Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World—A Memoir of Nature's Healing Power

by Craig Foster

“ Amphibious Soul is an important book. . . . This book isn't about learning how to be wild but rather a guide to recognizing and reconnecting with the wild in and around us. It is a book that will inspire hope.”—Jane Goodall A passionate love story about nature that inspires readers to reclaim their inner wildness—the debut adult nonfiction book from the naturalist, filmmaker, creator, and star of the Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher An adventure story, love story, travelogue, naturalist memoir, and spiritual guide, Craig Foster's Amphibious Soul is a scientist and adventurer’s perspective on “rewilding”—developing a deep connection to our animal selves that can reinvigorate our lives. Told in Craig’s warm and passionate voice, this extraordinary book will change not only the way we interact with the natural world, but the way we fundamentally see ourselves. A decade ago, living in a city and feeling exhausted and empty, Craig decided to return to his birthplace—the Cape of Good Hope—and dive into the great African Sea forest each day. His daily oceanic adventures not only helped him “rewild”, but helped him come to see his own “amphibious soul” as a powerful metaphor for the human condition. We homo sapiens are by nature wild animals attempting to exist in a docile world. So how can we reclaim our wildness in a world that wants us to stay so tamed? An extraordinary literary work, Amphibious Soul is a riveting narrative filled with meticulous descriptions of an adventure in the natural world that speaks to readers on an intimate level, challenging us to consider our personal relationship to nature, and inspiring us to realign our daily practices to help save the global ecosystem. Whether we live close to nature or in an urban jungle, Craig shows us how to nurture our individual wildness, tap into our empathy, and deepen our love for all living things. He teaches us to track the wild around us, and by doing so become present in the moment and revel in being wondrously alive. Featuring breathtaking original photos and QR codes that access mini-videos of never-seen-before animal interactions, Amphibious Soul is a remarkable experience that will transform us and ultimately our world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Memoir, Animals, Biography, Environment

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I waffled on this rating because it is a wonderful collection of oceanic observations, but it sometimes disconnects the reader in its 300 pages. Then I watched the trailer for his award-winning documentary "My Octopus Teacher" and suddenly realized these chapters are more of a video narrative, and the visual magic of the South African ocean comes alive.

So, if you don't like that style of writing then don't read it. But if you accept the context then you'll discover a lot of things that you might never know otherwise. Many magical moments lie within.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag for me. Some of his personal stories were interesting and the stories and some of his thoughts offered good things to reflect on. But I struggled with his frequent broad assertions about humanity and his diagnoses of the world’s issues with the subsequent prescription of his teachings and guidance. He became a little insufferable to me on paper.

[Suzy Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Amphibious Soul,” Craig Foster takes us on a journey that transcends the boundaries between the wild and the civilized aspects of our existence. Having been introduced to Foster’s work through the visually stunning and emotionally resonant docustory “My Octopus Teacher,” I approached this book with high expectations, which were nicely met. Though I would much rather view this book with video clips to accompany the language, Craig does a great job bringing about the imagery needed to picture what he experienced.

Foster’s narrative is a seamless blend of environmental philosophy and personal introspection. His insights into the necessity of harmonizing our innate wildness with our cultivated personas are thought-provoking and resonate deeply with the current environmental discourse. The book urges us to consider our place within the natural world, not as conquerors or mere observers, but as integral components of a larger, living tapestry.

Listening to the Audible version, narrated by Foster himself, was an unexpectedly meditative experience. His voice, infused with passion and a deep connection to the subject matter, added a layer of intimacy to the journey. It was as if Foster was personally guiding me through the labyrinth of his thoughts and the depths of the ocean he so loves.

While certain elements, such as the glossary, are inherently more suited to a printed format, this did not detract from the overall experience. The essence of Foster’s message—about the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature—was conveyed with clarity and emotion, making the auditory experience enriching. Furthermore, Craig allowed us even closer by sharing details about living with anxiety and depression and how it was the ocean that helped restore his mind and body each time he struggled. We need nature.

