Letters to My Grandchildren

This inspiring book is a collection of short essays written as letters by an elder to his grandchildren; that elder happens to be renowned environmentalist and broadcaster Suzuki (The Sacred Balance), whose documentary series, aired on CBC, BBC, and PBS, have won awards from the United Nations. Suzuki is concerned about "the world that my generation and the boomers who followed are bequeathing to our grandchildren," and while his book serves to let his own grandkids know "what made their grandpa tick," he also intends to inspire a wider adult audience to reflect on their own lives. In 19 downright folksy chapters, Suzuki covers topics including his family roots, racism, confronting mortality, and the state of the world. His overarching theme is connectedness: the idea that human beings are intertwined with each other, with the natural world, and with their pasts and their futures. "[W]e know so little about the interconnectedness of everything on earth," Suzuki writes, "that we can't anticipate the consequences of all we do." This book is both deeply personal and purposefully universal. Suzuki addresses weighty topics in a clear, conversational manner, and his thoughts should be of interest to a wide readership. (June)