Tom Brown, Jr. (1950–)

'When somebody moves something in your house, you notice it. When somebody moves something in the woods, I notice it.'-Tom Brown, Jr., in People magazine

In what promises to be the most acclaimed new voice of spirit, man and nature since Castaneda, the famous 'Pine Barrens' tracker reveals how ha acquired the skill that has saved dozens of lives-including his own. His story begins with the chance meeting between an ancient Apache and a New Jersey boy. It tells of an incredible apprentice ship in the wild, learning all that is hidden from modern man...

And it ends with a harrowing search in which far more than survival is at stake!

Contents

The ultimate track
Go and ask the mice
Good medicine cabin
Quick mud
Cold training
Night crawl
The dog tree
Omen
Chickadee sruvival
Jersey devil
Invisible walking
True lostness
Predator
Thaw
The end of the world
Guardian
Thoreau summer
Journeyman
Bear smacking
Outlaw dogs
Search… (altro)

3.5 From the title one can easily discern what this book is about and it's timely nature. Climate crisis is often on the news, in documentaries and the many books we read warning us of its dire effects. This book is divided into chapters each deals with a subject that is necessary to our lives. Shelter, water, fire, food etc.

With each subject the author explains how he was taught to view each of these items, and the ways we are basically ruining them. What makes this book different is that at the end of each chapter he tells us what we can do now to effect change. No action is too small, but the object is to start and keep going. At books end there are exercises and stories from students at his school.

"The third choice is to take actions small and collective, to be aware of the environments you move through, interacting and caring for them as a caretaker and a healer of our Earth mother."

"Indigenous people know that the wood we burn in our fires is much more than a piece of firewood. They view the wood they burn as a combination of solid sunshine, rainwater and air. Tress and plants are the future soils of life. As the wood decays, it not only provides fresh nutrients to our soil, but is used by animals and insects as their homes and shelters."

As one can see everything on Earth is connected, and we haven't been very good caretakers. We have taken a great many things for granted, not mindfully considering the choices we make.… (altro)