“Amphibious Soul” is a compelling read—or listen—that challenges us to dive into the depths of our consciousness and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose in our interactions with the natural world. I give it a well-deserved four stars and recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of our environmental responsibilities and the dual nature of our spirits.

[Austin Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgot to pack my kindle and decided to buy a physical book at the airport convenience store. A decent collection of best sellers but nothing piqued my interest much, I settled on this book. Author is creator of my octopus neighbour so I was hoping the book would contain magical tales of secret underwater adventures that would be so awe inspiring that it reminds readers the importance of nature, and leave a lasting impact, connecting reader to nature. 


Unfortunately I was quite disappointed, and found myself rather disconnected from the author's truth/perspective. The first chapters of the book in particular felt very disjointed - while there were some interesting and captivating anecdotal stories of underwater adventure, I felt as if I was being force fed this overarching message that civilized life is a toxic misery and returning to ancestral wilderness is paramount, lest we become "tame", dishonoring our ancestors and denying our very souls. Rather than convincing readers of this message, author seems to just repeat it as fact throughout the book in between disjointed stories of the authors childhood and past adventures. Even contradictory at times, I just couldn't buy the author's arguments and shortly found myself skeptical, cynical, and critical of the author's points.


A few specific lines were memorably jarring. In first chapter "Imagine for a moment that you are a human living just a few thousand years ago. Every single thing you eat or drink is completely pure, nothing processed or tainted by toxins. The blood flowing from your stomach to your brain is pure and clean." It's statements like these that make it evident the author is trying to push their specific narrative, rather than present facts/argument that lead the reader to a conclusion. Frankly absurd to pretend people were healthier then than compared to now. 


Another especially disillusioned part of this book from early chapter 2: author laments how his working life was a bulging to-do list spilling "black sludge" and that each time life was at its worst, returning to his childhood coast was necessary to heal. He continues to describe how he broke into tears when he was finally able to be "back in the nurturing climate of the Cape and immersed in the healing power of the Atlantic Ocean" after spending 4 weeks in the hospital because his brain lungs and liver were full of parasites picked up from the African wilderness, where he almost died from cerebral malaria. The irony here is crazy, dude trying to convince us that the wilderness is healing while civilization is poisonous, yet dude caught mad diseases from the wilderness and was saved by modern medicine (ie civilized life), but doesn't thank the doctors or medical advances, instead credits 10 minutes in cold water as the "turning point" in his road to recovery. Seriously lost me after this point.


Admittedly I found it quite arduous to continue reading the book with an open mind and skipped ahead to later chapters hoping for some respite or at least some evolution away from this apparent pattern of random story into disjointed statements on the evils of the "tame world" and the soul freeing healing of the "wilderness". My hopes were readily dashed. 


Although I can respect the author's perspective, given their upbringing tightly intertwined with diving, for me, the book completely misses on extrapolating that perspective to the reader. Author obviously was obsessed with African waters and it's great that that environment is healing for him, but for all the normal people out there who didn't grow up in a family of divers, maybe a job and food and shelter and economy and medicine and electricity and the internet and all that isn't so bad. I'm sure individual people have their own ways of mentally recovering from the mundane and repetitive pressures of society, that don't include malaria. Barely finished (probably only finished because I didn't have anything else to read at the time!), would not recommend

[Daphyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost hate to give this two stars because I absolutely love nature memoirs but this is just way too “whoo-whoo” for me. I needed more science/nature and less shaman/Mother Earth/channeling animals stuff.

I appreciate that the author found his way back to a balanced life and he clearly loves nature. I just needed more substance.

[Shonna BE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars don’t feel like enough. This book permanently shifted my heart and deepened my relationship with the natural world in ways I didn’t know were still possible. Even as someone raised with reverence for nature, Foster’s storytelling cracked me open and reminds me not just to witness the wild, but to belong to it. Intimate, sacred, and unforgettable.

[Patrick Witts · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many interesting stories in this book that eventually proves to be about storytellers and how species speak these stories to us. But the writing can be disengaging at times, written more like a storyboard for a new documentary than a comprehensive narrative.

