... fascinating ... In lyrical, sometimes mystical prose, [Louv] challenges our assumptions about how we relate to other species ... The importance of time spent with other species and the mutual acknowledgement and curiosity found in a shared interspecies gaze ultimately leads to an affirming sense of recognition between two beings.
Our Wild Calling is a thoughtful, calm, reasoned book, best read at a chapter-a-day pace, allowing time to think and digest what the author has presented ... Louv is given to digressions—to climate change, psychology, theologians, indigenous healers, loneliness and especially the degradation of the environment ... For many readers, though, the most interesting parts focus on the emerging evidence showing that our relationships with animals extend further than we have thought.
... examines a wide range of topics ... This book is for anyone interested in the profound interaction between animals and humans. Neatly divided into sections and brief chapters, Our Wild Calling reads like a series of short stories that merge into a bigger picture. This book covers a lot of territory, and the amount of information can feel overwhelming. Even with its heartwarming anecdotes and tinges of humor, it might be best appreciated in small doses ... Though it’s questionable that this book will convince someone to adopt a pet, what it will do is cause the reader to pause and appreciate the complexity of animals and their place in our world, while contemplating our 'calling' to protect that world.
... fascinating ... part theology and philosophy, and part science and culture journalism. Louv’s writing most shines when he is focused on the latter; his reporting from reptile shows and scientific labs give as much insight as any philosophical musings. But the larger picture also comes through as essential. Our Wild Calling makes one see the world differently; as a place more interconnected, personal, and full.
Looking at scientific research from a variety of experts, this is a compelling call to reestablish ties with the animal world. Strongly recommended for anyone feeling overwhelmed or spiritually bereft in today’s society.
... an impassioned and compelling case for establishing a sustainable bond with animals by proactively seeking to protect them ... Louv offers glimpses of how animals can effectively communicate with their own species and remarkable examples of cross-species interactions ... A thoughtfully researched, poetically inspiring call to action that will resonate with a broad range of readers.
... intriguing and poetic ... Thoughtful and hopeful, Louv’s work is a stirring look at 'the blurred lines that have always existed between wild and domestic, human and other than human.'
