The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals―and Other Forgotten Skills | Tristan Gooley

Turn every walk into a game of detection—from master outdoorsman Tristan Gooley, New York Times-bestselling author of The Secret World of Weather and The Natural Navigator

When writer and navigator Tristan Gooley journeys outside, he sees a natural world filled with clues. The roots of a tree indicate the sun’s direction; the Big Dipper tells the time; a passing butterfly hints at the weather; a sand dune reveals prevailing wind; the scent of cinnamon suggests altitude; a budding flower points south. To help you understand nature as he does, Gooley shares more than 850 tips for forecasting, tracking, and more, gathered from decades spent walking the landscape around his home and around the world. Whether you’re walking in the country or city, along a coastline, or by night, this is the ultimate resource on what the land, sun, moon, stars, plants, animals, and clouds can reveal—if you only know how to look!

Publisher’s Note: The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs was previously published in the UK under the title The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner of the Outdoor Book of the Year, The Great Outdoors Awards 2015, 2015 INDIEFAB Honorable Mention for Adventure & Recreation

“Gooley interprets clues like a private investigator of the wilds, leaving no stone unturned . . . For those inclined to solve mysteries written into the landscape, this author’s lead is one they’ll want to follow.”—The Wall Street Journal

“[Gooley] has become the global expert on natural navigation, finding his way around the world using nothing but natural clues and pointers. His discovery (made on a sailing expedition to Iceland)—that if, when at sea, you see more than 10 birds in any given five minute window this means you are within 40 miles of land—has become part of the British military’s survival guidance.”—The Daily Beast

“How rare to find a book that is truly brilliant. The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, by Tristan Gooley, is brilliant in the English slang sense (as in being terrific); it is brilliant in its comprehensive conveyance of all the ways to interpret natural and man-made landscapes; and brilliance glitters from Gooley’s sparkling wit.”—Foreword

“Gooley’s comprehensive volume should pique the curiosity of budding nature-lovers and is ideal for anyone keen on forging a deeper connection with the land.”—Publishers Weekly

“While Gooley’s tips encompass useful, practical ways to predict a change in weather, determine when a predator may be prowling and find true North at night, his true gift is in igniting curiosity and wonder about the world around us.”—Shelf Awareness

“In terms of sheer did-you-knows per page it is one of the richest, densest, most rewarding books on nature I have read in a long time . . . its joy in deduction is infectiously delightful.”—James McConnachie, The Sunday Times

“I for one will never look at the . . . countryside in quite the same way again.”—Stephen Moss, Countryfile Magazine

“Gooley can show the most moonstruck how to interpret their surroundings. Even the intrepid Bear Grylls could learn a trick or two from this book.”—The Times

“Feel more confident in your outdoorsiness!”—BookRiot

“Anyone interested in walking out of doors at any time would be well advised to read this excellent book.”—The Royal Institute of Navigation

“As with his earlier, equally important The Natural Navigator, this text is densely packed with information, engagingly and clearly written . . . Every outdoor-lover should have at least one Tristan Gooley book in their library. He’s attained national treasure status, as useful and educative as he is endearingly unique.”—The Great Outdoors magazine

“Learning so much […] that I might have to take another long walk”—Nicholas Crane

About the Author

New York Times–bestselling author Tristan Gooley has led expeditions on five continents, climbed mountains in three, and is the only living person to have both flown and sailed solo across the Atlantic. His more than two decades of pioneering outdoor experience include research among tribal peoples in some of the remotest regions on Earth.