[Chandler Haun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not really a non-fiction person but this one was especially hard to get through for me. Especially the second half was pretty dull in my opinion. There were a couple anecdotes that were entertaining and I loved the part about mermaid cave drawings lol.

[Greg Bem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about exploring the world for meaning and fulfillment.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was turned off by the preachy tone of the author's message of "civilization is bad, nature is good."
But the photos in the middle of the book, the tracking journal, are outstanding.

[Alexander Ripperton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rip’s Review/Summary:

Humans have been tamed by technology which has severed our ties to the natural world.

We need to embrace and stimulate our primal minds in healthy and productive ways like cold immersion and tracking.

There is a high cost to our comfort focused lives.

Humans used to have subtle relationships with hundreds of different species on a daily basis in order to find food and thrive.

Tackling true primal fears put other fears and anxiety at bay.

Living in an environment with a healthy vibrant ecosystem makes you happier at a primal level because subconsciously you know that your needs are met.

Can we have progress and natural abundance?

Can we use technology to reintroduce natural abundance?

[Nirvan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable memoir that plays with lots of cool ideas about living better. I think some of it wanders into endorsing some less than scientific practices, but generally serves as a useful call to live more in touch with nature, individually and all together.

[Desert Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but Craig’s sea adventures did not captivate me. It had tales of wonder that just didn’t produce wonder in me.

[BroccoliPie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disons le tout de go : malheureusement, ce livre ne m'a pas du tout parlé. N'ayant pas vu le documentaire de l'auteur, "La sagesse de la pieuvre", je n'avais pourtant pas d'attente particulière par rapport à cet ouvrage, si ce n'est la promesse de la quatrième de couverture. Et j'aurais vraiment pu être le bon public : j'ai, comme l'auteur, l'impression que nous sommes de plus en plus déconnectés de la nature et que nous aurions tout à gagner à être plus en phase avec elle et à la protéger, je m'émerveille facilement de l'ingéniosité du monde sauvage, et j'adore les récits d'exploration de la nature. Mais ce n'est pas vraiment ce que j'ai eu l'impression de lire ici.

Dans La sagesse des océans, Craig Foster parle en vérité plus de lui-même que du monde sauvage. Il explore avant tout sa quête personnelle de connexion à la nature : à travers la découverte de la thérapie par le froid, des plongeons quotidiens dans l'océan près de chez lui et ses entraînements aux techniques de pistage, de même que la recherche d'une certaine forme de spiritualité inspirée des peuples premiers. Dans un récit très peu structuré, on a droit à finalement peu d'informations sur les les animaux qu'il piste et beaucoup de répétitions de ses points de vue sur le monde, souvent à l'emporte-pièce et régulièrement contradictoires d'une page à l'autre.

Parce qu'il semblerait que pour l'auteur, le monde actuel est déconnecté de sa part sauvage et de la sagesse de ses ancêtres préhistoriques, que nous sommes anesthésiés et isolés par le confort, et que nous devrions tous nous reconnecter à notre "moi originel" à travers le pistage, afin de résoudre les grands défis de l'humanité. Une sorte d'imaginaire de l'homme des cavernes, en somme, mais avec des privilèges dont il ne semble pas avoir conscience (tout le monde n'a pas la chance de vivre près du monde sauvage, de faire des plongeons quotidiens dans l'océan, d'avoir un sauna pour se réchauffer après cette reconnexion à "l'inconfort" ou d'être en contact régulier avec des scientifiques et des médecins... et dans ces deux derniers cas, certainement pas "nos ancêtres" d'il y a plusieurs milliers d'années). C'est un imaginaire avec lequel j'ai énormément de mal, et qui a souvent tendance à discréditer la cause écologiste : parce que si, il est possible de combiner confort et reconnexion aux autres et à la nature, de sentir partie du monde sans que tout le monde commence à adopter le mode de vie des chasseurs-cueilleurs, et que, surtout, il faudra un peu plus que la "découverte de notre part sauvage" pour contrer l'extinction de masse actuelle.

