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Ebook446 pages4 hours
Nature's Ways: Lore, Legend, Fact and Fiction
By Ruth Binney
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this ebook
A fascinating collection of animal and plant truths, tales, and traditions from the author of Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: Royal Family Life.
Trying to understand the ways of the natural world has been a human preoccupation since the earliest times. The knowledge of which animals were helpful and which were dangerous, which plants had the power to heal and soothe and which to harm and kill was of obvious importance, not only to learn, but to remember and pass on.
It is therefore hardly surprising that from all corners of the earth, a wealth of stories, signs, symbols, myths and legends about animals and plants have been passed down to us. There are sound principles in some of the traditional advice, wisdom in many of the stories and observations of nature, but there are also highly fanciful superstitions, tall stories and amusing anecdotes. Ruth Binney has collected them all into this entertaining and fascinating volume.
There are intriguing tales of everything from mythical monsters and magical plants to domestic pets and humble weeds, as well as generations of advice, both sound and dubious, from age-old country remedies to predicting the weather through the observation of nature.
“Whether read from cover to cover in one sitting or dipped into from time to time, there is plenty here to entertain.” —Blackmore Vale Magazine
“This is the sort of book that you dip into merely intending to linger for a few minutes, only to find yourself staying for an hour.” —Dorset Magazine
Trying to understand the ways of the natural world has been a human preoccupation since the earliest times. The knowledge of which animals were helpful and which were dangerous, which plants had the power to heal and soothe and which to harm and kill was of obvious importance, not only to learn, but to remember and pass on.
It is therefore hardly surprising that from all corners of the earth, a wealth of stories, signs, symbols, myths and legends about animals and plants have been passed down to us. There are sound principles in some of the traditional advice, wisdom in many of the stories and observations of nature, but there are also highly fanciful superstitions, tall stories and amusing anecdotes. Ruth Binney has collected them all into this entertaining and fascinating volume.
There are intriguing tales of everything from mythical monsters and magical plants to domestic pets and humble weeds, as well as generations of advice, both sound and dubious, from age-old country remedies to predicting the weather through the observation of nature.
“Whether read from cover to cover in one sitting or dipped into from time to time, there is plenty here to entertain.” —Blackmore Vale Magazine
“This is the sort of book that you dip into merely intending to linger for a few minutes, only to find yourself staying for an hour.” —Dorset Magazine
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Read more from Ruth Binney
The English Countryside Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRoyal Family Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Word to the Wise: Traditional Advice and Old Country Ways Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Reviews for Nature's Ways
Rating: 3.4285714285714284 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
7 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A book about natural lore can take many shapes: A history (what ancients thought you could do with a particular herb). A natural herb guide ("willow bark contains painkillers like asperin"). An anti-science screed. A lot of superstition.This book has a little of each. The history of the use of herbs is truly fascinating, and most of it seems well-researched. The uses of herbal medicines -- it's not so clear. I'd love to see some scientific data to go with the other. And there is a little too much superstition for my taste.Your mix of interests may vary. This is a readable book. It rarely goes into much depth, but that means that it gives at least fleeting coverage to a wide range of topics. Is it the book of lore I would take if I were going to be stranded on a desert island alone? Probably not. But if I were stranded with a doctor who had a real medicine kit, and then wanted to know about some other plants and animals in the vicinity, this could be rather appealing.