EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book The Biophilia Effect

    Book Details:
  • Author : Clemens Arvay, MSc
  • Publisher : Sounds True
  • Release : 2018-02-01
  • ISBN : 9781683640424
  • Pages : 208 pages

Download or read book The Biophilia Effect written by Clemens Arvay, MSc and published by Sounds True. This book was released on 2018-02-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Did you know that spending time in a forest activates the vagus nerve, which is responsible for inducing calm and regeneration? Or that spending just one single day in a wooded area increases the number of natural killer cells in the blood by almost 40 percent on average? We’ve all had an intuitive sense of the healing power of nature. Clemens G. Arvay’s new book brings us the science to verify this power, sharing fascinating research along with teachings and tools for accessing the therapeutic properties of the forest and natural world. Already a bestseller in Germany, The Biophilia Effect is a book that transforms our understanding of our interconnection with nature—and shows us how to engage the natural world wherever we live for greater health, inspiration, rejuvenation, and spiritual sustenance.

Book The Nature Fix  Why Nature Makes Us Happier  Healthier  and More Creative

Download or read book The Nature Fix Why Nature Makes Us Happier Healthier and More Creative written by Florence Williams and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2017-02-07 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Highly informative and remarkably entertaining." —Elle 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.

Book Biophilia

    Book Details:
  • Author : Edward O. WILSON
  • Publisher : Harvard University Press
  • Release : 2009-06-30
  • ISBN : 0674045238
  • Pages : 168 pages

Download or read book Biophilia written by Edward O. WILSON and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-30 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biophilia is Edward O. Wilson's most personal book, an evocation of his own response to nature and an eloquent statement of the conservation ethic. Wilson argues that our natural affinity for life—biophilia—is the very essence of our humanity and binds us to all other living species.

Book Biophilic Design

    Book Details:
  • Author : Stephen R. Kellert
  • Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
  • Release : 2011-09-26
  • ISBN : 1118174240
  • Pages : 641 pages

Download or read book Biophilic Design written by Stephen R. Kellert and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-09-26 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "When nature inspires our architecture-not just how it looks but how buildings and communities actually function-we will have made great strides as a society. Biophilic Design provides us with tremendous insight into the 'why,' then builds us a road map for what is sure to be the next great design journey of our times." -Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman, U.S. Green Building Council "Having seen firsthand in my company the power of biomimicry to stimulate a wellspring of profitable innovation, I can say unequivocably that biophilic design is the real deal. Kellert, Heerwagen, and Mador have compiled the wisdom of world-renowned experts to produce this exquisite book; it is must reading for scientists, philosophers, engineers, architects and designers, and-most especially-businesspeople. Anyone looking for the key to a new type of prosperity that respects the earth should start here." -Ray C. Anderson, founder and Chair, Interface, Inc. The groundbreaking guide to the emerging practice of biophilic design This book offers a paradigm shift in how we design and build our buildings and our communities, one that recognizes that the positive experience of natural systems and processes in our buildings and constructed landscapes is critical to human health, performance, and well-being. Biophilic design is about humanity's place in nature and the natural world's place in human society, where mutuality, respect, and enriching relationships can and should exist at all levels and should emerge as the norm rather than the exception. Written for architects, landscape architects, planners,developers, environmental designers, as well as building owners, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life is a guide to the theory, science, and practice of biophilic design. Twenty-three original and timely essays by world-renowned scientists, designers, and practitioners, including Edward O. Wilson, Howard Frumkin, David Orr, Grant Hildebrand, Stephen Kieran, Tim Beatley, Jonathan Rose, Janine Benyus, Roger Ulrich, Bert Gregory, Robert Berkebile, William Browning, and Vivian Loftness, among others, address: * The basic concepts of biophilia, its expression in the built environment, and how biophilic design connects to human biology, evolution, and development. * The science and benefits of biophilic design on human health, childhood development, healthcare, and more. * The practice of biophilic design-how to implement biophilic design strategies to create buildings that connect people with nature and provide comfortable and productive places for people, in which they can live, work, and study. Biophilic design at any scale-from buildings to cities-begins with a few simple questions: How does the built environment affect the natural environment? How will nature affect human experience and aspiration? Most of all, how can we achieve sustained and reciprocal benefits between the two? This prescient, groundbreaking book provides the answers.

