The 3-Day Effect

By: Florence Williams

Narrated by: Florence Williams

Length: 3 hrs

Publisher's summary

Can nature really make us feel better? The 3-Day Effect takes a look at the science behind why being in the wild can make us happier, healthier, and more creative. Whether it’s rafting down Utah’s Green River, hiking in Utah’s wilderness, or walking through Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC, scientists are finding that the more exposure humans have to nature, the more we can benefit from reduced anxiety, enhanced creativity, and overall well-being.

Join science journalist Florence Williams and other researchers as they guide former war veterans, sex trafficking survivors, and even a nature-hater on three-day excursions into the wild. The crews don brainwave measuring devices to test nature’s direct effect on intelligence, creativity, and emotional health. 

As it turns out, being outdoors can be a miracle cure for an array of serious and everyday ailments. The astonishing results of this understudied phenomenon inspire action…and definitely a walk in the park 

©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Lots of opinions

I was expecting a lot more of the science behind what happens at a cellular level when in nature. Instead, this book is mostly personal experiences about people going through hard times and how camping in the woods for 3 days helped them.

I really enjoyed this

Clearly a compiled podcast but excellent story. Very poignant in places, found myself getting teary eyed. That said, there was quite a bit of repetition and it was a bit disjointed. Still, I'd recommend it as a good, quick read. I was hoping for a clearer outcome on the science part... It ends up being much less scienc-y than I thought it would be, which is found disappointing.

This Ecotherapist loved this series!

I just loved this audio series. I couldn't turn it off and haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

I spent part of my 20s working in southern Utah at a wilderness survival school for troubled teens. I've been all of the country, but Utah is by far my favorite place. I could see the amazing views and smell the juniper while listening to the series. I have read many books on the nature-health connection including The Nature Fix (which I love!) but the audio book is such an interesting and wonderful way to connect deeper to the story. I loved listening to the voices of the folks interviewed, hearing the emotion and the rawness of the experience. Listening to the sounds of nature. I felt like I was there.

Plus the 3 day effect concept really resonated with me. I teach a graduate level class on Ecotherapy for future mental health practitioners. I've been trying to figure out how and what to incorporate into my Ecotherapy class for an immersive experience. I will definitely be adding a 3 day outdoor excursion for future courses.

I also commend Florence's bravery with sharing her pain and vulnerability throughout the series. I connected on a deeper level to the series based on her honesty.

I have shared this series with everyone I know. Thank you!

anecdotes without a proper rationale.

a waste of time. the idea of getting away for 3 days obviously helps irrespective of where you go so her idea of nature is not proven at all and all this becomes is a 3 hour journey of anecdotes with no real value.

Lots of Potential, But Missed the Mark

Had the potential to be a little better. Everything with the veterans and battered women was incredible, but I found myself very annoyed when the investigator kept comparing her divorce to a similar level of suffering as the before mentioned groups. While I know divorce is challenging and it can feel like everything is ending, I can't entertain a conversation where it is being compared to those who were physically or sexually abused or suffer from PTSD post war/battle.

Could have been better

I will start by saying I really liked The Nature Fix. This book, not so much. While I enjoyed hearing the stories from those she interviewed and could hear the effect their experience had on them, I didn't care to hear about the Divorce over and over. I have been divorced. It gets way better over time. The ability to look back and see it was for the better. The ability to see it really wasn't working. I heard it takes 1 year for every 5 you were married to fully get over it. For me that added up to 5 years and I have to say it was pretty accurate. The fact that it was all so fresh for her, it seemed the whole nature experience sounded forced. I kind of feel bad that survivors of sexual crimes and heroic PTSD survivors were compared to her divorce. What I felt about the divorce at the time is completely different then than what I do now. Honestly she should have gone out with a group that have gotten past bad divorces. You can't make a moment of AWE happen, it just does. You can look at something many times and only feel AWE once and that might be the 50th time you saw it. You have to be open to it....not planning for it to happen. Be joyful when it happens and feel the energy course through you and yell "Thank You". Her reaction to the view of the Bay seemed underwhelming. She saw the beauty but you could tell by her voice, not the AWE. Expected for someone who is more in her own mind then contemplating what natural event had to happen for her to see what she was seeing. I believe in forest bathing. I believe in the benefits of nature and vibrations of natural surroundings. I just feel that some time been spent on being more mindful of nature would have paid off ten fold. While nature would have an effect on anyone to some degree, I don't feel that going out into nature expecting it to fix you and your life will result in that. Put in the work of being mindful, of being grateful for everything around you, for the wonders of nature and the results can be miraculous instead of just lightening your mood. The difference is in just being out in nature and realizing you are part of it. This would have been much better as an add on to the prior book instead of a book of its own. I wish her luck with getting over the divorce.

Wonderful exploration of nature and us

This is a in depth and caring look at how we relate to nature. With a host who’s open about her own vulnerabilities and characters who are present and alive, this podcast really explains the complex way we relate to and learn from the world outdoors.

Thought there would be more

Spoiler alert**

Going outside for three days is good for you. That’s the entire book. Minus the justification and personal stories.

Listening to people who don't like nature go there

This is a highly underwhelming listen. It's 90% people who don't have experience in nature being uncomfortable with the idea of going there, then going there, and then being like -- "oh this is (ok/not bad/great)" ... "but I still want a toilet and fridge, here listen to my chugging a fizzy drink" ... "This nature thing might have helped me a little bit (with my fill in the blank problem)" ... Repeat 7x. I don't know why I'm still listening to this after chapter 5.

A good example of bad experimentation

This is a good example of how if the variables of a experiment aren't well controlled, the results can be very misleading. In this book the author test her idea of nature being good for health; but introduces so many uncontrolled variables that the result although is the expected, is not clear to be thanks to nature.