Thank you Martin Summer and NetGalley for a chance to read an ARC of this thought provoking, realist book. I have always loved being around and being in nature. There is just something about the calmness, being away from the noise of the hustle and bustle of every day life.
Martin Summer has some truly wonderful ideas for even connecting to nature when you think there is nothing close you as far as nature. From the simplest thing of having some indoor plants, or flowers. They even have plants for those who do not have a green thumb, and trust me, I am one those people. Sometimes even having a bouquet of flowers in your place makes a world of difference.
Nature is very vital to us, for our health, for our spirit and for everything else.
Thank you Martin Summer for this meaningful, insightful, and wonderful book.

"Connecting with Life" is an interesting book. Much of the information in parts 1 and 2 of the book will be familiar to many readers, although readers will likely learn some new information. I was somewhat surprised to learn that indoor houseplants really are not an effective way to filter the air in a home, as I had heard the opposite and as stores often market indoor plants for their supposed air-filtering properties. The author, Mr. Summer, does note other benefits that houseplants do provide. A fact that I found particularly interesting is that urban living may be causing an increase in myopia. I knew that myopia was on the rise because people tend to spend so much time indoors, often looking at electronic devices or other things relatively close up. However, Mr. Summer notes that in urban areas, especially with all the tall buildings, we often look at distances no longer than perhaps 20 feet away. He references biomechanist and author Katy Bowman, who points out in her book (Movement Matters), that assuming the human eye can focus on an object up to a mile away (and studies suggest the theoretical number is closer to 1.6 miles), "city dwellers limit the use of their eyes to less than a half of a percent of their ocular range of focus."

One of the things I liked about the book was that Mr. Summer identifies a problem, such as noise pollution or light pollution, and then he provides suggestions for how to combat it on an individual or small group level. None of us can solve these worldwide problems on our own, but we can all take steps to address the issues on a local and personal level. Mr. Summer's goal with the book is to emphasize the importance of connecting with nature, especially for the increasing percentage of the world population living in urban areas, and to provide advice and resources for doing so. His passion for this subject is evident throughout the book. Mr. Summer has made the book very relatable by identifying a variety of resources that people can utilize, ranging from books on various topics addressed in his book, to websites and apps that he utilizes to help him find green space in urban areas, identify flora and fauna, plan trips, etc., and to organizations one might find in their city/state/country that can provide information, resources, or opportunities to get involved. He provides a variety of tips for how we can connect with nature and how we can infuse our homes and everyday lives with nature. He gives examples of the things he does to connect with nature, but also acknowledges the various trade-offs involved, including limitations imposed by financial constraints, housing situation, and location, and gives tips for what can be done even in a seemingly sub-optimal situation. I would definitely recommend this book.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The amount of research Martin Summer compiled for this book was impressive. My family and I are quite "green," yet Summer presents data that is too often lost under the obvious. It is obvious that we should drink clean water, breathe clean air, and get at least a moderate amount of exercise. But when do we consider what light pollution and blue light do to our ability to function well during the day and sleep well at night? And noise pollution: are we unknowingly stressed by the agitating din of the world around us? I now ask myself, what am I doing to contribute to the noise of the world? Summer's book is full of reminders that each individual makes up the whole, and each is responsible for their own actions, but also responsible to a multitude of humans around us. Be quiet, be clean, be helpful to wildlife. Make good health choices for yourself. Get outside and let nature calm you. Bring nature into your home when possible.

A timely guide - how to cure our “nature deficit disorder” even if we don’t live on a farm or adjacent to a nation al park. The author presents a well-researched analysis on how humans began to view ourselves as something apart from nature and provides guidance on how we can mindfully reconnect with it.

The title says it all "Connecting with Life: Finding Nature in an Urban World." Such an important topic, and one easily overlooked in today's hectic and over digitized and urbanized world. Without even realizing how out of touch we are with nature, many of us feel disconnected from ourselves without even knowing why. So much research out there now showing the importance for our overall well-being and health — mental, emotional and physical — of being in nature.

This is at times a startling book to read ... filled with lots of statistics and evidence of how our health and well-being has been declining, as our natural environment is becoming increasingly polluted, our time outdoors increasingly decreased, and for some, the natural world is barely evident in their day to day lives. The author gives good and simple suggestions on how to reverse this trend and once again find and foster connection with nature, the world around us and ultimately ourselves. Highly recommended.

