Our Wild Calling

How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives - and Save Theirs

By: Richard Louv

Narrated by: Graham Winton

Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Richard Louv has done it again. A remarkable book that will help everyone break away from their fixed gaze at the screens that dominate our lives and remember instead that we are animals in a world of animals." (Bill McKibben, author of Falter) 

Richard Louv's landmark book, Last Child in the Woods, inspired an international movement to connect children and nature. Now Louv redefines the future of human-animal coexistence. Our Wild Calling explores these powerful and mysterious bonds and how they can transform our mental, physical, and spiritual lives, serve as an antidote to the growing epidemic of human loneliness, and help us tap into the empathy required to preserve life on Earth. Louv interviews researchers, theologians, wildlife experts, indigenous healers, psychologists, and others to show how people are communicating with animals in ancient and new ways; how dogs can teach children ethical behavior; how animal-assisted therapy may yet transform the mental health field; and what role the human-animal relationship plays in our spiritual health. He reports on wildlife relocation and on how the growing populations of wild species in urban areas are blurring the lines between domestic and wild animals. 

Our Wild Calling makes the case for protecting, promoting, and creating a sustainable and shared habitat for all creatures - not out of fear, but out of love. Transformative and inspiring, this book points us toward what we all long for in the age of technology: real connection.

©2019 Richard Louv (P)2019 Recorded Books

Too many assumptions

It had some of what I expected but I cound it a little too assuming on the status of the ...climate. This was a major detraction to the point. I didnt want to be preached to. had to rate it down. Tempted to go 2 stara because of that. I sort of hoped for more like his other books.

A list of ideas

This is my 2nd book by Louv. The 1st, The Last Child in the Woods, projected him unto the global stage of environmental and outdoor education for drawing attention to the decreasing nature connection among children, which the author coined "Nature Deficit Disorder". In Our Wild Calling, Louv continues the theme of nature connection as experienced through human-animal interactions. Louv provides a plethora of research on the topic, some of which is quite intriguing and fascinating. The author introduces the concept of "Habitat of the Heart" but he fails to develop it into a well organized and supported thesis. Instead, Louv lists numerous biologists, scientists, and environmental education leaders, giving short titbids on each person's research, experience, or ideas, and loosely ties each one to his theme before moving on to the next. I found the result to be an unsatisfying list of ideas that lack a comprehensive analysis of the fascinating topic of human-animal relationships. I appreciate the authors' extraordinary research and will likely follow up on several leaders in the field he described in the book. As such, this book serves as good resource for furher studying.

Amazing

I loved this book, just as much as The Last Child.
Thank You So much Richard!

Amazing

One of the best books I've listened to. I already ready to listen to it again!

Does not dissapoint

I've now read three of Louv's books. All have been very informative and entertaining... as well as eye-opening as to how nature and our connection to living things is critical to who we are as a species. After reading this book, I decided to go work at a wildlife sanctuary.

Fantastic

This is an outstanding compilation of stories urging us towards a more peaceful planet. Well done!