Losing Eden

A TIMES AND TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Beautifully written, movingly told and meticulously researched ... a convincing plea for a wilder, richer world' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding 'By the time I'd read the first chapter, I'd resolved to take my son into the woods every afternoon over winter. By the time I'd read the sixth, I was wanting to break prisoners out of cells and onto the mossy moors. Losing Eden rigorously and convincingly tells of the value of the natural universe to our human hearts' Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun Today many of us live indoor lives, disconnected from the natural world as never before. And yet nature remains deeply ingrained in our language, culture and consciousness. For centuries, we have acted on an intuitive sense that we need communion with the wild to feel well. Now, in the moment of our great migration away from the rest of nature, more and more scientific evidence is emerging to confirm its place at the heart of our psychological wellbeing. So what happens, asks acclaimed journalist Lucy Jones, as we lose our bond with the natural world-might we also be losing part of ourselves? Delicately observed and rigorously researched, Losing Eden is an enthralling journey through this new research, exploring how and why connecting with the living world can so drastically affect our health. Travelling from forest schools in East London to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault via primeval woodlands, Californian laboratories and ecotherapists' couches, Jones takes us to the cutting edge of human biology, neuroscience and psychology, and discovers new ways of understanding our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with the earth. Urgent and uplifting, Losing Eden is a rallying cry for a wilder way of life - for finding asylum in the soil and joy in the trees - which might just help us to save the living planet, as well as ourselves.

A fascinating look at why human beings have a powerful mental, spiritual, and physical need for the natural world—and the profound impact this has on our consciousness and ability to heal the soul and bring solace to the heart, and the cutting-edge scientific evidence proving nature as nurturer. “The connection between mental health and the natural world turns out to be strong and deep—which is good news in that it offers those feeling soul-sick the possibility that falling in love with the world around them might be remarkably helpful.” —Bill McKibben Lucy Jones interweaves her deeply personal story of recovery from addiction and depression with that of discovering the natural world and how it aided and enlivened her progress, giving her a renewed sense of belonging and purpose. Jones writes of the intersection of science, wellness, and the environment, and reveals that in the last decade, scientists have begun to formulate theories of why people feel better after a walk in the woods and an experience with the natural world. She describes the recent data that supports evidence of biological and neurological responses: the lowering of cortisol (released in response to stress), the boost in cortical attention control that helps us to concentrate and subdues mental fatigue, and the increase in activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing the heart and allowing the body to rest. “Beautifully written, movingly told and meticulously researched. An elegy to the healing power of nature. A convincing plea for a wilder, richer world.” —Isabella Tree, author of Wilding

Losing Eden traces the critical role the natural environment has played in the history and development of the American West by illustrating the many ways it both shapes and is shaped by the people who live there.

In Foxes Unearthed, Lucy Jones investigates the truth about foxes in a media landscape that often carries complex agendas, holding perceived wisdom and myths up to the microscope of modern science. There is a vivid story to be told, exploring the cultural history alongside the modern-day fables that we tell ourselves about this curious animal. Using extensive archival research to explore historical perceptions of the fox in folklore, literature and social history, Lucy also travels the length of Britain to find out first-hand why the animal is so ambiguously perceived in modern society: one family might feed the foxes in their backyard while another might pay to have them shot. This beautifully designed, compelling narrative adds a depth to the often contentious debate on foxes, asking what the British attitudes towards the Red Fox say about us - and, ultimately, our wider relationship with the natural world.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR UK NATURE WRITING Alone on a remote mountaintop one dark night, a woman hears a mysterious voice. Propelled by the memory and after years of dreaming about it, Jini Reddy dares to delve into the 'wanderlands' of Britain, heading off in search of the magical in the landscape. A London journalist with multicultural roots and a perennial outsider, she determinedly sets off on this unorthodox path. Serendipity and her inner compass guide her around the country in pursuit of the Other and a connection to Britain's captivating natural world. Where might this lead? And if you know what it is to be Othered yourself, how might this colour your experiences? And what if, in invoking the spirit of the land, 'it' decides to make its presence felt? Whether following a 'cult' map to a hidden well that refuses to reveal itself, attempting to persuade a labyrinth to spill its secrets, embarking on a coast-to-coast pilgrimage or searching for a mystical land temple, Jini depicts a whimsical, natural Britain. Along the way, she tracks down ephemeral wild art, encounters women who worship The Goddess, falls deeper in love with her birth land and struggles – but mostly fails – to get to grips with its lore. Throughout, she rejoices in the wildness we cannot see and celebrates the natural beauty we can, while offering glimpses of her Canadian childhood and her Indian parents' struggles in apartheid-era South Africa. Wanderland is a book in which the heart leads, all things are possible and the Other, both wild and human, comes in from the cold. It is a paean to the joy of roaming, both figuratively and imaginatively, and to the joy of finding your place in the world.

Professor Belsey explains the views of recent theorists, including Jean-François Lyotard, Judith Butler and Slavoj Zizek, in order to take issue with their accounts of what it is to be human.

The Long Lost Garden of Eden is a tribute to the fruit growers of the Central Valley of California and all other agriculture-derived industries. Mr. Charles remains true to his upbringing deeply rooted in agribusiness. This book is the result of his keen observations and 12-year research into what makes the San Joaquin Valley one of the most fertile lands in the country. His poems will give you a glimpse of the Central Valley's diversity. His research has culminated into the realization that fruit consumption must be the foundation of any worthy diet program. This collection will engage your mind and soul. It will provoke deep reflection that will lead to enlightenment, positive attitude and spiritual renewal. The themes of these poems are universal. Artistic appreciation, hope, beauty, love, loss, hard work, self-improvement, despair, migration, and drought are all themes anybody can relate to, irrelevant of their origins and taste.

I'd spent my entire life feeling like I couldn't breathe. Like I was unfit to even exist in a world controlled by elemental magic, as the only one without a single drop coursing through my veins. I was a magical dud, a misfit thrown into an orphanage by my parents as a baby and forced to work a dead end job at a magical coffee shop just to get by. In a place where everyone was extraordinary I had come to terms with being ordinary. Until my twentieth birthday when my life went up in flames- literally. But when my best friend is captured by a fire wielding psychopath who also turns out to be my fated mate I realize that there is no limit to how much of a hot mess my life can be. Great. Secrets about my past are uncovered and I find out I'm an eden, a mage with an affinity for all four elements. Only an eden can unite all of the elemental mages and unite the country against upheaval. I was prepared to master the four elements, but I wasn't prepared to fall for the three hot elemental princes who were tasked with helping me save the world. No pressure, right?