I think that this book is great for parents and teachers who are looking for ways to share the wonder of nature with children and students. They can read a part of the book, experience awe of nature and ideas for themselves, then pass on some of those ideas and love of nature to the kids. Everyone benefits from thinking about things like the sounds we hear when it is "quiet," urban birdwatching, and what big trees have witnessed. It gave me many ideas about how to incorporate nature more in my family's life (without going camping).

I'm not typically a reader of non-fiction, but I found Martin Summer's Connecting With Life an informative and enjoyable read. His passion for nature and the environment is evident. I liked how the layout of the book, in 4 parts, made it easy to hone in on areas that I thought I might need better understanding and tips of how to rebalance my urban life with nature. I live in Colorado which provides for some of the best incentives for getting back to nature, but we can all use some of the practical tips the author provides.

Thank you to the author, Martin Summer, for providing me with arc of his book via netGalley in exchange for my honest review. Summer says he aims to answer the question of whether we can have it all--the convenience and excitement of living in the city but still experience the pleasures and joys of being in nature--and I think he does a good job of doing that with his many ideas and suggestions.

I was interested to read this book about connecting with nature in our urban world because of my five-year-old grandson. He and his family live in the city of Chicago in a 3-story condominium building with no backyard to speak of, other than a shared courtyard where there is just a tiny bit of garden space. His parents give him as many opportunities to explore nature as possible but it certainly isn't the childhood his mother had when she and her sister were growing up, spending hours exploring our backyard with its many trees, slow-moving creek and opportunities to observe wild animals. Our grandson is quite resistant to being out in nature when he's taken to farms or other less populated places like a cabin in the woods in upper Michigan. It's too hot! Or he'd rather go back inside to read or play. How sad! Is this the new normal for his generation?

Being able to spend time outside this summer has saved my sanity during these months of isolation due to the pandemic. I purchased three hummingbird feeders and have enjoyed watching their antics and hearing their chittering song while quietly reading nearby. Watching the sunrise and set, talking early morning walks, gardening and dining al fresco have helped too.

I liked Summer's suggestions for what changes one can make inside the home to bring nature inside as well. I may start looking around my home to see what we might be able to do.

I highly recommend this book for those looking for ways to make some real connections with nature whether it be through travel, sports, hiking or just eating your lunch in a park, or treating yourself to a bouquet of flowers. Summer gives us lots of reasons why it's important to do just that. Make a small commitment today! Maybe it would be life-changing.

Thanks again to the author for sharing his book with me! I look forward to exploring his website for more inspiration.

I really enjoyed Martin's style of writing, which is both scientific and easygoing, as if he has a chat with the reader over a cup of coffee.

His book explores the ways in which humans are disconnected from nature, because of urbanization, industrialization, and globalization effects, which have caused many of us to live in cities with little access to green space. I liked how he was able to combine philosophy with science, in order to explain the importance of human's being in and around nature, which results in better functioning physiologically and psychologically.

A great read for anyone looking to understand the importance of environmentalism, as it's not just an issue of land and animals, but also of human health.

A n excellent inspiring guide to how to connect with nature.I will be using this guide to get me out of my house and explore the areas around me areas where I will enjoy the benefits of the outdoors.#netgalley#connectingwithlife

ConnecConnecting with Life
by Martin Summer
The idea that we need nature to be a whole person. the idea that modern life separates us from nature. With discussions of human development from archaeological evidence, to the statistical movement of man from hunters and gathers to city dwellers, this four part discussion shows the reader his ideology that humans need nature, and promotes changing the way we live causing more natural events in their lives. ting with Life
by Martin Summer

I enjoyed reading Martin Summer's Connecting to Life about how humans are connected to nature. The story about using fire to cook food is a well known aspect of the history of progress. Many of the stories are already well known.

His style is very laid back. We still depend on farms for providing the food that we eat.

Thank you to Net Galley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW:
Connecting with Life by Martin Summers.
I received this ARC from Netgalley for my honest thoughts on this novel coming out August 25th, 2020. This is not typical book I would read but Mr. Summer makes compelling points about how people have changed and are not spending enough time in nature and how pollution and our environment are being destroyed.

Mr. Summer discuses the changes made over hundreds of years and how we’ve become more urbanized and have moved away from living and surrounding ourselves with the outdoor world. This he says is affecting us both mentally and physically.

