“Getting your family out of the house and radically engaged with nature.”
What a title. And what a tag line. We are huge @stevenrinella fans, so pre-ordering this last January was a no brainer. We often listen to Steve’s podcast, podcasts he’s on, watch MeatEater, follow their social media, etc… What I personally love about Steve is his general outlook on nature, hunting, and stewardship of it all. But he’s also a dad of 3, which makes for some great stories.
I laughed a lot reading this book. But I guess when you spend as much time outside as Steve & his family, you’re bound to come away with some good ones. There’s a great combination of reflection of his own youth, along with anecdotes of raising 3 children, in various locations across the US. I think the most entertaining was his stories about foraging in NYC. Probably the last place I’d consider foraging, and yet, they did it. It may be one of the most prime examples of the intentionality in which Steve, and yes, even his wife, live with intentionality with nature. In Steve’s typical style, he weaves together these stories with facts & useful information, and tactile application to your real life.
The book is divided into sections- Camping, Growing, Fishing, and Hunting. In each section he gives tangible lessons he’s learned, along with ways you and your family can realistically incorporate each into your lives.
As 1000 Hour Challengers, and general outdoorsy-ish people, I loved the additional ideas and ways to get outside and be outside with the girls. Though I would consider our time at the cabin “glamping” vs camping, I feel like we’ve got the growing and fishing thing down pretty well. The only component of the 4 we are missing is hunting, and I don’t think we’re too far away from it.
Whether you’re a usual open air breather or just starting your journey to balancing screen time with green time, this book is a great read. And since it’s def not a “chick book,” as soon as I was done I passed it over for Ethan to read next.
The Nurtured Bee 