The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature's positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas--and the answers they yield--are more urgent than ever.

A contributing editor at Outside magazine, Florence Williams is the author of Breasts, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and The Nature Fix. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, and many other outlets. She lives in Washington, DC.

Review Quotes:

"[Williams] presents the benefits of spending time outdoors... entertainingly but with enough scientific detail to satisfy the expert."--New York Times Book Review

"Engaging."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Williams's findings are eminently reassuring."--Atlantic

"[A] scientific tour de Mother Earth... The Nature Fix offers a cross-continental rumination on nature's feel-good effects in a world that's increasingly concrete-centric."--Portland Monthly

"A veteran journalist, Williams flexes her conditioned reporting muscles.... Her fast-paced book takes readers across three continents as she trails all kinds of experts, from phycologists to foresters."--Earth Island Journal

"A thoughtful, refreshing book with a simple but powerful message."--Kirkus Reviews

"[A] powerful environmental call to arms."--Publishers Weekly

"The Nature Fix is a beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyable exposition of a major principle of human life now supported by evidence in biology, psychology, and medicine."--Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

"I'm no tree hugger, but The Nature Fix made me want to run outside and embrace the nearest oak. Not for the tree's sake but mine. Florence Williams makes a compelling, and elegant, case that nature is not only beautiful but also good for us. If Thoreau were steeped in modern neuroscience and possessed an endearingly self-deprecating sense of humor, the result would be the book you hold in your hands."--Eric Weiner, New York Times best-selling author of The Geography of Genius

"Florence Williams, keen observer, deft writer, creates a fascinating mosaic here. What are the costs--to us!--of humanity's increasing disconnection from nature? What are the likely benefits--to us!--of retaining that threatened connection?... Large."--David Quammen, New York Times best-selling author of The Tangled Tree