Book Biophilia

    Book Details:
  • Author : Sally Coulthard
  • Publisher : Kyle Books
  • Release : 2020-03-19
  • ISBN : 0857838695
  • Pages : 216 pages

Download or read book Biophilia written by Sally Coulthard and published by Kyle Books. This book was released on 2020-03-19 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this beautifully illustrated guide, best-selling author Sally Coulthard demonstrates how to transform your living and working spaces into places that put you in touch with nature. Eight inspiring chapters cover key elements for the 'biophilic home', including materials, views, colour and natural light. Each section explores the links between home, health and happiness, drawing on environmental research and neuroscience while making practical suggestions for bringing the natural world into your home. Bring nature indoors with flowers and plants, rediscover the innate pleasure of real fires and fresh air, and learn how to improve your mood and sleep patterns with dynamic light. Create a space filled with natural elements, patterns, nature's colours, fabrics and textures that lift your mood; find out why natural sounds and water are soothing; and learn how to make small changes that will inspire, invigorate and enrich your relationship with the natural world. 'As best-selling author and designer, Sally Coulthard, reveals in this guide, creating a 'biophilic home' can have a huge impact on your wellbeing; improving your mood and encouraging healthier sleep patterns...Be it plants, materials, colour or light, it's enlightening to see how small changes can make a big difference, while deepening your respect and correlation to the natural world.' FORBES Magazine 'How to embrace the natural world by transforming your interior spaces with specific materials, colours, views and sounds.' Gardens Illustrated 'Humans are mammals, programmed over millennia to respond to the natural world. We may be able to live and work in man-made environments most of the time. But according to a new movement of "biophilic" designers and enthusiasts, we are not thriving...writer Sally Coulthard likens it to the practice of keeping animals in captivity, in surroundings ill-suited to their needs. "We live in a world that is fundamentally mismatched to our evolutionary adaptation - we don't see, hear and feel the things that we are programmed to respond to," she writes.' Financial Times

Book The Biophilia Hypothesis

    Book Details:
  • Author : Stephen R. Kellert
  • Publisher : Island Press
  • Release : 1995-03-01
  • ISBN : 9781559631471
  • Pages : 0 pages

Download or read book The Biophilia Hypothesis written by Stephen R. Kellert and published by Island Press. This book was released on 1995-03-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Biophilia" is the term coined by Edward O. Wilson to describe what he believes is humanity's innate affinity for the natural world. In his landmark book Biophilia, he examined how our tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes might be a biologically based need, integral to our development as individuals and as a species. That idea has caught the imagination of diverse thinkers. The Biophilia Hypothesis brings together the views of some of the most creative scientists of our time, each attempting to amplify and refine the concept of biophilia. The variety of perspectives -- psychological, biological, cultural, symbolic, and aesthetic -- frame the theoretical issues by presenting empirical evidence that supports or refutes the hypothesis. Numerous examples illustrate the idea that biophilia and its converse, biophobia, have a genetic component: fear, and even full-blown phobias of snakes and spiders are quick to develop with very little negative reinforcement, while more threatening modern artifacts -- knives, guns, automobiles -- rarely elicit such a response people find trees that are climbable and have a broad, umbrella-like canopy more attractive than trees without these characteristics people would rather look at water, green vegetation, or flowers than built structures of glass and concrete The biophilia hypothesis, if substantiated, provides a powerful argument for the conservation of biological diversity. More important, it implies serious consequences for our well-being as society becomes further estranged from the natural world. Relentless environmental destruction could have a significant impact on our quality of life, not just materially but psychologically and even spiritually.

Book Nature by Design

    Book Details:
  • Author : Stephen R. Kellert
  • Publisher : Yale University Press
  • Release : 2018-01-01
  • ISBN : 0300214537
  • Pages : 225 pages

Download or read book Nature by Design written by Stephen R. Kellert and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2018-01-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gorgeously illustrated, accessible book that provides a holistic summary of the key elements for good biophilic design

Book Kinship to Mastery

    Book Details:
  • Author : Stephen R. Kellert
  • Publisher : Island Press
  • Release : 2003-10
  • ISBN : 9781597268905
  • Pages : 276 pages

Download or read book Kinship to Mastery written by Stephen R. Kellert and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2003-10 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kinship to Mastery is a fascinating and accessible exploration of the notion of biophilia -- the idea that humans, having evolved with the rest of creation, possess a biologically based attraction to nature and exhibit an innate affinity for life and lifelike processes. Stephen R. Kellert sets forth the idea that people exhibit different expressions of biophilia in different contexts, and demonstrates how our quality of life in the largest sense is dependent upon the richness of our connections with nature. While the natural world provides us with material necessities -- food, clothing, medicine, clean air, pure water -- it just as importantly plays a key role in other aspects of our lives, including intellectual capacity, emotional bonding, aesthetic attraction, creativity, imagination, and even the recognition of a just and purposeful existence. As Kellert explains, each expression of biophilia shows how our physical, material, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being is to a great extent dependent on our relationships with the natural world that surrounds us. Kinship to Mastery is a thought-provoking examination of a concept that, while not widely known, has a significant and direct effect on the lives of people everywhere. Because the full expression of biophilia is integral to our overall health, our ongoing destruction of the environment could have far more serious consequences than many people think. In a readable and compelling style, Kellert describes and explains the concept of biophilia, and demonstrates to a general audience the wide-ranging implications of environmental degradation. Kinship to Mastery continues the exploration of biophilia begun with Edward O. Wilson's landmark book Biophilia (Harvard University Press, 1984) and followed by The Biophilia Hypothesis (Island Press, 1993), co-edited by Wilson and Kellert, which brought together some of the most creative scientists of our time to explore Wilson's theory in depth.

