The Practice of the Wild Essays

“There are many tasks The Practice of the Wild takes on. At its heart, it is a book about what happened to us—meaning how we pulled ourselves so far from a lived connection to lived landscapes. In that way, it’s a kind of history of human beings and their relationship to land and life.” —Adam Frank, NPR
 
“Snyder offers nine sensitive and thoughtful essays blending his personal Buddhist beliefs, respect for wildlife and the land, and fascination with language and mythic tradition into a ‘meditation on what it means to be human.’“ —Publishers Weekly
 
“Gary Snyder’s deep hope—that someday we might all be native Americans, at home in our grand place—is the only hope we have. This is an exquisite book, and a hard one. Read it—and then live it, as best as you can.” —Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth
 
“I have always found it difficult to imagine this century without the life and work of Gary Snyder. After reading this collection of essays, I now find it impossible.” —Wes Jackson, author of Nature as Measure
 
“What thoughtful beauty! How skillfully Gary Snyder interfuses the practical knowledge of an animal sense with story, language, and song. True teachers in America are now an endangered species. I learn so much from this good man’s perception, humor, discipline, and love for this world. I am honored to praise this book.” —James Hillman, author of A Terrible Love of War
 
“Contemplating Gary Snyder’s depth of journey into nature here, I think of what D.H. Lawrence said of Whitman: he’s camped out alone, way beyond everybody. But it’s looking like where Snyder is, would be a wise bet for all of us. He makes a good trail in this book, laid out expertly and fun to walk on.” —Thomas J. Lyon, author of This Incomparable Land