The Nature Instinct: Learn to Find Direction, Sense Danger, and Even Guess Nature's Next Move - Faster Than Thought

by Tristan Gooley

Overview

“A captivating guide to finding one’s way in the wild.”—The Wall Street Journal

Publisher's note: The Nature Instinct was published in the UK under the title Wild Signs and Star Paths.

Master outdoorsman Tristan Gooley was just about to make camp when he sensed danger—but couldn’t say why. After sheltering elsewhere, Gooley returned to investigate: What had set off his subconscious alarm?

Suddenly, he understood: All of the tree trunks were slightly bent. The ground had already shifted once and could easily become treacherous in a storm.

The Nature Instinct shows how we, too, can unlock this intuitive understanding of our surroundings. Learn to sense the forest’s edge from deep in the woods, or whether a wild animal might pose danger—before you even know how you know.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615195916
Publisher:	The Experiment
Publication date:	08/20/2019
Series:	Natural Navigation
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

TRISTAN GOOLEY is the New York Times–bestselling author of How to Read a Tree, How to Read Water, How to Read Nature, The Natural Navigator, The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, and The Secret World of Weather. He has led expeditions on five continents, climbed mountains in three, and is the only living person to have both flown and sailed solo across the Atlantic. His more than two decades of pioneering outdoor experience include research among tribal peoples in some of the remotest regions on Earth.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part I Ancient and New

Wild Signs and Star Paths I 3

The Sun Anvil 17

Wild Signs and Star Paths II 25

The Wind Anchor 38

Wild Signs and Star Paths III 46

Part II Above and Below: Sky and Land

The Shear 60

The Ramp 62

The Pink Compass 66

The Sky Map 68

The Invisible Handrail 73

The Light and Dark Woods 78

The Edge and Musit 83

The Fire 87

The Browse, Bite, and Haven 89

The Celebration and Shadow 94

The Friend, Guest, and Rebel 98

The Reaper 101

Part III Creatures of Meaning: The Animals

The Perch and Sentinel 109

The Return 112

The Face and Tail 114

The Point 118

The Peek 122

The Freeze, Crouch, and Feign 127

The Flight 134

The Refuge 144

The Cacophony 148

The Track 159

The Circling 163

The Slotting 168

The Guide 171

The Squall Squawk 174

Part IV Signs of Wisdom: Advanced Keys

Flock, Bubble, and Burst 179

The Retreat and Rebound 188

The Jink 191

The Shimmy 197

The Ignore and Mistake 201

The Eddy 204

The Crook 206

Nature's Coat 208

Two Frosts 212

The Clepsydra 215

Part V A World of Signs: Digging Deeper

Labels That Come to Life 237

Three Luminaries 244

A Noble Pursuit 251

Tomorrow's Hunter 261

More Than Machines 264

Umwelt 271

Treachery 284

A Storied Creature 286

The Ikus 293

Part VI Epilogue

The Room 305

Notes and Further Reading 311

Bibliography 331

Acknowledgments 335

Index 337

About the Author 366

Editorial Reviews

"[A] beautifully written almanac of tricks and tips that we’ve lost along the way, with the intention of helping us regain what he calls the ’sixth sense': our innate ability to scan the landscape and anticipate what might happen next . . . Long story short, I now trust Tristan Gooley with my life."

Guardian

"The most powerful parts of The Nature Instinct are its many examples of how to correct our present-day nature deficit. By undertaking the exercises he describes—using Orion to tell direction and time, creating maps from the wind, or identifying trees by their sounds—the book ‘gently’ hammers our brains ‘into a new pattern of thought.’"

Undark

"A paean to the beauty and majesty of nature, especially the nature we overlook in our back gardens and local parks. . . . And like all the best books, it makes the world around you a lot more interesting."

Spectator

"Gooley offers the reader a chance to recover the outdoorsman’s natural sense through 52 'keys,' to exchange slow, analytic thinking for the fast thinking that makes connections with nature in a way that few now experience. I recommend turning those keys and seeing what happens."

Field Magazine

"An artful yet practical guide to better understanding nature."

Choice

"An imperative book for outdoors enthusiasts but also contains important information for anyone who spends time outside. Gooley’s book is a comprehensive guide to gaining back what was lost; it will help its audience appreciate nature and animals with a new set of eyes."

Foreword

"Most of us have lost our way in nature at one time or another. . . . Gooley can lead you back to nature if you’re willing to invest the time."

National Parks Traveler

"Beautifully written. . . . I promise you will feel more in tune with the world around after reading only one chapter."

Royal Institute of Navigation

"What’s wonderful about this book is not just that it is full of helpful instructions for decoding the numerous clues the Earth provides to its workings—from the flick of a lizard’s tail to a flutter in a bramble hedge—Gooley also communicates and inspires a joyful awe in the countless daily occurrences which offer observant travelers a key to the planet’s miraculous system."

Big Issue

"An Amazon Most Anticipated Fall Book for Nonfiction

"A captivating guide to finding one’s way in the wild."

