'Partnering with Nature' Wins Best Social Change Book 2010

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Feb 01, 2011, 08:45 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Partnering with Nature: The Wild Path to Reconnecting with the Earth, a book with a powerful message that illuminates the fact that our connection to nature, animals, and the earth is a vital part of our existence, won the top prize for Social Change in the "BEST BOOKS 2010" competition.

The seventh annual "BEST BOOKS 2010" Awards were presented for titles published in 2010 and late 2009 representing books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States, including Simon & Schuster, Penguin/Putnum, McGraw-Hill, and John Wiley & Sons, among others.

In Partnering with Nature (available at Amazon.com - http://tinyurl.com/yh4pkam), author Catriona MacGregor asserts that it is vital that we understand not only how important our role is in nature's sphere, but also how crucial nature's role is in our lives.

The book emphasizes that all people, adults and children alike are suffering from a lack of contact with nature, and that this not only leads to ill health, but in fact gives us a sense that something is missing in our lives.

The book goes on to cite a recent study which found that Americans spend less than one hour a week outside and concludes that this is leading to all kinds of physical, emotional and spiritual ailments, including:

Increased levels of stress
Obesity and sedentary lifestyle
ADHD and apathy (in children spending too much time on Nintendo, etc.)
Sleep disorders and fatigue
Lack of creativity, meaning and happiness

Instead of looking for the next prescription to solve our problems, Partnering with Nature advises us that the cure may be in our own backyards.

MacGregor, who now leads vision and nature quests (http://www.naturalpathfinder.com), after spearheading conservation initiatives in the US and internationally for over twenty years, asserts that we need to go beyond traditional environmentalism to solve pressing global problems.

Ultimately, MacGregor believes that humankind must develop what she deems an "eco-consciousness" to learn how to work in harmony with natural laws and processes. According to MacGregor, "It is only by fully 'partnering' with nature that we will find solutions, and this requires a shift in how we view our relationship with nature."

Partnering with Nature weaves together scientific, environmental and historical information to support the critical link between humankind and nature. MacGregor also highlights the rising incidence of eco-entrepreneurs and technologies that can transform the way that we live and work. From solar energy to harnessing the natural cleaning powers of nature used in a "Living Machine," which transforms wastewater to potable water using plants and sunlight, the book explores some of the newest and most promising bio-inventions of our time.

Author MacGregor is now conducting a book tour of the United States with author signings throughout the country - including larger events planned for Powell's books in Portland (March 17th), Book People in Austin (February 24th), and radio and TV appearances.