The Nature Instinct: Relearning Our Sixth Sense for the Inner Workings of the Natural World

With the promise of fostering a level of awareness so rarefied as to be a “sixth sense,” Gooley (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,” Gooley shares the enriching “outdoor skills” that, like any skills, he promises, can be improved with practice. Gooley’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.) Correction: An earlier version of this review misspelled the author's name.