Plutôt que de forcer son narratif bourré de platitudes toutes les deux pages du "c'était vachement mieux avant (il y a 15000 ans...)", Craig Foster aurait dû choisir : concentrer son ouvrage sur sa philosophie en nous offrant de réels arguments ou privilégier la partie "plongée dans l'océan" en appliquant la règle commune au monde du cinéma et du livre du "show, don't tell". Donc arrêter de nous dire qu'il se "sent libellule", mais nous montrer plutôt en quoi cet animal est extraordinaire.

[Magdelanye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in harmony with the wild is humanity's natural state...where we feel most present and alive, and yet so much of the modern world seems designed to cut our species off from...nature. p7

The tame world wants to control everything, but nature is not controllable. p73

Nature is intelligent and alive and reciprocal.....p157

These are bold statements, nicely refuting the claim that we have always been at war with nature and that our nature, human nature, is naturally selfish and violent, and that nature around us is wanton and dangerous. Craig Foster does not see it that way. In conveying his enthusiasm and love for for the wild world, CF is convincing.

Wildness dies in the froth of cluttered, rushing life, but thrives in spaciousness. p291

In this remarkable book, the documentary filmmaker documents his own life as he tracks it, establishing a place for himself as part of nature rather merely an observer.

we have become domesticated, spending most of our lives indoors, separated from one another and the rhythms of nature....yet that wild intuition is still deeply buried inside us, trying to get our attention....our own version of that wild wisdom, we've just become too tame to notice it. p17

CF sets a high bar and as he recounted his adventures with the creatures he has met diving in the great African Seaforest it never once crossed my mind that I would enjoy the kind of regime that he does. That was no barrier for me to learn much and appreciate what he has endured to get to a place of peace and harmony. His message is urgent and we have no excuse not to take heed.

The ecological intelligence works hard to maintain itself, to create biodiversity and to keeping temperature and humidity within life-supporting limits. Yet our childlike species seems to forget we're woven in to this delicate balance, and that it is having a devestating impact.... p213

Included in the hardcover edition I read is a trackers guide with wonderful photographs and links to other online material. I can't wait to see the doc he made about his octopus friend.

[Helen O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved My Octopus teacher, so I was looking forward to reading this book. It was an interesting read, for all sorts of reasons. It focuses on specific areas of the writers life and philosophy. The wild life v the tame world. Tracking. The immense importance of the natural world. The power of being cold. Relationships with wildlife. I always find it fascinating when someone perceives reality from a slightly different perspective from me. It offers the opportunity to learn, but also to compare and lay one perspective over another. So I offer a little of my perspective in the hope it may do the same.
I view what the author calls the tame world as wild in a different way. It is dangerous, destructive, selfish, it seeks greatness, and though it sometimes achieves it, it seems to lack the ability to share the planet with nature and even other humans in a mutually beneficial way. So I would say it’s the natural world v the unnatural world. Of course, as this book exemplifies beautifully, we are very much part of that natural world, and when we immerse ourselves in it we become more, not less. A desire to have control over the planet diminishes, not increases us. The seduction of the false, materialistic, greed based narrative may appear to lead us towards increase, but it disables us. Surrendering to the whole, to become a cell in an organism, makes us both tiny and vast. Having to skew my vocabulary to see the writers view, like communing with another species, or nature is healthy and life enhancing. So I am increased by this book.
It’s written engagingly and well, though I would say he writes more like a film maker than a writer. There is no timeline and stories are raised when they seem to fit in with the narrative, which can take a bit of getting used to but is not unpleasant. The areas he explores are delved into deeply in many ways, circling and weaving. All in all an enjoyable, enlightening read.

[Alex Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good indeed. I watched "My Octopus Teacher" thinking that while Craig Foster is an amazing human being, he is also distinctly unusual - and wondered what kind of person he really is. This autobiography answers that question, at least to some degree. Fascinating insights into him, his life, interests and pursuits - a really good read.

