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摘要
摘要
Kinship to Mastery is a fascinating and accessible exploration of the notion of biophilia - the idea that humans, having evolved with the rest of creation, possess a biologically based attraction to nature and exhibit an innate affinity for life and lifelike processes. Stephen R. Kellert sets forth the idea that people exhibit different expressions of biophilia in different contexts, and demonstrates how our quality of life in the largest sense is dependent upon the richness of our connections with nature.While the natural world provides us with material necessities - food, clothing, medicine, clean air, pure water - it just as importantly plays a key role in other aspects of our lives, including intellectual capacity, emotional bonding, aesthetic attraction, creativity, imagination, and even the recognition of a just and purposeful existence. As Kellert explains, each expression of biophilia shows how our physical, material, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being is to a great extent dependent on our relationships with the natural world that surrounds us.Kinship to Mastery is a thought-provoking examination of a concept that, while not widely known, has a significant and direct effect on the lives of people everywhere. Because the full expression of biophilia is integral to our overall health, our ongoing destruction of the environment could have far more serious consequences than many people think. In a readable and compelling style, Kellert describes and explains the concept of biophilia, and demonstrates to a general audience the wide-ranging implications of environmental degradation.Kinship to Mastery continues the exploration of biophilia begun with Edward O. Wilson's landmark book Biophilia (Harvard University Press, 1984) and followed by The Biophilia Hypothesis (Island Press, 1993), co-edited by Wilson and Kellert, which brought together some of the most creative scientists of our time to explore Wilson's theory in depth.
评论 (3)
出版社周刊评论
Despite its clinical-sounding title, this is no arcane treatise but an accessible and eloquent introduction to the concept of biophilia, the "inherent human affinity for life and lifelike process." Kellert (The Value of Life), a professor at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, relies heavily on the work of Edward O. Wilson (who introduced the concept in 1984) and on the writings of scientists, environmentalists and poets to highlight the physical, emotional and intellectual benefits we human beings derive from our connection to the natural world. Not just food and clothing, but symbolic thinking, an "ethic of reverence" and even the metaphors that ground our language ("a wolf intimates seduction, a fox slyness, a snake treachery") are shown to derive from our engagement with the wild. Kellert passionately and convincingly argues that a future of increased pollution and diminished biological diversity would compromise much that now enhances our humanity. He contends that this future remains a grave possibility, however, because our affinity for nature, though inborn, is a "weak tendency," depending upon education and social support to develop and thrive. Kellert suggests some broad guidelines to slow down, or even reverse, the damage already done to the natural world. These include a respect for wildlife that acknowledges different cultural attitudes; preservation of habitats; an emphasis on living spaces that provide us with ample opportunities to integrate nature into our daily livesultimately fostering, as he puts it, "spiritual solace, comfort, and salvation." Library of Science selection. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Choice 评论
Kellert examines the concept of biophilia and its importance to the fundamental construction of humanity. He explains biophilia as the assumption that humans possess an inherent attraction to nature and lifelike processes, and suggests that throughout human evolution, we have valued nature and its diversity because of the adaptive gains it has enabled us to make physically, mentally, and emotionally. Kellert's main thesis is that continued healthy human maturation and development is dependent on our natural affiliation with life functions. He explores various aspects of biophilia, focusing on material control and utilization of nature, aesthetic appeal, empirical knowledge of the natural world, communication and symbolic expression, mastery and control of nature, exploration and discovery, kinship and affection, and fear and loathing. In the last two chapters, Kellert ties points together from previous chapters and suggests that our basic material, physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being are in serious jeopardy if we continue to maintain the current level of environmental destruction, because it decreases our various experiences with nature--the lens through which we invent ourselves. Some chapters contain carefully constructed vignettes that personalize and support the main points. Bibliographic notes. Recommended for general and academic readers interested in the topic and for college, university, and public libraries. N. Krusko; Beloit College
《图书馆杂志》(Library Journal )书评
This latest book by Kellert (Yale Sch. of Forestry and Environmental Studies) builds on the research and ideas he elucidated for scholars in his recent The Value of Life (Island, 1996) and in his earlier collection, The Biophilia Hypothesis (LJ 11/1/93), to produce a much-needed introduction for the general reader to the concept of biophilia and its role in human development. He presents the empirical evidence in a straightforward manner while using narrative vignettes to illustrate the various ways biophilia is expressed in individual lives. His definition of biophilia makes clear that, although this human tendency to affiliate with living nature is encoded in our genes, it is highly dependent on culture for its strength and direction. Expressions of biophiliafor example, emotional bonding with companion animalshave been shaped by evolutionary advantage yet wither when society provides few opportunities to connect with natural diversity. Not all of Kellert's arguments are equally cogent, and some are speculative; nevertheless, he marshals a compelling case that a healthy, diverse natural environment is an "essential condition for human lives of satisfaction and fulfillment." Highly recommended for academic libraries and for public libraries interested in environmental issues.Joan S. Elbers, Port Charlotte, Fla. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.