Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Book Review: Louv's RX for the well-being of ALL children
Summary: 5 Stars
Perhaps of all the categories of children needing Richard Louv's
RX for optimal well-being, the plight of gifted and talented
stands out. Just one example of many: "a gifted 11 year old runs
up from the pond area shouting to come quickly because three
deer are there having a conversation. Accompanying him to the
water's edge with no deer in sight, it is necessary to explain
to him that the deer he hears are frogs croaking."
With a prolific abundance of media, every phase of nature
can be viewed through the eyes and words of Stephen Hawkins,
Carl Sagan, Ed Wilson and others by our youngsters,
but it's not the same thing as hands-on direct experiences
with nature as a crucial part of growing up.
Louv's book has been written not as an academic "treatis" but as
a "treat" for readers of all backgrounds to be reminded of the
moments of wonder from our own childhoods and the crucial impact
such moments can have for the children in our lives today.
Book Review: A Call to Action
Summary: 5 Stars
What a wonderful concept: nature-deficit disorder. I remember summer days turning up rocks in the creek to find crawdads, and wandering through woods and pastures under the hot Kansas sun. Because of those experiences and my parent's interest and encouragement, I care about animals, plants and the state of the planet.
Are today's children missing all that? If their exposure to nature is television documentaries and carefully orchestrated trips to a petting zoo, will they bond with nature? There's no question that electronic gadgets occupy too much of their time and has consequences beyond short attention spans and weight gain.
I wish parents would read this book and take steps to unplug their child and provide regular outdoor time both structured and free time.
Book Review: parents take note
Summary: 5 Stars
hopefully, parents, teachers and pols will read this book and take it to heart. as a teacher of agriculture/forestry it is sometimes an uphill battle justifying the value of "tying it all together" and giving children a "grounding" and a sense of place. Louvs criticism of current PEtA efforts and over-conservation, as it is applied to children, is also right on the mark.Book Review: Children. Outside. Playing. How intriguing...
Summary: 4 Stars
An intriguing and thought-provoking work about our failures as parents, educators, and community planners to provide opportunities for unfettered nature play to our children, and the consequences of this oversight. According to Louv, in "Last Child in the Woods," the lack of opportunities for unstructured nature play, the decline of close-to-home open space, and the rise in programmed sporting activities are all contributing to a condition he labels "Nature Deficit Disorder." Although going to great pains to point out that this is not an identified medical disorder, it remains Louv's hypothesis that the modern disconnect between children and nature can and is to be blamed as a contributing factor to ADHD, obesity, lack of creativity, a loss of respect for nature and the living world, and a number of other social ills. Backed by lots of fascinating interviews, anecdotes, and research, Louv lays out a compelling argument for changing some modern social arrangements (educators, lawyers, and over-protective parents take a few lumps here) and letting today's children play the way we played as children: set them free in the outdoors, and let their imaginations do the work that we too often allow computer games and TV to do for them. Although the book drags a little the last 40 pages or so, it's only because Louv has already won you over to his argument. I highly recommend this work for local planners, educators, parents, and all others concerned about the disconnect between today's youth and the natural world. Book Review: unplug your kids - this book will convince you
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm old enough to remember an unplugged childhood, and although I want my kids to play unfettered in the woods and waters, we're a different society today. We can't just let them wander alone, but we also owe them the natural formative experiences we enjoyed like building forts, treehouses and teepees, catching fish, frogs and critters, and observing nature - in nature, not through the TV. Although we try to limit the exposure to electronica - it's a pervasive force in modern life. Louv shows through dozens of examples where kids today get their lessons and experiences - more often than not through the TV or computer screen. He's concerned that a new generation of children is growing up detatched from the earth, who view it simply as a resource to be mined, drilled, and sold. He sees children losing the wonder of nature, and the earth losing a generation of would-be caretakers.
As parents we don't have to move to Montana, or trap our meals to make a positive impact. It can be many little things, like catching fireflies, wading in a small stream with your kids, following animal tracks in the snow. These are all no cost and high-benefit activities that we can do with our kids to introduce them to the wonder that lies just outside our doors.
This book is a call to action. I'm giving it to the principal at my son's elementary school. If you have kids, are thinking about having kids, or are concerned with the future of childhood - READ THIS BOOK!
We had unplugged the tv for a few months and, frankly, were wavering. (We miss it too). After reading Last Child in the Woods, the TV is staying in the cellar. Maybe for the long haul!