Full Ecology: Repairing Our Relationship with the Natural World

by Mary M. Clare, Gary Ferguson

How to confront the climate crisis without losing heart It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of global climate breakdown. So how might we develop the inner resolve to confront it? Full Ecology, a collaboration between social-cultural psychologist Mary M. Clare and longtime science writer Gary Ferguson, suggests a path forward. Breaking the modern impulse to see humans as separate from nature, Clare and Ferguson encourage us to learn from the “supremely methodical and highly improvisational” natural systems that touch our lives. True change, they argue, begins with us stopping and questioning assumptions about our place in the world. From this process of reflection, they offer us an alternative blueprint for acting in ecologically healthy ways, and for inspiring others to do the same. Rather than proposing a ten-step plan to save the earth, this book encourages a more elemental rethinking of our connections to nature, and of how such connections might be strengthened for the common good. Practical and poetic, scientific and spiritual, Full Ecology presents a strong, nourishing foundation for climate action.

Genres: Nature, Audiobook

129 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2021

Reviews

[Margaret C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only just got to your book FULL ECOLOGY last week, and read it over a series of several evenings.  As I understand your premise about humans being part of nature as a whole, we cannot afford to treat humans as favored entities over other entities on the planet.  Our kinship to everything on the planet, our natural dependency upon the ecosystems we are born into and thrive in, and WITH THE PLANET CONSTANTLY DEMONSTRATING HOW ALL ENTITIES IN AN ECOSYSTEM WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL THINGS WITHIN THE ECOSYSTEM - we humans need to join in and participate in the mutuality of living here (and stop raping the planet for its resources to our advantage....since at some point it ceases being an advantage and can destroy the whole system.)  I also liked how you organized a response to that notion:  Stop, Ask, Act... giving us baby steps to take as we move into a stance of problem solving.  I think I can say I am mainly in the STOP phase, due to your wise instruction.  For now, at least I am stopping to look and see how things are and how I am part of it all.  Thanks for a really, really helpful book.

[Mike Van Golberdinge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mocht af en toe dieper gaan en af en toe wat snelle conclusies maar verder laat het je wel meer in contact komen met de wereld om je in heen :)

[Terry Gutkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Gary Ferguson and Mary Clare for this wonderful and insightful look at the interconnectedness of all things living on planet Earth. Everything and everyone is part of the whole, and Ferguson and Clare are masterful in helping the reader explore and ingest this reality. I came away from reading Full Ecology with a deeper understanding of all that goes on around me and how I am a vital part of the world's ecology. Most importantly I came away with a sense of renewed hope for life on Earth and a revitalized appreciation for the beauty and poetry that is the essence of our planet.

Terry G.

[Karuna Eberl · Rating 5 out of 5]

If every policy maker in the world would just take a couple of hours to meditate over the lessons in this book, our future world would be one of beautiful balance, full of vibrant ecosystems, compassion, kindness, and happy creatures (including us humans). Mary and Gary's clarity and positive spirit comes forth on every page, and makes me feel like there is hope, actual hope for our future. It's not a stretch to say this book has affected my daily actions and thoughts deeply, and I am very grateful for this incredible gift the authors have given to this world. Thank you.

[Terry O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Ecology is a primer for taking your child’s/grandchild’s hand and wondering aloud at just one beautiful aspect of our natural world - the moon rising, an autumn leaf falling, a robbin “worming”, etc. etc. And then do it again.

Our planet is in crisis. Coming generations need help in understanding what’s at risk.

The authors gave me inspiration to reassess how my family and I can both stop doing and start doing MORE.

[Seymour H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that gracefully explores a major topic of our time. Where ever you live, however busy and stressed you are, there are ways to reconnect with the natural world and yourself. Mary and Gary creatively detail interrelationships within the natural world of which we are apart and provide pragmatic approaches to help us reconnect and contribute to healing the world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Ecology: Repairing Our Relationship with the Natural World, by Mary M. Clare and Gary Ferguson, details new thinking on how to interact with our planet. It encourages us to remember that we are part of nature, not above it or separate from it. An inspiring, poetic read, with the insights of two seasoned writers.

[Halley Wunder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Ecology was such a cozy read. It tackled huge issues but made me feel comfortable and heart happy while working through them.

[Dan Defigio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent

There is a LOT of wisdom in this small book. Beautifully written, easy to digest, and thoroughly enjoyable from cover to cover.

[Alison Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can we live in an environment under constant change- in large part due to the damage we have wrought? How can we find hope and courage to change how we relate to the earth, to begin to live in harmony instead of in such a disconnected way?
Mary Clare and Gary Ferguson - clear, passionate, deeply connected. This book should be on every book group’s reading list!

[Robert Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is so much better ecology writing than this. I know it's just personal, but I dislike books that tell me how I should feel, and much prefer books that show things that bring that feeling on. In the genre of nature/ecology this is a very pale shadow of other writers like Annie Dillard, Mary Austin, Anne Zwinger and Linda Hogan.

[Carlijn Van Der Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het greep me niet. Al houd ik enorm van Ferguson, het was niet echt van toegevoegde waarde op het vorige boek. Wel heel mooi om af en toe herinnerd te worden om je te verwonderen over de natuur en haar lessen

[Henneke Wateringen · Rating 4 out of 5]

luisterboek, weer wijzen lessen uit de natuur.

[Mats Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik vond het vorige boek van/met Gary Ferguson geweldig, dit boek had wel gelijk maar was zo traag geschreven dat ik diverse malen afhaakte. Jammer.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aanrader!

[Dirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gewoon 5 sterren. Hoppatee. Ik stond helemaal open voor dit boek. Na ‘De 8 grote lessen van de natuur’ van Gary was dit een logische doorpakker. Wel prettig dat het een beknopt boek is. Want heel veel langer had het voor mij ook niet hoeven duren. Twee wandelingen lang. Top. En als je dan rondstruint door de bossen…dan is de boodschap van verbinding een erg prettige. En ja, ook ik ben te ver losgeraakt van de natuur. En verbaas me iedere dag steeds meer over de intelligentie ervan. Van het geheel. Waar wij ook onderdeel van uitmaken. En waar ik door te stoppen en te bevragen uiteindelijk, hoe klein ook, via verbinding het verschil kan maken.