Natural Navigator

Description

Adventurer and navigation expert Gooley blends science, myth, folklore, and the history of travel and exploration to make "The Natural Navigator" the essential guidebook to the ancient art of natural navigation.

Dispensing with all navigational technology, Gooley aims to reconnect his audience with the natural world by teaching it to stay on course without instruments. He allows one exception, a stick. One can deduce true north from the shadow it casts, which is just one of many ways to fix the cardinal directions that Gooley presents in this companionable guide. Enriching his instruction with references to all sorts of mythical and historical navigators, Gooley stresses careful observation of one 's surroundings as the foundation for his methods of orientation. Trees, moss, even puddles contain clues. The navigational trick is to deduce the order that they reveal, such as the direction of prevailing winds, about an environment 's seemingly chaotic appearance. Looking up to celestial orbs sun, moon, planets, and stars Gooley explains ways to detect their regularity and apply it on treks over land and voyages across the sea. Whatever scale of adventure readers intend, from a local hike to a tri "Packed with helpful illustrations, Gooley opens your eyes to the clues that the natural world happily shares with all of us, if we just take the time to look. . . . A truly vital book for any outdoor adventurer." "Cabin Life"--Cabin Life "Cabin Life " "Before GPSes, people navigated by the stars, the wind and shadows on the ground. Tristan Gooley, an English adventurer, shows how it 's done in "The Natural Navigator". . . . This fascinating book is filled with surprising facts." "Washington Post"--Washington Post "Washington Post " "This in-depth book gives us the tools to reengage with our natural world in a clear and understandable way. I love it!"--Bear Grylls, author of "The Kid Who Climbed Everest" and "Man vs. Wild""The perfect book for getting you started on your own adventure."--Sir Ranulph Fiennes, adventurer and author of "Race to the Pole"""The Natural Navigator" is a wonderfully stimulating book. Tristan Gooley sidesteps technology to celebrate our own powers of observation, and suggests that the art of natural navigation is something we should never have forgotten."--Michael Palin"Before GPSes, people navigated by the stars, the wind and shadows on the ground. Tristan Gooley, an English adventurer, shows how it's done in "The Natural Navigator ." . . This fascinating book is filled with surprising facts."--"Washington Post""Gooley, a longtime adventurer who teaches what he calls "natural navigation," has compiled an intriguing trove of tips and tricks from cultures such as the Inuit and Aborigines . . . Even for readers who never intend to rely on these tips to find their way through the wilderness, "The Natural Navigator" is a great primer on how the forces of nature affect the landscapes and seascapes that everyone travels through."--"Science News""[P]rovides a delightful refresher course . . . His enthusiasm for the basic facts of earth science and astronomy are part of the charm of The Natural Navigator."--"The Providence Journal""Packed with helpful illustrations, Gooley opens your eyes to the clues that the natural world happily shares with all of us, if we just take the time to look. . . . A truly vital book for any outdoor adventurer."--"Cabin Life""As Gooley reminds us, navigation is, first of all, about understanding where you are. His marvelous book is a good starting point."--Mick Herron, "Geographical Magazine""This wonderful book takes the skill set back several generations further, to the vanishing (but often surprisingly simple) arts of navigating by sun, moon, sta Eagle Scouts don't hold a candle or compass to Gooley, a professional outdoorsman if there ever was one and an engaging proponent of navigation au naturale in this compelling guide. Readers will learn how to evaluate clues in nature from stars in the night sky to evaporating puddles underfoot to discover where they are and how to get where they need to go. Gooley's particular spin is that this subject is not just about survival skills; it's an art form that can reveal to anyone willing to look hard enough the beauty and utility of nature's patterns. It is, he writes, "about reintroducing a childlike curiosity to the journey." But it is also about applying discipline and scientific rigor to how we move through the world. Chockfull of incredibly useful information ranging from the simple (e.g., how to make a sun dial) to the more complex (e.g., how to outline the sun's arc based on latitude), this book will appeal to veteran trailblazers and cautious nature-lovers alike. Indeed, for those prone to stick to the Discovery Channel rather than venture afoot, Gooley's personal travel anecdotes alone are enough to make this worth a read. Inexperienced hikers will nevertheless want to keep a compass handy on their next outing, but with Gooley's tome in tow, the journey will be all the more rewarding. Publishers Weekly [A] deeply poetic book . . . Mr. Gooley provides ample instructions, complete with diagrams of wind patterns and tide heights, for living and traveling like a natural navigator. " The Wall Steet Journal" This in-depth book gives us the tools to reengage with our natural world in a clear and understandable way. I love it! Bear Grylls, author of "The Kid Who Climbed Everest" and "Man vs. Wild" The perfect book for getting you started on your own adventure. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, adventurer and author of "Race to the Pole" "The Natural Navigator" is a wonderfully stimulating book. Tristan Gooley sidesteps technology to celebrate our own powers of observation, an This in-depth book gives us the tools to reengage with our natural world in a clear and understandable way. I love it! Bear Grylls, author of "The Kid Who Climbed Everest" and "Man vs. Wild ""The perfect book for getting you started on your own adventure" Sir Ranulph Fiennes, adventurer and author of "Race to the Pole """The Natural Navigator" is a wonderfully stimulating book. Tristan Gooley sidesteps technology to celebrate our own powers of observation, and suggests that the art of natural navigation is something we should never have forgotten." Michael Palin "Before GPSes, people navigated by the stars, the wind and shadows on the ground. Tristan Gooley, an English adventurer, shows how it 's done in "The Natural Navigator ." . . This fascinating book is filled with surprising facts." "Washington Post " Gooley, a longtime adventurer who teaches what he calls natural navigation, has compiled an intriguing trove of tips and tricks from cul ""The Natural Navigator" is a wonderfully stimulating book. Tristan Gooley sidesteps technology to celebrate our own powers of observation, and suggests that the art of natural navigation is something we should never have forgotten." Michael Palin "The perfect book for getting you started on your own adventure" Sir Ranulph Fiennes, adventurer and author of "Race to the Pole" "Gooley 's calm, contemplative authority on matters solar, lunar and celestial establishes his guru credentials but it 's his revelations about the clues that lie scattered about the natural environment that really entrance: how puddles drying on paths, the shapes of sand dunes, the graininess of scree on the lee of a slope can all be enlisted to summon compass points to your horizon." Chris Born, "Time Out"--Chris Born "Time Out " "A definitive volume on the subject." Paul Gelder, "Yachting Monthly"--Paul Gelder "Yachting Monthly " "In a sat-nav dominated world, where GPS and a host of other acronyms designed to get us from A to B have overtaken paper maps, it is refreshing to meet someone who understands technology, but prefers to find his way by practicing the rare and ancient art of using nature 's signposts, from puddle patterns to shadow lengths . . . I m hooked. Back at the beech, I make a mental note of emerging bluebell patches, forming an internal map that I ll use to find my way around the wood." Paul Evans, "BBC Wildlife Magazine"--Paul Evans "BBC Wildlife Magazine " "Gooley is a fine writer with a philosophical passion for the subject, and he occasionally veers into areas that are perhaps not strictly within the remit of the book, but these are effortlessly pleasant diversions that add to the whole. His timing is strong, with anecdotes dropped in at just the right intervals to keep you turning the pages. His advice is at times glorious in its simplicity and fascinating in its execution." Laurence Mackin, "The Irish Times"--Laurence Mackin "The Irish Times " "As Gooley reminds us, navigation is, first of all, about understanding where you are. His marvelous book is a good starting point." Mick Herron, "Geographical Magazine"--Mick Herron "Geographical Magazine " "Doubtless sat-nav will eventually breed a generation unable to read the simplest road maps, never mind plot their way across rough countryside from an Ordnance Survey map. This wonderful book takes the skill set back several generations further, to the vanishing (but often surprisingly simple) arts of navigating by sun, moon, stars and natural phenomena. If this sounds arcane and unlikely, it 's not: armchair readers will revel in the beautifully written material on myth, science, folklore and history, and the fascinating details and tips; others will be inspired to get out and give the techniques a try using puddles to find north, knowing why clouds don t always move in the same way as the wind is blowing, smelling fresh air blowing from the direction of a hidden coast . . . This is the sort of charming and inspiring book you want to recommend and buy for others. A must for any lover of the outdoors" Tim Jepson, "The Telegraph"--Tim Jepson "The Telegraph " The best nature writing changes the way you experience the world. Tristan Gooley 's "The Natural Navigator" will teach you how to find your way using not just the moon, sun and stars but spider 's webs, tennis courts and even ruts on a track. He throws in entertaining anecdotes from the history of navigation and from his own impressive Atlantic journeys, but really he 's giving you an addictive hobby, and a newly refined sense of time and place. James McConnachie, "Sunday Times" (London)--James McConnachie "Sunday Times (London) "