cover image Kinship to Mastery, C!

Kinship to Mastery, C!

Stephen Kellert. Island Press, $30 (272pp) ISBN 978-1-55963-372-7

Despite its clinical-sounding title, this is no arcane treatise but an accessible and eloquent introduction to the concept of biophilia, the ""inherent human affinity for life and lifelike process."" Kellert (The Value of Life), a professor at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, relies heavily on the work of Edward O. Wilson (who introduced the concept in 1984) and on the writings of scientists, environmentalists and poets to highlight the physical, emotional and intellectual benefits we human beings derive from our connection to the natural world. Not just food and clothing, but symbolic thinking, an ""ethic of reverence"" and even the metaphors that ground our language (""a wolf intimates seduction, a fox slyness, a snake treachery"") are shown to derive from our engagement with the wild. Kellert passionately and convincingly argues that a future of increased pollution and diminished biological diversity would compromise much that now enhances our humanity. He contends that this future remains a grave possibility, however, because our affinity for nature, though inborn, is a ""weak tendency,"" depending upon education and social support to develop and thrive. Kellert suggests some broad guidelines to slow down, or even reverse, the damage already done to the natural world. These include a respect for wildlife that acknowledges different cultural attitudes; preservation of habitats; an emphasis on living spaces that provide us with ample opportunities to integrate nature into our daily lives--ultimately fostering, as he puts it, ""spiritual solace, comfort, and salvation."" Library of Science selection. (June)