I'm skeptical about the benefits of exposing yourself repeatedly to extremely cold water. It clearly works for some people (including the author) and Wim Hoff is onto something, according to his acolytes. But as someone who has had near death experiences with cold water (once in the same waters that Foster writes so lovingly and knowledgeably about) I'm kinda traumatized by it. And Foster talks honestly and movingly about his own neurodivergence - what works for him may not work for others. I can see it as a tool for managing mental and physical issues, and understand how humans have used mortification of the flesh as a method of mental transcendence forever - but there are many paths to altered mind states, and some a lot more enjoyable than others...

But where he really DID grip me was his extended and lifelong efforts to understand and experience the human connection to nature, and its absolutely vital role in our health and that of the planet. He goes further, apart from his personal efforts to experience and understand how humans have always lived on this planet (until about 10,000 years ago with the onset of agriculture), he is widely read in anthropology, cosmology, philosophy etc) and has distilled this into a personal philosophy that resonated strongly with me.

The final section of the book is devoted to explaining how all of us can become "trackers" which he defines widely as getting into nature, observing it closely, asking questions and following up with more questions, and then thinking about the answers. And that all made total sense to me.

A deeply interesting and quite beautiful book.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the recommendation of a friend, I added this to my list. She also suggested it as an audiobook due to the supplemental music & sound included, which was a treat! Craig Foster was the brilliance behind and on the screen with My Octopus Teacher and again his heart and soul are poured our here in Amphibious Soul. I wasn't sure what to expect, just trusting the suggesting, what I got was a true delight. I was captivated listening to this. The timing was divinely orchestrated as I am spending some alone time doing my own bit of rewilding at our new place in DE as I begin a new chapter of my own life. I've made a personal re-dedication to being outside daily, movement and meditation, writing and quieting my mind to reconnect with myself and the world around me in a way I haven't been with in a long time consistently. This was just what I needed and it only came this way because the library delivered it to me when it was available. Thank you Universe. Foster has a powerful voice in helping us understand our own human history with being wild and our relationship to nature. His ability to go in and listen and observe is amazing. His voice is mesmerizing and you just want to spend time with him, his teachings remind us that we are not meant to live so fast paced and disconnected. His descriptions are lyrical and feel imaginative yet you know he is there telling you what he sees and it calls you out into the wild for you to see for yourself. A master storyteller and prolific explorer, this book was so good for my soul!!! I loved it!

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wildness dies in the froth of cluttered, rushing life, but thrives in spaciousness. The wild mind needs space.

Mixed feelings on this one, as Amphibious Soul is less "how-to" guide and more disjointed (albeit lovely) musings on Foster's experiences in the wild. There is no clear narrative thread to follow through this book, which may be how Foster's creative mind works, but makes for a sometimes laborious read. Amphibious Soul is made up of Foster's observations, stories, philosophies, and lessons, all rooted in nature and ancient human wisdom, but some difficult to grasp and others overly-romanticized. I found myself needing to suspend disbelief to connect with many of the insights being proposed, which is a concept I struggle with while reading nonfiction. A curious read with pockets of astuteness and magic, but overall a more dubiously spiritual and less scientific experience than I was expecting.

"The stress we feel as adults to achieve certain things or to behave in a certain way puts the brakes on our curiosity and wonder—behaviors that are quite natural in children, both human and animal. Responsibilities born not out of joy but out of anxiety and expectation separate us from our wildness.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a magical boyhood spent (literally) immersed in the sea life along the wild South African coast near Cape Horn, marine cinematographer and naturalist Craig Foster has continually broken barriers between his humanity and the complex, compelling lives of our ocean-dwelling nonhuman neighbor creatures. A stellar addition to Mr. Foster’s acclaimed oeuvre of film and printed page is this memoir/natural history of his personal (and often harrowing and/or groundbreaking) up-close observations of octopi, sharks, crabs, along with much humbler and rarely studied creatures of the sea, mostly in his own South African backyard, so to speak. In the process of nurturing his own amphibious soul over decades, Mr. Foster has drawn in his wife, son, and fellow researchers to share in his delight and awe at our marine fellow travelers, both common and rare, and the responsibility we share to secure their thriving future and our own. Curious readers, too, are sure to relish encountering the remarkable denizens of this complex underwater ecosystem vicariously on these pages, and come away with more than a little amphibious fellow feeling themselves.

