Review Title: Experience Nature Fully Wherever You Live (review of Connecting With Life by Martin Summer)

Reviewer: Janice S. Garey

***** 5 Stars

Thank you, Martin Summer, for writing this book for nature lovers, no matter where they live, to learn new ways to soak in the benefits of the natural environment. Many people live, work, and play in cityscapes and feel an absence of opportunities to connect with nature in their day to day lives. Martin Summer has a heart for those people and gives good guidance to overcome obstacles in the way of realizing all that is available when the details are known.

The author shares his wisdom gained through traveling and living in numerous areas of the earth. His friendly manner works well as he discusses his beloved topic with enthusiasm. Depending on the depth of a reader’s previous knowledge and experience regarding the natural world, there may be some parts of the discussion that seem basic, but this makes the book inclusive to all ages and stages. I was able to share parts of the book with my husband, once a thru- hiker of the Appalachian Trail, and he gained new knowledge.

Many books I review are authored by Christian writers. This book is not written from a Christian point of view. The author casually mentions living with his girlfriend and views nature from a secular platform. Other than that, the Christian community should find this book contains worthy information about how to be intentional in getting more involved with the natural world (what we consider as God’s Creation).

The book is inspiring and motivating for a reader endeavoring to view nature through all the senses. The parts about noise pollution and light pollution were fascinating. Barefoot Parks, located in a few areas of the world, are a fairly new offering that some readers will learn about first in this book.

I received an Advance Reader’s Copy ebook from #Netgalley for review purposes. I am under no obligation to give a favorable review. My honest opinion is that this would be a good book for most readers interested in pursuing greater knowledge of the natural world.