the natural explorer a review

Sun, Apr 1, 2012

I don’t normally review the books I read but I felt I really had to say a few words about Tristan Gooley’s The Natural Explorer. Perhaps because I’m immersed in the emerging topic of mindfulness or the fact I’m off to exotic climes in a while and becoming an environmental sponge, I seemed to be receptive to inspiration by other than the usual diet of purple prose from the outdoors glossies. The book comes hot on the heels of my reading of Rebecca Solnit’s Wanderlust and Winnifred Gallagher’s Rapt so it was with eager anticpation I booked the couch for the day and settled down with The Natural Explorer.

It follows the format of the Natural Navigator books, short digestible chapters which in this case take you round the world in the company of the likes of Humboldt, Muir, Thoreau, Ibn Battuta and Eberhardt. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of exploring and to illustrate each point Mr. Gooley pauses while he opens a cupboard door and out pops another fascinating individual with a memorable quote or anecdote. How a walk in the South Downs is transformed into an international imaginational romp is just wonderful. After each chapter I rummaged around on the net and Amazon to add to my reading list from the wonderful cast of characters that bring life and wonder to the pages of this beautifully written book.

As the chapters progress they become more reflective and philosophical with the final two bringing me out in goosebumps and I read them slowly, going over each paragraph twice, savouring the writing and the exquisite call to imagination. This book is a wonderful antidote to the pedestrian publications which although fill a small hole, cause one to miss the gaping maw of missed experience one doesn’t even know is there. If you’re an outdoor blogger read this book and we can rebuke the wonderful observation from Rebecca Solnit that:

“The combination of a silver tongue and iron thighs seems to be a rare one”.