[Lorna Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Craig Foster for this book.
Like everyone else who has left a review, I have to mention the Netflix documentary ‘My octopus teacher’, an absolute must watch for everyone. But seriously, people really should watch it. Please watch it. It broke me and changed me, for the better.
This audible book was wonderful and has really made me think about observing the nature around me.
I was saddened to hear that the fame that the documentary brought you, impacted on your wild wellbeing. I hope this message brings you comfort that, despite your struggle, you have helped me, and probably many, many others.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
I also thank you for the sound bites and the undersea music that was included in the audible version of this book. Just as I was thinking “you’re talking about these whale bone sounds…this is audible, you could include some” you then went ahead and did just that.
Now I’m going to have to buy the hard cover version of this book, so that I can see some of the wonderful photos you have taken.
Thank you again, and I’m so sorry for all of the things that you lost in the fire.

[Kayla B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book honestly had me considering not finishing it because it seemed to be mostly stories of a white man from South Africa telling stories about his adventures on safaris and diving in the ocean, and how those things that are totally inaccessible to most people were so good for his physical and mental health. I'm glad I held out for the second half, though, because he delves into how important it is to respect indigenous knowledge and ways people can strengthen their connection with and respect for the plants and animals around them that don't require ocean access. A lot of authors in this genre seem to demonize all technology and want to return to a fantasy of nature where they can pick daisies all day and never think about emails again. I think this author, though, does a good job of being realistic about how humans have connected to nature and how we can do so again, while balancing that technology will continue to advance and we aren't going to return to living in caves. Chapter 5 to the end is definitely worth reading and maybe even rereading. Chapters 1-4 could be skipped though

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to be captivated by writing on our connection to the natural world, don’t read this book. Read Robin Wall Kimmerer, Joanna Macy, Amitav Ghosh, Richard Powers, George Monbiot instead - Foster clearly has an amazing story to tell, but his writing felt mostly like a string of impressive anecdotes from someone who really, really wants to drive his point home.

These writers (and many more) also do what Craig Foster painfully lacks: a sense of solution at scale and within our current days systems. Great for him that he’s able to live and dive in such a pristine place, but his beloved kelp forest likely wouldnt fare well if all humanity came to swim in it daily.

I wish I could like this book - there are so many interesting topics (oceans, creatures, personal struggle, connection) but none of them came alive for me nor do they provide a bigger systems level view of where we are and where we may be headed on this planet as a species. I wish a better writer had written up these stories - I should probably watch his movies instead).

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️


“An important book that will transform how we think about being human.
… that will inspire hope.”—Jane Goodall



I’m a little envious of Mr. Foster, who has spent most of his life exploring the natural world. As a famous natural history filmmaker, he has witnessed the beauty and wonder of the wild, as well as the dangers.

In this memoir, he shares many of his experiences, observations, and a few lessons, too. After decades of diving into the depths of the oceans and encountering creatures such as sharks, crocodiles, octopi, and many others, Mr. Foster reminds us that we are all connected - this is our planet to share and care for.

While more of a personal journey, it is a book you can take your time with, savor, and reflect on as you go. It is perfect for travel, adventure, or nature lovers.

Thank you to @dartfroggco and @harperonebooks for a gifted copy.

[David B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many others, I was astounded by Octopus Teacher. It made a huge impression on me.

