|
I picked up this copy the same time as I picked up his "Last Child in the Woods" ~~ and I took it along on a camping trip recently. Just because re-reading the same thing is tedious for me, it doesn't have to be for other readers. It is definitely a keeper in any family's library ~~ but if you have read the book, "Last Child in the Woods" ~~ you will find the same themes and same stories touched upon in this book as well. Yes, this book is the original since it was published in 1996 but when you have two books by the same author telling you pretty much the same thing, it makes you wonder if he needs more fresh stories to share or if he is running out of ideas.
This book is just not about stories, it is about people reconnecting to humanity again in spite of the highly technogical age we live in today. If you like essays and essays about family, nature, communication and so forth, you will like this little book. It is inspiring. It is about people reconnecting to nature and family and friends ~~ the little things that make our lives go round. It will make you look at life a little bit differently and perhaps, instead of having imaginary conversations with your spouse in your head, you will talk to him/her and rediscover the reasons why you fell in love with him/her in the first place. It is a neat little compilation of essays regarding making time for family, having meaningful conversations and keeping friends, keeping the communication channels open with your kids and spouses, brothers/sisters/parents, and other topics.
It is lyrical and thoughtful. It is definitely a gem of a book.9-11-07 That is why I gave it a four stars because it is tedious reading to read the same thing over and over again. It'll be interesting to see what his next book will touch upon.
Also, more and more I'm coming across this image of a web in life and understanding and appreciating the interconnectedness of things as described in the book. I read a section from the book each night and feel warmed and inspired by it.
The book is a gentle reminder of our wilder selves. Richard Louv has a great philosophy toward life. This book illustrates his desire for all of us to include more nature in our existence.
We need works such as this at a time when so many of our families and communities seem to be bent on distruction, and more importantly, we need to read these works and ponder them. Would recommend this to anyone. This is a wonderful collection of essays/short stories which drive home the importance of family, family connections and the importance of our past. All in all quite thought provoking and quite inspirational. Would recommend you purchase it and give it a reread now and then. Each essay is worth mulling over thoughtfully. You will find youself being able to relate to most of the author's words.
In the Web of Life, Louv emphasizes what we can do individually and collectively to begin creating a world of compassion, sensitivity, fulfillment, and joy.This is a must read for anyone wishing to set aside the temporary lures of self-gratification and integrate more practical and sustainable values into their lives. In this work, Louv unknowingly, perhaps, touched upon sustaining human values that transcend culture and generational boundaries. "The Web of Life: Weaving the Values that Sustain Us," is an incredibly powerful work connecting the present with the past, eloquently capturing the basic values which bring strength to individuals, families, schools, and communities. Through a story-telling approach which immediately connects author with reader, Richard Louv plants the seeds of possibility in the reader's mind, offering simple and do-able approaches to integrating more of the sustaining values into our busy lives.I used Louv's book in my thesis on Amish culture, as I immediately found threads of commonality between Louv's observations and my personal experiences among the Old Order Amish.
|
