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Astonished by Beauty: A Field Guide to the Practice of Paying Attention
An invitation to slow down, experience the world, and connect with nature through mindfulness.
“An inspiration and an ode to the natural world.”
—MICHAELA CARTER, Peregrine Book Company
What happens when we truly pay attention to the natural world? Through a series of brief, intimate stories from the Alaskan Arctic to the Amazon, Thomas Lowe Fleischner reveals how both easy and meaningful it is to deepen our connection with the Earth and its creatures. Readers are invited to learn how to look closely, see clearly, and feel deeply the living world around them, while recognizing the vital link between our well-being and the health of the planet. Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture this bond, the book is part reflection, part field guide, a call to a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us.
“An inspiration and an ode to the natural world.”
—MICHAELA CARTER, Peregrine Book Company
What happens when we truly pay attention to the natural world? Through a series of brief, intimate stories from the Alaskan Arctic to the Amazon, Thomas Lowe Fleischner reveals how both easy and meaningful it is to deepen our connection with the Earth and its creatures. Readers are invited to learn how to look closely, see clearly, and feel deeply the living world around them, while recognizing the vital link between our well-being and the health of the planet. Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture this bond, the book is part reflection, part field guide, a call to a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us.
- GenresNonfiction
160 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 5, 2026
"When we pay attention, we connect, we become more connected, we heal."
I got a copy of this book to review for my workplace, and was initially really excited to read it. I loved the premise of short essays providing examples of the impact paying attention to our environment can have. However, the author ended up spending a good bit of time redefining the way that we think of natural history, and using the essays to then back his argument, which ending up distracting from what the summary of the book promises.
Overall, it wasn't a awful read, but I did spend a lot of the time reading it feeling frustrated and slightly disconnected.
I got a copy of this book to review for my workplace, and was initially really excited to read it. I loved the premise of short essays providing examples of the impact paying attention to our environment can have. However, the author ended up spending a good bit of time redefining the way that we think of natural history, and using the essays to then back his argument, which ending up distracting from what the summary of the book promises.
Overall, it wasn't a awful read, but I did spend a lot of the time reading it feeling frustrated and slightly disconnected.
July 2, 2026
In this book, Thomas Lowe Fleischner, a naturalist and conservation biologist, writes about his experiences of slowing down and paying attention to his surroundings – alone, with his family, and with students he takes on field trips outdoors. His experiences and insights provide a guide to readers on taking the time to appreciate the world around us.
October 14, 2026
I thought this was excellent. It felt like a meditation in itself as i read the stories. Easy to get lost in the ideas and stay on track throughout the book. Natural history is a verb, not a noun! Super rewarding, go read it :)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews