28 Oct 5 books to cozy up with around the bonfire
Want an adventurous fall, but don’t really want to leave the warmth of your bonfire? Get ready to hang out in a cabin with a 19th century off-grid pioneer, learn to speak the language of trees, climb mountains (real and imaginary) and stealth through jungles, all while surviving anything nature throws at you. Just don’t forget to throw a log on the fire every now and then.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Perfect read if: You think that there’s more to life than the daily grind, and you’re pretty sure that nature, not 4G, holds the key to happiness. Also, living off-grid in a 19th century-esque cabin in the middle of the woods is kind of your dream.
What it’s about: In 1845, Thoreau got permission from his buddy Ralph Waldo Emerson to build a cabin on his land next to a pond called (you guessed it) Walden. For over two years, Thoreau lived almost entirely off the land around his cabin, and – as philosophers do – thought a lot about the experience, the true meaning and purpose of life, and our place as humans in nature.
Our favorite excerpt: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Perfect read if: You knew those talking trees in Lord of the Rings weren’t totally made up, and this is the proof you’ve been waiting for. Or you know, you just believe in the bigger picture of nature.
What it’s about: Peter Wohlleben presents the case that trees consciously and cooperatively live together, communicate with other trees through a social network, support and share nutrients with trees that are sick or struggling, and warn their leafy friends of approaching danger. We know, it sounds a little crazy – but super fascinating. And Peter kinda knows his stuff: he’s been a forester for over 30 years, and most of his observations are backed by scientific research.
Our favorite excerpt: “Here is the last remaining piece of Nature, right on our doorstep, where adventures are to be experienced and secrets discovered. And who knows, perhaps one day the language of trees will eventually be deciphered […]. Until then, when you take your next walk in the forest, give free rein to your imagination-in many cases, what you imagine is not so far removed from reality, after all!”
The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
Perfect read if: You’re an adventurer who learns by doing. And thinks it’s pretty cool that the subject of this book inspired Darwin to start his own world travels.
What it’s about: Though he’s been largely forgotten, explorer and scientist Alexander von Humboldt was actually an avid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age (the early 1800’s). Unlike many in the field at his time, Humboldt didn’t just talk the talk, he 100% walked the walk. He climbed the world’s highest volcanoes, descended into the lowest caves, and wandered through Siberia. He carried instruments wrapped in velvet for protection through the jungles of South America, and rafted down rivers in Asia. And then he wrote about it all in a way that made the outdoors accessible to the masses. His books were best-sellers, and hugely influenced the way the world understood and interacted with nature. Fun fact: he also predicted man-made climate change. In the early 19th century. And Charles Darwin has said that he was his biggest inspiration for starting his own explorations and travels.
Our favorite excerpt: “If nature was a web of life, [Humboldt] couldn’t look at it just as a botanist, a geologist or a zoologist. He required information about everything and from everywhere, because ‘observations from the most disparate regions of the planet must be compared to one another’. […] His coat pockets […] were like those of a little boy – full of plants, rocks and scraps of paper. Nothing was too small or insignificant to investigate because everything had its place in the great tapestry of nature.”
The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman
Perfect read if: You love exploring, but don’t take your adventures too seriously. And you like your nature – and mountain climbing – with a side of humor.
What it’s about: In the 1950’s, it seemed that all over the world, the planet’s highest peaks were being reached. Annapurna in 1950. Everest in 1953. K2, also in 1953. Kangchenjunga in 1954. All of this was seriously inspiring, and seriously serious business. So someone had to have a little fun with it all. Taking inspiration from the many mountaineering memoirs of the day, Bowman wrote a parody about conquering the highest peak in the Himalayas – Rum Doodle. The team that sets out on the task is totally underwhelming and constantly running into hilarious trouble. And even though it’s a parody, this little book is now widely considered one of the most famous and celebrated books in mountaineering literature.
Our favorite excerpt: “I had been telling myself that I was miserable, and, being a naturally truthful person, I had believed myself. The remedy was plain: I must tell myself something cheerful.”
Mother Nature is Not Trying to Kill You by Rob Nelson & Haley Nelson
Perfect read if: You really want to get outside, but your fear of wild pigs, electric fish, and erupting volcanoes has kept you indoors – and now you’ve decided enough is enough.
What it’s about: Did you know that, statistically, you’re more likely to die from a vending machine than a shark? There aren’t any tips on surviving vending machines in this book, but there are great tips on how to make it out alive from almost every other encounter you could think of in nature. Should you run from a moose if it’s coming after you? Wondering what to do if you fall off your boat in the middle of the ocean? Rob tells you how to increase your odds of survival if you’re ever in (or out) of the same boat. By the amount of things that’ve gone wrong for Rob and Haley while exploring the outdoors, you’d think that they’d be long gone. But they’re not, and as a result, this book is a guide that’ll make sure you’ll survive in nature, too.
Our favorite excerpt: “After that day, I viewed the world differently. I was in awe of its power – not as an adversary, but knowing I am part of this thing we call nature. […] I learned respect for what I cannot control, how to weigh and minimize risk in the places I love most (the great outdoors), how to prepare for the unknown, to become “Captain Safety” for myself and others….and I definitely learned to check the weather!”
Happy adventuring, bookworms!