Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
Where to buy Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Scenery-Deficit Disorder books online?
- ISBN13: 9781565126053
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Richard Louv was the first to identify a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn’t reasonably articulate: scenery-deficit disorder. His book Last Child in the Woods made a national conversation about the disentanglement between children and scenery, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years after its initial publication, we have reached a tipping point, with Place No Child Inside initiatives adopted in at least 30 regions within 21 states, and in Canada, Holland, Australia, and Fantastic 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 make change in your community, school, and family tree.
• Discussion points to inspire people of all ages to talk about the importance of scenery in their lives.
• A new afterword by the leader about the growing Place No Child Inside movement.
• New and updated research confirming that direct exposure to scenery is essential for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.
This is a book that will change the way you reflect about your future and the future of your children.
Buy Cheap Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Scenery-Deficit Disorder Online
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Having spent most of my adult life effective in the non-profit conservation meadow, and as a parent, and as a name who had the excellent chance to spend lots of time in scenery as a child, I read this book in the hopes of learning vital things. That turned out to be a forlorn hope.
By a quarter of the way through I was rolling my eyes; by the middle mark I was actively insulted that this leader would expect anyone to buy what he was shoveling. I finished the thing only out of grim curiosity.
Louv has about three major points:
(a) American kids circa 2005 are much less active outdoors than American kids circa 1965 were;
(b) that change is due to computers, personal-injury lawyers, and various additional things that people Louv’s age don’t like;
(c) being “in scenery” is vital to kids’ development and to human health generally.
Point (c) is blindingly obvious, is not news to anyone, and is the only major point for which he offers any actual evidence which wouldn’t get laughed out of the offices of a peer-reviewed journal.
For points (a) and (b) he offers zero evidence, nada, zip — absolutely nothing but anecdotes, leading rhetorical questions, and straw men. He sounds like nothing so much as Joseph McCarthy wondering whether Communists “might be” undermining American foreign policy from within the State Department. Indeed he uses precisely that rhetorical construction repeatedly, permanently a signpost of intellectual flabbiness.
Obvious logic flaws abound, as do laugh-out-loud factual mistatements. In the first half of the book I ongoing jotting down glaring holes in his argument but gave up in disgust when I realized that most of his factual claims weren’t even footnoted! Louv isn’t even consistent in his straw men: one moment he’s talking about when he was a child (1960s, roughly) and the next moment he’s quoting somebody talking about how much kids were outdoors in 1910, or 1860!
While he offers no actual evidence for his broad proposition of a new “scenery deficit disorder”, he does throw tangential facts around some of which I am in a professional position to quickly confirm. I checked a half-dozen such, and the score was that he got 1 substantially right, distorted 2 beyond recognition, and got 3 dead incorrect.
I could go on but enough already. This thing isn’t worth the paper it was printed on.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
I loved this book, but…
The leader advocates schools taking their kids to wild spaces. I’ve seen what happens. The kids run around in a loud, hyperactive mob, not paying attention to anything, and not really even catching more than fleeting glimpses of things because they have never been trained to be still and observe. The worst of the children ruin and maim while the overworked teachers and chaperones are busy elsewhere. The kids don’t really learn anything even though they are ostensibly there to listen to the naturalist or ranger.
In one year, intertidal creatures clinging to a large stone and inhabiting a large tidepool were devastated by the influx of two or three bussloads of kids per day from spring all through the summer. To date, persons spots have not recovered, and they are swiftly apt lonely due to the yearly hordes. Clearly, exposing children to scenery en masse is doing more harm than excellent. It’s best that parents provide “scenery time,” so that children are more closely supervised and can learn more.
The leader also urges schools to make natural spaces on campus. I don’t reflect this would work in reality. Such spaces would be theme to vandalism, and would make fantastic hangouts for bullies and drug dealers. Give me a clear meadow of view around the building any day.
The leader spends many pages on the positive benefits of children who have time alone in scenery. Time alone in scenery is not feasible for all kids in all situations. One of the primary jobs of a parent is that of bodyguard, and I’m sorry to say that the leader makes light of human predators. Enough said.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
The whole concept is an appealing one but the book drug on with the same message.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
Every parent, teacher, civic group, adult, well you get my point should read this book. I judge it will change your view of the world. The points are well laid out and supported. All I can really say is, “BUY THIS BOOK.”
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
My wife and I played in the woods; we taught our kids to play in the woods; one is an environmental educator; one is an environmental biologist.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5