He believes in what he calls the “biophilia design,” which is the innate need to connect with other life forms. He feels we should have more natural light. wood floors, plants, water fountains in our homes in order to be closer to nature. Optimally if we could live out of a big city it would be better all together. This way we could be one with nature but since that is not always possible the above suggestions can help. I found that his suggestions were doable but not always realistic.

Verdict:

Mr. Summer writes a powerful book but it is not a realistic book from my point of view. He makes some great points and is thorough explaining how one can make a change for the better. I give this book 4/5 stars. Although I might not agree with everything Mr. Summer says I do find his research and knowledge impeccable.

Martin Summer presents a fresh and deeper look how mindfully connecting with nature can make a difference in our lives and the world. He shares many ways to connect with nature outdoor and indoor by giving honor, respect and using our five senses. This is a Beautiful soulful book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Slow down, immerse yourself in Connecting with Life.

If you are someone who is on the path of wellness and sustainability of the Earth, you really must read this book. It is a light-hearted easy read that brings a lot of thought to living an urban lifestyle while trying to stay connected to the Earth. I think that Martin gives wonderful examples and suggestions to help with this task. Some I have never thought of! I have started implementing some of the suggestions that I learned and I really do think it helps to stay grounded and connected when you live in an Urban space. I highly recommend this book!

This book generally reads like a self-help on how to connect with nature. I am not a big fan of self-help books but I am definitely a nature lover. This book presents an impressive amount of information about the relationship between humans and nature (through history) and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about natural occurrences that are not necessarily given considerable thought (for example, what chemicals cause petrichor). That said, the actual self help parts of the book fell short for me. I like that the author chose a problem-solution approach in writing this book. However, unlike the problems, there was an underwhelming amount of research presented to support the solutions offered. While the author did give tangible and, in most cases, accessible solutions for the challenges faced by people (especially in urbanized areas) in connecting with nature, none of the solutions were new and I did not feel moved to action. This book can serve as a good guide for newbies who have never embraced nature before and need a place to start but I think a lot of what is discussed in this book, in terms of a call to action, is second nature to a lot of people who already do embrace nature.

I have read several books on connecting with nature, and this is one of the best. It's very easy to read and understand. The author is very down to earth (pun intended) and talks to the reader in a very friendly and conversational manner. He has a lot of simple suggestions, instead of telling us we need to travel, follow special rituals, or seek out "nature gurus" to teach us how to enjoy nature.

I really enjoyed this book. It's informative and interesting without being over-bearing or pedantic, the author's writing style is laid back and chatty, which draws the reader in and keeps him/her there. I discovered a few facts I did not know, such as the fact that almost 9 million people a year die due to air pollution, a shocking statistic in a world where plastic is already such a blight.

He also speaks in-depth about noise pollution, often overlooked in light of other issues, but when it comes down to it is just as important. The problem is that often we get so used to something, we no longer notice it. As a nature child, I don't need to be told the importance of going outdoors, and spending as much time as possible in the fresh air and sunshine, but it isn't always easy for everyone, especially considering the way many of us live, in suburbs, apartments, complexes and so on, but there is always a way, from eating lunch on a park bench or drinking tea on a balcony, to spending weekend getaways with friends outdoors, picnicking in a field instead of sitting in a bar.

The chapters are laid out with a summing-up of the most important points, which I find very sensible and user-friendly, that way you can easily refer back to anything specific that caught your eye.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Summer Press and Martin Summer.

Unfortunately, I didn’t glean any new information from this book. And, in spite of the positive vibe of the cover and title, this is a depressing doomsday book, overall.

Received ARC through NetGalley.

While there is a lot of good information in this book, I didn't find that there was anything really new or unusual that I didn't already know or hadn't read about somewhere else. I grew up in a rural area, and now live just outside a major city, and I can't say I really discovered any new ideas on how to find and connect with nature in an urban center. Perhaps others who have different situations in life might find it more helpful.

I also felt like Summer was maybe trying to tackle too many different (but related) topics. Instead of focusing on just ideas for connecting with nature in cites, he spends a lot of time talking about the history of humans and urban vs. rural life, as well as things like air pollution, noise pollution, light pollution, invasive species, etc. He also writes in a very casual, conversational style which I found off-putting at times, along with his frequent promotion of his website.

For somebody who is a true neophyte, there is probably a lot to be said for this book, but for people well-footed in an on-going relationship with nature wherever they live, this book falls a bit flat.