The Wall Street Journal

An Amazon Most Anticipated Fall Book for Nonfiction

“A captivating guide to finding one’s way in the wild.”—The Wall Street Journal

“[A] beautifully written almanac of tricks and tips that we’ve lost along the way, with the intention of helping us regain what he calls the 'sixth sense': our innate ability to scan the landscape and anticipate what might happen next . . . Long story short, I now trust Tristan Gooley with my life.”—Guardian

“Gooley offers the reader a chance to recover the outdoorsman’s natural sense through 52 'keys,' to exchange slow, analytic thinking for the fast thinking that makes connections with nature in a way that few now experience. I recommend turning those keys and seeing what happens.”—Field Magazine

“With the promise of fostering a level of awareness so rarefied as to be a 'sixth sense,' Gooley takes readers on a journey to acquaint them with the sounds and signs of nature. . . . The rewards are there for those willing to learn the lessons provided in this detailed and lovely book.”—Publishers Weekly

“An imperative book for outdoors enthusiasts but also contains important information for anyone who spends time outside. Gooley’s book is a comprehensive guide to gaining back what was lost; it will help its audience appreciate nature and animals with a new set of eyes.”—Foreword

“The most powerful parts of The Nature Instinct are its many examples of how to correct our present-day nature deficit. By undertaking the exercises he describes—using Orion to tell direction and time, creating maps from the wind, or identifying trees by their sounds—the book ‘gently’ hammers our brains ‘into a new pattern of thought.’”—Undark

“Gooley writes affectingly of how to recapture our ability to live in the real world with senses ‘almost forgotten and steamrollered by our modern lifestyle.’ . . . A welcome read for the outdoor inclined.”—Kirkus Reviews

“An artful yet practical guide to better understanding nature.”—Choice

“Most of us have lost our way in nature at one time or another.. . . Gooley can you lead you back to nature if you’re willing to invest the time.”—National Parks Traveler

“[A] fascinating look at immersing oneself in nature and understanding what one sees.”—Library Journal

“What’s wonderful about this book is not just that it is full of helpful instructions for decoding the numerous clues the Earth provides to its workings—from the flick of a lizard’s tail to a flutter in a bramble hedge—Gooley also communicates and inspires a joyful awe in the countless daily occurrences which offer observant travelers a key to the planet’s miraculous system.”—Big Issue

“A paean to the beauty and majesty of nature, especially the nature we overlook in our back gardens and local parks. . . . And like all the best books, it makes the world around you a lot more interesting.”—Spectator

“Beautifully written. . . . I promise you will feel more in tune with the world around after reading only one chapter.”—Royal Institute of Navigation

From the Publisher

07/23/2018
With the promise of fostering a level of awareness so rarefied as to be a “sixth sense,” Cooley (How to Read Nature) takes readers on a journey to acquaint them with the sounds and signs of nature. Using information gleaned from a “lifelong pursuit of outdoors awareness,” Cooley shares the enriching “outdoor skills” that, like any skills, he promises, can be improved with practice. Cooley’s lessons, of course, require many quiet and attentive walks in nature, but he shows that the lessons are there for those willing to spend the time. Readers learn the “browse, bite and haven” clues left by rabbits and deer so they can see animals in places overlooked before, anticipate the next move of animals as they head for cover, or pay attention when songbirds issue an alarm. Even the patterns that a flock of sheep gather in have stories to tell. As the lessons become more challenging and signs more subtle—anticipating seasonal changes, for instance, or assessing the age of a hedge—the rewards are there for those willing to learn the lessons provided in this detailed and lovely book. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2018-06-27
It all comes down to paying attention: Naturalist Gooley (How to Read Nature, 2017, etc.) writes affectingly of how to recapture our ability to live in the real world with senses "almost forgotten and steamrollered by our modern lifestyle."If you scare a fish, which way will it dart? That's the kind of thing you might find highly useful to know if you lived near a stream and far from any other source of provisions. It's also the kind of thing you're not likely to know unless you've logged time splashing around with startled fish, which is where wilderness guide and interpreter Gooley comes in. "I have sat with Dayak tribespeople," he writes with luminous awe, "as they explained that a deer would appear over the brow of a hill, and was amazed moments later when my eyes met those of a muntjac in the predicted spot." How would a Dayak know the exact moment when a deer would emerge? Sight, sound, smell—and perhaps the law of probability, which suggests that a deer might appear at a salt lick or creek within a certain range of times over another range of times. Other lessons the author brings back from the wild include how to know when a leopard is watching you and how to know when one of those aforementioned deer is pretty sure you're not going to catch it. Of course, even the most attentive predator is successful only a small percentage of the time, but knowing that is part of knowing the world, too. Gooley's book, which features occasional illustrations by Gower, is a useful owner's manual for anyone who likes to get outdoors and be immersed in something beyond the asphalt—whether part of an eddy in which "our scent is announcing our presence to any animal with a nose" or someone merely appreciative of the fact that vultures can discern the living from the dead from two miles away.A welcome read for the outdoor inclined.

Kirkus Reviews