Book Biophilic Cities

    Book Details:
  • Author : Timothy Beatley
  • Publisher : Island Press
  • Release : 2011
  • ISBN : 1597267155
  • Pages : 209 pages

Download or read book Biophilic Cities written by Timothy Beatley and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tim Beatley has long been a leader in advocating for the "greening" of cities. But too often, he notes, urban greening efforts focus on everything except nature, emphasizing such elements as public transit, renewable energy production, and energy efficient building systems. While these are important aspects of reimagining urban living, they are not enough, says Beatley. We must remember that human beings have an innate need to connect with the natural world (the biophilia hypothesis). And any vision of a sustainable urban future must place its focus squarely on nature, on the presence, conservation, and celebration of the actual green features and natural life forms. A biophilic city is more than simply a biodiverse city, says Beatley. It is a place that learns from nature and emulates natural systems, incorporates natural forms and images into its buildings and cityscapes, and designs and plans in conjunction with nature. A biophilic city cherishes the natural features that already exist but also works to restore and repair what has been lost or degraded. In Biophilic Cities Beatley not only outlines the essential elements of a biophilic city, but provides examples and stories about cities that have successfully integrated biophilic elements--from the building to the regional level--around the world. From urban ecological networks and connected systems of urban greenspace, to green rooftops and green walls and sidewalk gardens, Beatley reviews the emerging practice of biophilic urban design and planning, and tells many compelling stories of individuals and groups working hard to transform cities from grey and lifeless to green and biodiverse.

Book Vitamin N

    Book Details:
  • Author : Richard Louv
  • Publisher : Algonquin Books
  • Release : 2016-04-12
  • ISBN : 161620561X
  • Pages : 304 pages

Download or read book Vitamin N written by Richard Louv and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2016-04-12 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the New York Times bestseller that defined nature-deficit disorder and launched the international children-and-nature movement, Vitamin N (for “nature”) is a complete prescription for connecting with the power and joy of the natural world right now, with 500 activities for children and adults Dozens of inspiring and thought-provoking essays Scores of informational websites Down-to-earth advice In his landmark work Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv was the first to bring widespread attention to the alienation of children from the natural world, coining the term nature-deficit disorder and outlining the benefits of a strong nature connection--from boosting mental acuity and creativity to reducing obesity and depression, from promoting health and wellness to simply having fun. That book “rivaled Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring” (the Cincinnati Enquirer), was “an absolute must-read for parents” (the Boston Globe), and “an inch-thick caution against raising the fully automated child” (the New York Times). His follow-up book, The Nature Principle, addressed the needs of adults and outlined a “new nature movement and its potential to improve the lives of all people no matter where they live” (McClatchy Newspapers).Vitamin N is a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive, and practical guidebook for the whole family and the wider community, including tips not only for parents eager to share nature with their kids but also for those seeking nature-smart schools, medical professionals, and even careers. It is a dose of pure inspiration, reminding us that looking up at the stars or taking a walk in the woods is as exhilarating as it is essential, at any age.

Book Forest Bathing

    Book Details:
  • Author : Dr. Qing Li
  • Publisher : Penguin
  • Release : 2018-04-17
  • ISBN : 052555985X
  • Pages : 322 pages

Download or read book Forest Bathing written by Dr. Qing Li and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive--and by far the most popular--guide to the therapeutic Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or the art and science of how trees can promote health and happiness Notice how a tree sways in the wind. Run your hands over its bark. Take in its citrusy scent. As a society we suffer from nature deficit disorder, but studies have shown that spending mindful, intentional time around trees--what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing--can promote health and happiness. In this beautiful book--featuring more than 100 color photographs from forests around the world, including the forest therapy trails that criss-cross Japan--Dr. Qing Li, the world's foremost expert in forest medicine, shows how forest bathing can reduce your stress levels and blood pressure, strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems, boost your energy, mood, creativity, and concentration, and even help you lose weight and live longer. Once you've discovered the healing power of trees, you can lose yourself in the beauty of your surroundings, leave everyday stress behind, and reach a place of greater calm and wellness.

