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Wonder and Other Survival Skills: A Selection of Essays from Orion Magazine
Is wonder really a survival skill? Between the urgency of the problems facing our planet and the chaos of our own busy lives, it might seem naïve to place “cultivate wonder” at the top of a list of priorities. Yet that is exactly what the authors in this collection suggest: that wonder is necessary, that it might just be what saves us. Readers have long turned to Orion to be reminded of the things that really matter, to build their inner reserves, and to rekindle their sense of intimacy with the earth. The essays collected here are testaments to the power of beauty and the importance of humility—and a deep belief, even amid darkness and uncertainty, in wonder’s essential role in our lives.
107 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2012
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About the author
Diane Ackerman
70 books1,108 followersDiane Ackerman has been the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in addition to many other awards and recognitions for her work, which include the bestsellers The Zookeeper’s Wife and A Natural History of the Senses.
The Zookeeper’s Wife, a little known true story of WWII, became a New York Times bestseller, and received the Orion Book Award, which honored it as, "a groundbreaking work of nonfiction." A movie of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, releases in theaters March 31st, 2017 from Focus Features.
She lives with her husband Paul West in Ithaca, New York.
The Zookeeper’s Wife, a little known true story of WWII, became a New York Times bestseller, and received the Orion Book Award, which honored it as, "a groundbreaking work of nonfiction." A movie of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, releases in theaters March 31st, 2017 from Focus Features.
She lives with her husband Paul West in Ithaca, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 15, 2022
I was SO excited to discover this book of essays on wonder, and published, no less, by the wonderful Orion Magazine. WONDER is my thing, and I too am working on a book of short vignettes on wonder and awe. I read anything I can find that has the word "wonder" in its title. While I enjoyed these essays, for the most part, overall this book was a wee bit disappointing.
There are several essays that truly do describe aspects of the natural world that ARE wondrous and to which I would give 5 stars. My favorite piece is a short essay by Brian Doyle who ponders names for an unnamed tiny creek that meanders through his property. I also loved a piece by Michael Branch called "Ladder to the Pleiades" about his young daughter's fascination with the night sky. But there were several other essays that were more focused on science than wonder itself, and while yes, I agree there is MUCH wonder involved in all things science-based, too many of these essays felt overly ponderous and pedantic to me. Overall, this short book is very much worth reading.
There are several essays that truly do describe aspects of the natural world that ARE wondrous and to which I would give 5 stars. My favorite piece is a short essay by Brian Doyle who ponders names for an unnamed tiny creek that meanders through his property. I also loved a piece by Michael Branch called "Ladder to the Pleiades" about his young daughter's fascination with the night sky. But there were several other essays that were more focused on science than wonder itself, and while yes, I agree there is MUCH wonder involved in all things science-based, too many of these essays felt overly ponderous and pedantic to me. Overall, this short book is very much worth reading.
July 13, 2024
These stories were fantastic
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews