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Primal: Why We Long to Be Wild and Free
TV survival shows and survival schools are more popular than ever; Paleo diets are proving to be more than just a passing trend; and free-range parenting is gaining steady momentum. So in an age when living in a modern society often equates to comfort and ease, why is it that we are so interested in these primal aspects of being human when they are no longer really necessary? Why are we still so fascinated with making fire or stone tools in this social media-driven digital age? Why are we urging our children to run back out into the wild?
The answer to all of these questions—to why we seek out the natural world—stares us in the mirror every We long to fulfill our natural destiny as upright-walking hunter-gatherer-nomads. It’s who we are.
Primal explores the natural human desire—the primal desire—to fulfill our original design. From the telling of anecdotes and stories from author Nate Summer’s twenty years as a survival specialist to conversations with world-renown survival and human nature specialists to digging into the rewilding and free-range parenting trends, Nate explores how humans have—and continue to—pursue “survival” situations to fulfill their deep, soulful longings.
The answer to all of these questions—to why we seek out the natural world—stares us in the mirror every We long to fulfill our natural destiny as upright-walking hunter-gatherer-nomads. It’s who we are.
Primal explores the natural human desire—the primal desire—to fulfill our original design. From the telling of anecdotes and stories from author Nate Summer’s twenty years as a survival specialist to conversations with world-renown survival and human nature specialists to digging into the rewilding and free-range parenting trends, Nate explores how humans have—and continue to—pursue “survival” situations to fulfill their deep, soulful longings.
224 pages, Paperback
Published September 19, 2019
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 21, 2020
Primitive skills. Those words can bring up many images for us. For a lot of us, they mean a way to get back to nature and to our natural roots. But, why do so many of us want to do this?
That question is what this book explores. Nate Summers is an expert survivalist and wilderness skills leader. His book explores the reasons people are seeking out these kinds of experiences more and more.
Humans have an interesting relationship to nature. Often, we are destructive. Sometimes, we are respectful and treat nature well. But, what draws us to seek a deeper connection to nature? Why are survival skills, and the people who teach them, becoming so popular lately? Is it because we recognize that our planet is changing and that we humans will need to adapt to this? Or, is it just the latest fad and will fade away?
To explore this question, the author takes us on a tour. He interviews practitioners of wilderness skills. He shows us all the survival schools that have cropped up. He takes us inside how people learn these skills. He shows us how the students who go through these programs come out of them with an increased appreciation for nature and intense interest in learning more skills. Primitive skills and wilderness survival are about more than a battle between man and nature. It’s about modern people connecting with our ancient roots. All of our ancestors, at some point in time, used those skills just to live. So, it seems to be inherently fascinating to us, as modern humans.
As a reviewer, I thought the book accomplished its purpose. In the interest of full disclosure, I do know several of the people who were interviewed for the book, and I have practiced the art of tracking for many years, so I know that part of the community very well. I do not know Nate, but his book seems to be a good insider overview of the whole phenomenon of ancestral skills.
One thing that I liked about the book was that he didn’t stay away from important issues. Such as a lack of racial diversity within the wilderness skills community. And the issue of cultural misappropriation. Some schools emphasize Native American skills, yet they are not taught by Native people. These issues need to be addressed by the wilderness skills community, and it was good to see that this author at least brought up the subject. Hopefully, this can lead to some dialog and maybe some changes. We can’t pretend that all practitioners are being respectful of the cultures whose skills they claim to be teaching, but we can hope that bringing attention to it will lead to some change.
Overall, this was an interesting read. It gives insight into how the whole movement developed over time and who the participants were. The reader gets to see the progression of this growing community. The author gives some reasons why modern people are attracted to these schools. And, it’s an entertaining read to boot. Recommended.
That question is what this book explores. Nate Summers is an expert survivalist and wilderness skills leader. His book explores the reasons people are seeking out these kinds of experiences more and more.
Humans have an interesting relationship to nature. Often, we are destructive. Sometimes, we are respectful and treat nature well. But, what draws us to seek a deeper connection to nature? Why are survival skills, and the people who teach them, becoming so popular lately? Is it because we recognize that our planet is changing and that we humans will need to adapt to this? Or, is it just the latest fad and will fade away?
To explore this question, the author takes us on a tour. He interviews practitioners of wilderness skills. He shows us all the survival schools that have cropped up. He takes us inside how people learn these skills. He shows us how the students who go through these programs come out of them with an increased appreciation for nature and intense interest in learning more skills. Primitive skills and wilderness survival are about more than a battle between man and nature. It’s about modern people connecting with our ancient roots. All of our ancestors, at some point in time, used those skills just to live. So, it seems to be inherently fascinating to us, as modern humans.
As a reviewer, I thought the book accomplished its purpose. In the interest of full disclosure, I do know several of the people who were interviewed for the book, and I have practiced the art of tracking for many years, so I know that part of the community very well. I do not know Nate, but his book seems to be a good insider overview of the whole phenomenon of ancestral skills.
One thing that I liked about the book was that he didn’t stay away from important issues. Such as a lack of racial diversity within the wilderness skills community. And the issue of cultural misappropriation. Some schools emphasize Native American skills, yet they are not taught by Native people. These issues need to be addressed by the wilderness skills community, and it was good to see that this author at least brought up the subject. Hopefully, this can lead to some dialog and maybe some changes. We can’t pretend that all practitioners are being respectful of the cultures whose skills they claim to be teaching, but we can hope that bringing attention to it will lead to some change.
Overall, this was an interesting read. It gives insight into how the whole movement developed over time and who the participants were. The reader gets to see the progression of this growing community. The author gives some reasons why modern people are attracted to these schools. And, it’s an entertaining read to boot. Recommended.
February 8, 2020
Come sit by the fire and listen to stories. Not stories of some forgotten past, of romanticized ancestors from bygone days, but true stories from living breathing humans from multiple cultures who are tuned in to something many of us have nearly forgotten – the primal roots we all share. From survivalists to bushcraft specialists, natural movement practitioners to rewilding educators, Nate draws out a smorgasbord of stories and weaves in reflections of his own fascinating adventures in primal living. Whether a fellow practitioner or armchair explorer, Primal is sure to inspire you on your own path to be Wild and Free.
August 16, 2019
I enjoyed the concept of this book but the execution left a bit to be desired. i appreciated the input of experts but felt like some of the writing strayed intro promotion for their schools or books. i really liked the ending and how it made accessing the primal part of you attainable through simple steps.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews