity reminds us of our insignificance and interconnectedness， which brings about a profound， yet elated， peace。 Fractals！ It’s about fractals！ Nature’s patterns – tidal pools， rings in trunks， flower petal formations – are organized as complex configurations， each part of which has the same statistical characteristic as the whole。 The human retina also moves in a fractal pattern while taking in a view。 This congruence， then， creates alpha waves in the brain， which is the neural resonance of relaxation。 In other less technical words， looking at natural phenomena makes us feel like we’re part of it， part of the natural order。 You know， that we belong。I kept putting one foot in front of the other， drawing up energy from the earth through my feet， breathing in air that creates a cool， vibrant rhythm inside me until it becomes trance-like。 Mountains take you to this point very effectively。---Soul nerding:I didn’t grow up literary and cultured。 I used to do speed art – dashing through a gallery between the blockbuster pieces， in a bucket-list way。 And when lines of poetry were quoted in a book， I’d skip over them。 But it was actually while researching this book and wading curiously into dense essays and texts， following a thread and then applying myself mindfully to big， wise words and expressions which had to be understood with the heart， that I got a feel for how the considered study of life could also dial me directly back into life。Evolutionary psychologist Jeremy Sherman explains that there are two “standard” ways in our culture to connect to the spiritual essence of things。 There’s Western religion and there’s the Eastern traditions that we have turned to more recently。 But he writes of a “third way” to connect。 He calls it soul nerding。 Soul nerding is about studying our predicament with considered curiosity by “absorbing evolutionary biology， intellectual history， philosophy， anthropology， and above all， literature。” I’d add poetry and art to this list， as well as music， particularly classical。 Voltaire called it “cultivating our garden。” It’s the connection we feel in the stillness and attention required to appreciate a creative expression by a fellow human。 Through David Whyte’s poetry， I finally got poetry， and its beauty is in allowing your heart to open in the gaps between the words。For me， when I read deep， I am immediately reconnected with a shared knowingness – in a group soul kind of way。 To see that what you’ve been feeling has had words put to it triggers a sense of congruence。 Also， to see that an artist has turned your perplexing pain into a thing of beauty 。 。 。 well， that can see me air-punch in celebration。 I also love that deep reading improves us at a biological level。 Neuroscience shows that when we learned to read 6，000 years ago， particular circuits were formed。 These circuits sparked vital processes， such as internalized knowledge （which I take to mean “knowingness”）， fair reasoning， the ability to be empathetic and to have insight。As one of the researchers noted， our inability to deep read is seeing us fail to “grasp complexity， to understand another’s feelings， to perceive beauty， and to create thoughts of [our] own。” Studies show young people now struggle to be able to read university texts， as well as life-affecting contracts and information relating to their political responsibilities （um， Brexit！）。 In essence， skimming has made us sleepy， with all the now-familiar repercussions。 As one researcher put it， “It incentivizes a retreat to the most familiar silos of unchecked information， which require and receive no analysis， leaving us susceptible to false information and demagoguery。” Reading deep articles and nonfiction， as well as good literature， cultivates focus and reprograms our neurons。 The stillness and time required for a long read （anything over 3，000 words） also allows our minds to formulate our moral position。 This is like building a muscle。When reading， I start slowly and allow my natural reading rhythm to speed up when it’s ready。 Sometimes I breathe deeply to relax into what is an uncomfortable space – being still and focused like this is uncomfortable for our brains， which are so used to racing ahead to the “point。” That’s okay。 I feel along with the writer’s commas and parentheses and absorb myself into their rhythm。 This helps。 When my mind darts， looking for a reward， I gently bring it back to the words。 The words on the page are like the mantra or the breath in meditation。 It’s the repeated， gentle， present and firm bringing the mind back to the page that cultivates this antidote to the distraction that plagues us。 --------RAHRAH！The times are demanding more of us right now。 There are periods in history in which this happens。 The Vedic tradition teaches that life works to a never-ending cycle of creation， maintenance and destruction。 We’re born， we live， we die， then we are reborn in some form or other， and on we go。 Physics， biology， quantum mechanics 。 。 。 they work to the same truth。 You could say we’ve been in a maintenance phase for decades， if not centuries。 But now things have gotten destructive， as they have before， and we need to step up from our comfortable lull – our acedia – go to our edge and serve。 It’s in such times （of war， famine， plague， despotic rule） that religion and spirituality tend to lead us in this stepping up， reminding us of the noble worth of the hard bits – the sacrifice， the service， the radical faith。 The beautiful questions to ask， then: How are we going to be of service？ What are we willing to sacrifice to live the teachings of Buddha， Jesus， Mohammed， Gaia， The Universe ？“I think we’re all being summoned to fight for this life，” Hollis replied。 Not merely our own flesh and blood lives， not even for the planet， necessarily。 But for the sense of life we know we come from and belong to。 The Oneness。 You know， Big Life （that we access best through group soul） as opposed to our little individual “lower case” lives。 Humanity has always experienced times of great despair， pandemics， sadness and bewilderment， yet at all turns there have been wise good people who have nutted out paths forward， via poetry， art， fiction， philosophy。 What I’m saying， is， there is legacy; the paths back to life are already paved and no new wheels need to be invented。Sure， we’ve had climate change before。 And， yep， the planet survived。 But this is not the point。 No doubt the planet will survive again。 There’s just one small problem that we get distracted from。 This time， we probably won’t。 Or at least， our lives as we know and love them won’t…。Scientists and activists have no vested interest in making this shit up。 There is no money to be made and no power to be gained from spreading information about the worth of sustainable energy， or consuming less。 。。。more
Roxy
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This one was sadly a DNF。 It's a bit all over the place。 Overly preachy， a bit braggy， lacking direction。 There was one part that felt a bit fatphobic， but perhaps that's not surprising from someone who wrote a book about quitting sugar （that i also didn't finish because of the haughty tone）。 Dismissing other people's approaches while giving her "expert" opinion on the way forward seemed quite high & mighty。 Perhaps i am just not the target market。 I really wanted to like it， and i do love books This one was sadly a DNF。 It's a bit all over the place。 Overly preachy， a bit braggy， lacking direction。 There was one part that felt a bit fatphobic， but perhaps that's not surprising from someone who wrote a book about quitting sugar （that i also didn't finish because of the haughty tone）。 Dismissing other people's approaches while giving her "expert" opinion on the way forward seemed quite high & mighty。 Perhaps i am just not the target market。 I really wanted to like it， and i do love books about this subject， but it just didn't hit the mark for me。 。。。more
Tina Economou
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I really liked the premise of this book; the issues Sarah Wilson is talking about are important。 And， I actually did like the delivery。 I appreciated how facts and quotes from other writers/poets were interspersed。 But， when it came down to Sarah Wilson's actual thoughts， I was annoyed。 Her suggestions and critiques come from a very privileged place。 I found a lot of it very hypercritical too。 I basically enjoyed the parts where she wasn't giving her own opinion。 I really liked the premise of this book; the issues Sarah Wilson is talking about are important。 And， I actually did like the delivery。 I appreciated how facts and quotes from other writers/poets were interspersed。 But， when it came down to Sarah Wilson's actual thoughts， I was annoyed。 Her suggestions and critiques come from a very privileged place。 I found a lot of it very hypercritical too。 I basically enjoyed the parts where she wasn't giving her own opinion。 。。。more
Sarah Vaona
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Loved this book， and Sarah Wilson's perspective on life。 Her journey is so relatable， and this encouraging call to action is what we all need today。 Loved this book， and Sarah Wilson's perspective on life。 Her journey is so relatable， and this encouraging call to action is what we all need today。 。。。more
E。C。 Frey
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This year， I made a commitment to ditch my normal reading diet and pursue more exotic treasures。 Sarah Wilson’s this one wild and precious life was a fit beginning。 I finished a month ago， but I decided to step back before I reviewed it。 At times， I felt like I was having a conversation with the author。 It is a deeply ruminated and personal work with wonderfully relevant quotes from philosophers， writers， theologians， naturalists， etc。 who have clearly had an impact upon her personal views。 I do This year， I made a commitment to ditch my normal reading diet and pursue more exotic treasures。 Sarah Wilson’s this one wild and precious life was a fit beginning。 I finished a month ago， but I decided to step back before I reviewed it。 At times， I felt like I was having a conversation with the author。 