Below you will find a few books that will help you leverage your interest in nature (and the chaparral!) by showing you a more relaxed and enjoyable way to see the world.
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A New Earth Eckhart Tolle
One of the reasons nature is a place of rejuvenation is because it offers an environment where everything exists for the present moment. What happened yesterday and what may happen tomorrow is not part of the system. When a wrentit establishes his territory he doesn't hold bitter resentment over how the wrentit next door set up his boundaries. In this essential book, Tolle helps explain how to actualize your hidden ability to enjoy "now" instead of being bogged down by past memories (regrets) or what worries you may have about the future.
The Star Thrower Loren Eiseley
An essential collection of meditations on nature by one of the world's foremost natural historians, scientists, and poets. With passion and eloquence, Eiseley weaves the mystery of nature into a series of essays that reveal not only the magic found in the simplest things, but what they can teach us. "The Hidden Teacher", one of our favorites, describes an encounter with a spider that defines the web of life in a way you will always remember.
The Forest People Colin M. Turnbull
The story of the BaMbuti Pygmies of the Congo. What do Pygmies have to do with the chaparral you may ask? The molimo, an ancient ceremony that helps explain why connecting with one's natural surroundings is essential to a rich life, is as important to North Americans as it is those who live in the jungles of Africa. Turnbull joins the Pygmies as a friend and learns the magic of living, a skill often lost in a world clouded by the complications of modern civilization.
The Wisdom of Insecurity Alan Watts
This remarkable book deals with the philosophy of life in a way that fosters openess and a sense of awe for nature and the miracles inherent in all living things. One of the best books we've ever read.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Shunryu Suzuki
One of the best ways to be introduced to Zen.
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."
If you would like to support the San Francisco Zen Center which has the Tassajara monastery in the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest, you can purchase this book directly from them.
Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California Richard W. Halsey
This is the best book available on California's most extensive plant community, the chaparral! The book not only provides the basics of chaparral natural history, but also how wildfires are fought, what we have learned about them, and why it is important to reconnect with one's surroundings. Also included is a color photo identification section with 64 of the most common Southern California chaparral plants and animals. Second edition. You can also obtain a copy by joining the California Chaparral Institute as a MEMBER.
Change Your Questions, Change Your Life Marilee Adams
The key to finding solutions is to ask the right questions and allowing yourself to view the world objectively. Marilee Adams' book provides a simple model to help promote collaboration and open mindedness in order to solve problems, honestly evaluate information, and develop thoughtful choices. By showing the importance of taking the "learner path" rather than the "judger path", Adams demonstrates a method that can be used to solve small, everyday problems as well as many of our society's most complex ones. Go to the Inquiry Institute's website for more information.