I don’t write books to reach as many readers as possible, I write to reach the right readers. This is why I’m thrilled with this Conservationists Books review of ‘How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature’ by Alex from BeNatureFull. Thank you Alex. You can follow Alex on Instagram for lots of other book inspiration.
Simon Mustoe has done it again. Much like his previous book Wildlife in the Balance, which was one of my top books of the year, he has written a great book about nature, and what we can learn from it, but in a way that flips your brain and makes you think about it in a whole different way. 🐳
This book is broken up into essays, under sections or lessons – from our past and present, from our connection to creatures, from the ocean, land and air, and from giants. Simon is a Brit but has lived in Australia for decades so the examples largely come from that part of the world, its wildlife and its indigenous people, so it makes a refreshing change from the usual US/UK focus. 🐳
As a whole, the book is about the key to human survival over the next century – not by yet more control over nature, but understanding and aligning ourselves to how nature already works. It really does have the answers, as the examples here highlight. They feature turtles, sea urchin, whale sharks, orangutan, seabirds and many more, including parasites. Our social system, our food supply and our wellbeing all depend on nature, and as we all know, nature knows best. 🐳
He also demonstrates the intelligence of ecosystemsHow ecosystems function An ecosystem is a community of lifeforms that interact in such an optimal way that how ecosystems function best, is when all components (including humans and other animals) can persist and live alongside each other for the longest time possible. Ecosystems are fuelled by the energy created by plants (primary producers) that convert the Sun's heat energy More. They are self-organising intelligence networks which require every single species and organism to be present and functioning. It’s biodiversityWhat is the definition of biodiversity? When we ask, what is the definition of biodiversity? It depends on what we want to do with it. The term is widely and commonly misused, leading to significant misinterpretation of the importance of how animals function on Earth and why they matter a great deal, to human survival. Here I will try to More, not habitatsWhat is habitat for animals and people? Habitat, hence the word "habitable" describes the natural surroundings in which any animal (or human) lives, that houses basic needs, such as food and shelter. Vegetation, for example, is habitat for animals. On its own, habitat is not necessarily stable or sustainable, which is why it differs from an ecosystem. Habitat in disrepair More or planting yet more trees, that will get us out of this mess, especially climate change. We humans think we have the answers but nature is far more complex and adaptive than our ways of thinking and acting. We need our cities, our economies, and ways of living to behave much more like ecosystems – supporting biodiversity in our local environments all over the world will improve our lives in so many ways. 🐳
This is such an interesting book, everything he says makes so much sense. It’s a hopeful one too – the lessons we need are being given to us every day. We just have to open our eyes and look for them. And most crucially of all, be humble enough to learn from them. 🐳
