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A year in the woods : twelve small journeys into nature /

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextLanguage: English Original language: Norwegian Publisher: Vancouver ; Berkeley : Greystone Books, 2021Description: 1 volume (255 pages) ; 20 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781771645126
  • 1771645121
Uniform titles:
  • Aret i skogen. English
Subject(s): Genre/Form: DDC classification:
  • 796.509481 23
LOC classification:
  • GV191.48.N8 E3413 2021
Other classification:
  • cci1icc
Available additional physical forms:
  • Issued also in electronic formats.
Contents:
A walk in the woods -- Part I: Winter -- January: The sound of silence -- February: The light returns -- March: The dream of the wilderness -- Part II: Spring -- April: The not-so-quiet of the woods -- May: Civilization and its discontents -- June: Nature's secrets -- Part III: Summer -- July: A life out of doors -- August: Legacy -- September: Camp life -- Part IV: Fall -- October: A theory of two seasons -- November: The last man on earth -- December: The end and the beginning -- Appendix: An office worker's wilderness tips -- Notes -- Sources -- Gratitude.
Summary: "From the acclaimed author of In Praise of Paths comes a humorous and modest Walden for modern times. Like many people today, Torbjorn Ekelund dreams of spending more time in nature. But he's so busy with city life that he has no desire to travel far or scale the highest mountain. So, he hatches a plan. Ekelund decides to leave the city after work and camp near a tiny pond in the forest. The next morning, he returns to work as usual. He does this once a month for a full year. What happens over the course of that year is nothing short of transformative. Evoking Henry David Thoreau and the four-season structure of Walden, A Year in the Woods asks if the secret to communing with nature lies in small rituals and reflection. As Ekelund greets the same trees, rocks, streams, and soil each month, he describes his changing relationship to the landscape. He observes minute signs of growth and decay around him. And he shifts his perspective on his role within the forest, and nature itself. The perfect book for readers who want a deeper connection with nature, but are realistic about time and money."--
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Holdings
Item type Current library Home library Collection Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Standard Loan Hayden Library Adult Nonfiction Hayden Library Book 796.5/EKELUND (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 50610024108339
Total holds: 2

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:


From the acclaimed author of In Praise of Paths comes a humorous and modest Walden for modern times.

As nature becomes ever more precious, we all want to spend more time appreciating it. But time is often hard to come by. And how do we appreciate nature without disruption? In this sensitively-written book, Torbjørn Ekelund, an acclaimed Norwegian nature writer, shares a creative and non-intrusive method for immersing oneself in nature. And the result is nothing short of transformative.

Evoking Henry David Thoreau and the four-season structure of Walden, Ekelund writes about communing with nature by repeating a small, simple ritual and engaging in quiet reflection. At the start of the book, he hatches a plan: to leave the city after work one day per month, camp near the same tiny pond in the forest, and return to work the next day. He keeps this up for a year.

His ritual is far from rigorous and it is never perfect. One evening, he grows so cold in his tent that he hikes out before daybreak. But as Ekelund inevitably greets the same trees and boulders each month, he appreciates the banality of their sameness alongside their quiet beauty. He wonders how long they have stood silently in this place--and reflects on his own short existence among them.

A Year in the Woods asks us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world. Are we anxious wanderers or mindful observers? Do we honor the seasons or let them pass us by? At once beautifully written, accessible, and engaging, A Year in the Woods is the perfect book for anyone who longs for a deeper connection with their environment, but is realistic about time and ambition.

Translation of: Aret i skogen.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-254).

A walk in the woods -- Part I: Winter -- January: The sound of silence -- February: The light returns -- March: The dream of the wilderness -- Part II: Spring -- April: The not-so-quiet of the woods -- May: Civilization and its discontents -- June: Nature's secrets -- Part III: Summer -- July: A life out of doors -- August: Legacy -- September: Camp life -- Part IV: Fall -- October: A theory of two seasons -- November: The last man on earth -- December: The end and the beginning -- Appendix: An office worker's wilderness tips -- Notes -- Sources -- Gratitude.

"From the acclaimed author of In Praise of Paths comes a humorous and modest Walden for modern times. Like many people today, Torbjorn Ekelund dreams of spending more time in nature. But he's so busy with city life that he has no desire to travel far or scale the highest mountain. So, he hatches a plan. Ekelund decides to leave the city after work and camp near a tiny pond in the forest. The next morning, he returns to work as usual. He does this once a month for a full year. What happens over the course of that year is nothing short of transformative. Evoking Henry David Thoreau and the four-season structure of Walden, A Year in the Woods asks if the secret to communing with nature lies in small rituals and reflection. As Ekelund greets the same trees, rocks, streams, and soil each month, he describes his changing relationship to the landscape. He observes minute signs of growth and decay around him. And he shifts his perspective on his role within the forest, and nature itself. The perfect book for readers who want a deeper connection with nature, but are realistic about time and money."--

Issued also in electronic formats.

Text in English, translated from the Norwegian.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • A walk in the woods (p. 2)
  • Part I Winter
  • January: The sound of silence (p. 16)
  • February: The light returns (p. 28)
  • March: The dream of the wilderness (p. 50)
  • Part II Spring
  • April: The not-so-quiet of the woods (p. 72)
  • May: Civilization and its discontents (p. 88)
  • June: Nature's secrets (p. 107)
  • Part III Summer
  • July: A life out of doors (p. 136)
  • August: Legacy (p. 157)
  • September: Camp life (p. 173)
  • Part IV Fall
  • October: A theory of two seasons (p. 196)
  • November: The last man on earth (p. 209)
  • December: The end and the beginning (p. 223)
  • Appendix: An office worker's wilderness tips (p. 238)
  • Notes (p. 247)
  • Sources (p. 249)
  • Gratitude (p. 255)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Torbjørn Ekelund is a writer, author of In Praise of Paths, and co-founder of Harvest, an online magazine documenting wilderness adventures, environmental issues, and our relationship with nature. He lives in Oslo, Norway.

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