It is a deeply ruminated and personal work with wonderfully relevant quotes from philosophers， writers， theologians， naturalists， etc。 who have clearly had an impact upon her personal views。 I do not share all of her views， but I agree with her on many。 Her reiterated views on the “cult of capitalism” I believe speaks more to some of its adherents rather than the system itself。This year has been trying for the world， but I can only speak for how I have witnessed it in the U。S。 This year has tested our most valued assumptions， but they were always fragile and in need of assuaging。 Sarah reminds us that the despotic emperors in Roman times used distraction to keep citizens from revolting （p。 74）。 The framers of the U。S。 Constitution were well-versed in the history and thought of the Roman Republic。 Our balance of powers is framed around an understanding of the Republic。 The preamble to the Constitution is vitally important: We the People of the United States… It is us。 It is especially not politicians or any other power brokers。 We， together， are what animate our political system。 As questionable as the morals and narratives are that surround first contact， invasion， conquest， and hook or crook， we got the political system right。 The fact that we have succumbed to extreme individualism， special interests， and greed is symptomatic of a society that has matured and allowed itself to be distracted or entertained。 Sarah is right。 Technology only ever enables （p。 35） but it is not the fault of the technology any more than it is the fault of a political system or capitalism。 They are tools。 I think a lot of what Sarah talks about is grass roots。 I’m a firm believer in grass roots which is why I often rail against both parties in the U。S。 Their platforms have become contradictory。 It is incumbent upon us to hold the parties to task， not vice versa。 And the tasks at hand require us to become committed to grass roots efforts。 Because special interests， big businesses， politicians， technocrats， and others have such a stranglehold on life now， it is more important than ever that we educate ourselves on the issues。 Capitalism is not the problem。 It is how we allow some to abuse and profit from it。 Law is not the problem。 How we allow it to be weaponized is the problem。 We are the gatekeepers。 Enlivened with the truth that we have one wild and precious life， it is that delicate evolutionary tension—between our self-interest and our need to belong to a community （p。 63）—that might carry us out of our acedia （p。 27）。 Between AI， quantum computing， climate change （the most pressing）， widening income disparities， and rising international tensions combined with rising authoritarianism， the stakes are really high。 Sarah herself acknowledged the facts （p。 341）， “the statistics are stacked against us。 I pay a solemn nod of respect to the spiritual truth—that death， and species extinction， are a part of life。 And yet I am wholly and vibrantly motivated to fight for life in the meantime。 Not my life。 But Big Life。” It just might be time to pull on our big boy/girl panties and fight for life。 We only get one and we can’t live it on the sidelines。 It’s time to act。 。。。more
Emily
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This is a difficult review to right。 I did feel like Sarah Wilson writes from a place of privilege， living a life of endless opportunity。 She does justify her travelling footprint - staying in places for 6 months instead of jetting all over the place constantly， that flying can be better for the planet than cars， that it was for work。。。 this would've gone down a lot better if it wasn't 75% of the way into the book。 But the jobs， connections， and money it must've taken to accomplish her travel & This is a difficult review to right。 I did feel like Sarah Wilson writes from a place of privilege， living a life of endless opportunity。 She does justify her travelling footprint - staying in places for 6 months instead of jetting all over the place constantly， that flying can be better for the planet than cars， that it was for work。。。 this would've gone down a lot better if it wasn't 75% of the way into the book。 But the jobs， connections， and money it must've taken to accomplish her travel & writing life。。。 Hard to imagine how that adds up as "come from nothing"。 But her book does make me question whether this reaction is just an excuse so I don't have to "do everything I can" to reduce my footprint。 As someone with an exceptionally overthinking， catastrophizing brain， I'm not sure the whole never-ending-ness of the fight is healthy - I already expect too much of myself in so many areas of my life， and Sarah's message doesn't leave much wriggle room。That aside， this was a good book。 Well resourced， a moderately compelling story， and while Sarah's voice is good narration on the audiobook （which I'm thankful for because it is a very long read at 14 hours）， I recommend reading this as an ebook so you can highlight & keep notes。 。。。more
Taylor
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