So I was eager to check out this book. In the end I liked the concept but not so much the delivery. It reads like a scattershot personal journal with abrupt sub-chapters that go for only a few paragraphs before moving on to the next reflection/experience. Like the life he describes, the book reads as if he has just had a full day of his seaforest routine, time with family and friends, and now is scribbling down his impressions for 15 minutes, leaving off from where he was in the book the day before.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I have is that Craig’s experiences can be awe-inspiring and I think it will translate into me valuing quiet times in nature more, as well as sharpening my attention to little things. Will I swim with crocodiles? Um, no. But it’s fun to armchair scuba dive like this in the book.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wij, moderne mensen, zijn onze wilde natuur (en daarmee onszelf) kwijt geraakt.
Dat is de boodschap van film- en documentairemaker Craig Foster. Hij vertelt in ‘De wilde ziel’ zijn levensverhaal aan de hand van bijzondere ontmoetingen met dieren en zijn terugkeer naar Zuid-Afrika. We nemen samen met hem een frisse duik (gheghe, kon het niet laten) in het onderwaterlandschap waar hij zich thuis voelt en beleven zijn proces om te leren spoorzoeken onder water. En hoe een octopus de trouwring voor zijn vrouw kon stelen 💍
Hij nodigt ons ook uit om naar onze eigen wilde ziel, onze eigen connectie met de natuur op zoek te gaan. Al ga je koude baden nemen, mediteren onder de sterren, met blote voeten in het gras wandelen,… maar probeer om de verbinding aan te gaan op jouw manier. Vlot geschreven, leuke kleurenfoto's (al had die van inktvispoep niet gemoeten lol)... Een spiritueel boek zonder het te willen zijn.

[Alex Hippenhammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light read that is part memoir and part conservation philosophy. Foster has some incredible stories from his 25 years of documentary filmmaking in 25+ different countries. The story gives more context to My Octopus Teacher in terms of how his years spent working with trackers throughout Africa strengthend his connection to nature and allowed him to immerse more deeply within the African seaforest. Foster's curiosity, wonder, and desire to fully connect with the natural world drove him to extremes, and it is fascinating to read about. I think it is evident that writing is not his primary mode of storytelling, as he isn't able to weave these stories together to create a more compelling thread of logic within his narrative. But this is still worth the read as it gives meaningful context to how My Octopus Teacher came into existence.

[Erica Smythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and interesting read but I must admit there were some parts which were "above my paygrade" in understanding some of the ideas and concepts Craig writes about. It is not a book which can be read in one sitting - you need time to absorb the content.
I was fortunate to work with both his parents way back (35 years ago) - great people and wonderful to hear Craig talk so fondly of them and acknowledge their contribution to who he is today.
Reading about Craig's ocean swims encourages me to be brave when I head back to the Cape in 2025 - the sea has not been my favourite swimming pool - I blame watching "Jaws" as a child!!
The book also encourages us to explore the "wild/untamed" part of ourselves whilst at the same reminding us that we need to take care of Mother Earth, failing which we could all be in a lot of trouble!

[William Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly interesting book about our connection to the natural world.

Using anecdotes and research Foster illustrates how we are connected not only to our human ancestors, but to all of the living things on the planet. We all need each other to survive.

It touches on and goes beyond the 'Ocean of Thought' that Hank Searls wrote about in his incredible book 'Sounding' from the 1980s.

Foster is connected to incredible people like Jane Goodall and Sylvia Earle. He won an Academy Award for his documentary 'My Octopus Teacher.' I will be searching for that on streaming services.

This is a wonderful book--especially for the younger generations who are going to inherit the mess we have left them with. That's not to say that the book isn't hopeful--it is! Small changes made every day came lead to bigger results down the road.

Loved it!

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foster writes a lot about his experiences with the wildlife animals and cold water immersion, both subjects I found to be quite fascinating to read about. His description of the places he visits, works and lives is so detailed you can picture it in your mind. I also liked that he explored interpersonal connections as well, even when they were hard. Amphibious Soul will definitely change the way you see the ocean, wildlife and how our lives as humans fits in this big wide space.

The animal depicted on the cover is called a Blue Button. It's an open ocean free drifter, and Craig Foster feels this creature looks like a planet made mostly of oceans with a small landmass, blue, wild and free.

Thank you Harper One and Dart Frogg Co for the gifted copy.