Description:

Carlile (Grounded: Slow, Grow, Make, Do), founder of a communication design company, celebrates the joy of the outdoors in this lavishly photographed primer on enjoying nature. As she writes, “living a wild life” doesn’t require quitting one’s job and moving to the middle of nowhere—“it’s about acknowledging and feeding your innate, age-old desire to be in and to connect with” the environment. Her projects for doing so come in six sections: home life (“apply biophilic design” and get some houseplants), neighborhood life (go on a “microadventure” near home), forest life (navigate with just a compass and map), river life (dig for clay and make pinch pots), and coast life (harvest sea salt). While some suggestions might be a bridge too far—building a bug hotel or growing a meadow—most are doable, such as observing birds, painting stones, or building a fire. The author also encourages readers to help protect the world’s oceans, and teaches some practical skills, such as how to read the tides or swim out of rip currents. Carlile’s empowering and calm approach (“explore the natural environment in your own way and at your own pace”), paired with fun suggestions, make this a great resource for readers looking to get outside.