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Skimming Stones
A book of simple skills that can help us to interact with nature, achieve a deeper connection with it, and even step inside another dimension
There are forces deep in everyone's subconscious that find a pure expression in the simplest of activities. This book explains why we should be taking the time to do them. It is born out of a wish to share our passion for our landscape and the contemplative, reflective pleasures and joys that were well-known to our grandparents, but which are in danger of being lost and forgotten. They will help us get back to a place where we all belong.
Through teaching such basic outdoor skills as making and flying a kite, tracking an animal, damming a stream, and lighting a fire, this book also teaches the reader valuable lessons about life. These exercises are intended to be not only of practical value but also techniques for meditation. They help the practitioner live in the moment and recover ancient insights and rhythms, while encouraging nature to reveal her secrets and treasures.
There are forces deep in everyone's subconscious that find a pure expression in the simplest of activities. This book explains why we should be taking the time to do them. It is born out of a wish to share our passion for our landscape and the contemplative, reflective pleasures and joys that were well-known to our grandparents, but which are in danger of being lost and forgotten. They will help us get back to a place where we all belong.
Through teaching such basic outdoor skills as making and flying a kite, tracking an animal, damming a stream, and lighting a fire, this book also teaches the reader valuable lessons about life. These exercises are intended to be not only of practical value but also techniques for meditation. They help the practitioner live in the moment and recover ancient insights and rhythms, while encouraging nature to reveal her secrets and treasures.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 2, 2013
The natural world is something that we have lost contact with in the past generation. There are many factors that have driven people away from this, but two of the main ones are technology and the fear of the great outdoors. It has been proven that lack of exposure to the natural world is affecting us in many ways.
In Skimming Stones and Other Ways of Being Wild, Cowen and Critchely have drawn together a set of simple activities that they are hoping will make us to get outside and interact with nature once again. Using lovely sketches as well as the text, they suggest a variety of things that you can do outdoors. From the very simple skimming stones and making a kite, to tracking animals, building dams, building a den for the night and fire lighting; these are straightforward ways of reconnecting you with the landscape and nature once again.
I had picked this up after reading Cowen’s recent book, Common Ground. Whilst I really enjoyed that book, this really didn’t have the same effect that that book did. I completely get the reason behind it, connecting people with the big wild world, combined with the exercise and fresh air is something that we all need to enrich the soul and the mind. And to be fair, this book does a good job suggesting twelve activities that people should be able to undertake, with clear details of how to do so. It is written in the same vein as the National Trust campaign, 50 things to do before you're 11¾, to get children to experience different things, and it is a book that would be suitable for those wary of nature, but it just felt a little too contrived in the end.
In Skimming Stones and Other Ways of Being Wild, Cowen and Critchely have drawn together a set of simple activities that they are hoping will make us to get outside and interact with nature once again. Using lovely sketches as well as the text, they suggest a variety of things that you can do outdoors. From the very simple skimming stones and making a kite, to tracking animals, building dams, building a den for the night and fire lighting; these are straightforward ways of reconnecting you with the landscape and nature once again.
I had picked this up after reading Cowen’s recent book, Common Ground. Whilst I really enjoyed that book, this really didn’t have the same effect that that book did. I completely get the reason behind it, connecting people with the big wild world, combined with the exercise and fresh air is something that we all need to enrich the soul and the mind. And to be fair, this book does a good job suggesting twelve activities that people should be able to undertake, with clear details of how to do so. It is written in the same vein as the National Trust campaign, 50 things to do before you're 11¾, to get children to experience different things, and it is a book that would be suitable for those wary of nature, but it just felt a little too contrived in the end.
December 19, 2015
While there was a good attempt at reminding how the environment and people have inherent ties, the narration felt a bit strained--going from a simple quip to full-blown recipe-type chapters that appears to suggest "how to do things" in the wild, rather than a spontaneous flow.
I think what saved the book was mentioning how walking in the wild is essentially a "pilgrimage" because of man's intrinsic nature to venture into new lands and discover numerous ways to survive. What I also liked about the end chapters is that it articulates how urbanity has sort of detached us from the natural scheme of things, such as our body clocks and above all, an awareness to look for home.
I think what saved the book was mentioning how walking in the wild is essentially a "pilgrimage" because of man's intrinsic nature to venture into new lands and discover numerous ways to survive. What I also liked about the end chapters is that it articulates how urbanity has sort of detached us from the natural scheme of things, such as our body clocks and above all, an awareness to look for home.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews