Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, revised
Richard Louv
Those of us who were lucky enough to grow up wandering the woods and playing in streams recognize the heart of this book. Louv has found both the words and the research to show that the outdoors and its open spaces offer refuge from life’s other stresses. He traces the rise in hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder to lives lead inside in front of monitors, barraged by electronic noise and no exposure to the wilds outside our doors. Anyone looking for facts to back up their gut feeling that going outside is good for us, will want this book to back them up! This is one father’s look into why his son thought life was so much more fun when his Dad was growing up.
From the publisher: Richard Louv was the first to identify a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn't quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. His book Last Child in the Woods created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years after its initial publication, we have reached a tipping point, with Leave No Child Inside initiatives adopted in at least 30 regions within 21 states, and in Canada, Holland, Australia, and Great Britain.
This new edition reflects the enormous changes that have taken place since the book—and this grassroots movement— were launched. It includes:
• 101 things you can do to create change in your community, school, and family
• Discussion points to inspire people of all ages to talk about the importance of nature in their lives
• A new afterword by the author about the growing Leave No Child Inside movement
• New and updated research confirming that direct exposure to nature is essential for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.
This is a book that will change the way you think about your future and the future of your children.
About the author:
Richard Louv is the author of seven books. He is the chairman of the Children & Nature Network, has served as adviser to the Ford Foundation's Leadership for a Changing World award program and the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. He has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, NPR's Morning Edition, and many other programs.
From the publisher about the original edition: “This book is an absolute must-read for parents.”—The Boston GlobeIn Last Child in the Woods, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation—he calls it nature-deficit—to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
Louv talks with parents, children, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, child-development researchers, and environmentalists who recognize the threat and offer solutions. Louv shows us an alternative future, one in which parents help their kids experience the natural world more deeply—and find the joy of family connectedness in the process.
Last Child in the Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond—and they are right in our own backyard.
Paper, 390 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches, April 2008.