Book Technobiophilia

    Book Details:
  • Author : Sue Thomas
  • Publisher : A&C Black
  • Release : 2013-09-26
  • ISBN : 1849662169
  • Pages : 433 pages

Download or read book Technobiophilia written by Sue Thomas and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-09-26 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why are there so many nature metaphors - clouds, rivers, streams, viruses, and bugs - in the language of the internet? Why do we adorn our screens with exotic images of forests, waterfalls, animals and beaches? In Technobiophilia: Nature and Cyberspace, Sue Thomas interrogates the prevalence online of nature-derived metaphors and imagery and comes to a surprising conclusion. The root of this trend, she believes, lies in biophilia, defined by biologist E.O. Wilson as 'the innate attraction to life and lifelike processes'. In this wide-ranging transdisciplinary study she explores the strong thread of biophilia which runs through our online lives, a phenomenon she calls 'technobiophilia', or, the 'innate attraction to life and lifelike processes as they appear in technology'. The restorative qualities of biophilia can alleviate mental fatigue and enhance our capacity for directed attention, soothing our connected minds and easing our relationship with computers. Technobiophilia: Nature and Cyberspace offers new insights on what is commonly known as 'work-life balance'. It explores ways to make our peace with technology-induced anxiety and achieve a 'tech-nature balance' through practical experiments designed to enhance our digital lives indoors, outdoors, and online. The book draws on a long history of literature on nature and technology and breaks new ground as the first to link the two. Its accessible style will attract the general reader, whilst the clear definition of key terms and concepts throughout should appeal to undergraduates and postgraduates of new media and communication studies, internet studies, environmental psychology, and human-computer interaction. www.technobiophilia.com

Book Everything in Its Place

Download or read book Everything in Its Place written by Oliver Sacks and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the legendary author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: a volume of essays on everything from primordial life and the mysteries of the brain to the ancient ginkgo and the power of the written word. "Magical . . . [Everything in Its Place] showcases the neurologist's infinitely curious mind."—People Magazine In this volume, Oliver Sacks examines the many passions that defined his life--both as a doctor engaged with the central questions of human existence and as a polymath conversant in all the sciences. Everything in Its Place brings together writings on a rich variety of topics. Why do humans need gardens? How, and when, does a physician tell his patient she has Alzheimer's? What is social media doing to our brains? In several of the compassionate case histories included here, we see Sacks consider the enigmas of depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia for the first time. In others, he returns to conditions that have long fascinated him: Tourette's syndrome, aging, dementia, and hallucinations. In counterpoint to these elegant investigations of what makes us human, this volume also includes pieces that celebrate Sacks's love of the natural world--and his final meditations on life in the twenty-first century.

Book Nature Inside

    Book Details:
  • Author : William D. Browning
  • Publisher : Routledge
  • Release : 2020-10-09
  • ISBN : 1000051315
  • Pages : 426 pages

Download or read book Nature Inside written by William D. Browning and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-10-09 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by a leading proponent of biophilic design, this is the only practical guide to biophilic design principles for interior designers. Describing the key benefits, principles and processes of biophilic design, Nature Inside illustrates the implementation of biophilic design in interior design practice, across a range of international case studies – at different scales, and different typologies. Starting with the principles of biophilic design, and the principles and processes in practice, the book then showcases a variety of interior spaces – residential, retail, workplace, hospitality, education, healthcare and manufacturing. The final chapter looks ‘outside the walls’, giving a case study at the campus and city scale. With practical guidance and real-world solutions that can be directly-applied in day-to-day practice, this is a must-have for designers interested in applying biophilic principles.

Book Our Wild Calling

    Book Details:
  • Author : Richard Louv
  • Publisher : Algonquin Books
  • Release : 2020-11-10
  • ISBN : 1643750844
  • Pages : 337 pages

Download or read book Our Wild Calling written by Richard Louv and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A book that offers hope.” —The New York Times Book Review “A wondrous tapestry.” —Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel Audubon Medal winner Richard Louv’s landmark book Last Child in the Woods inspired an international movement to connect children and nature. Now he redefines the future of human-animal coexistence. In Our Wild Calling, Louv interviews researchers, theologians, wildlife experts, indigenous healers, psychologists, and others to show how people are connecting with animals in ancient and new ways, and how this serves as an antidote to the growing epidemic of human loneliness; how dogs can teach children ethical behavior; how animal-assisted therapy may yet transform the mental health field; and what role the human-animal relationship plays in our spiritual health. He reports on wildlife relocation and on how the growing populations of wild species in urban areas are blurring the lines between domestic and wild animals. Our Wild Calling makes the case for protecting, promoting, and creating a sustainable and shared habitat for all creatures—not out of fear, but out of love. Includes a new interview with the author, discussion questions, and a resource guide.

Book International Handbook of Forest Therapy

Download or read book International Handbook of Forest Therapy written by Dieter Kotte and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2019-10-16 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first International Handbook of Forest Therapy defines the scientific domain of this innovative, evidence-based and timely public health approach. More than 50 authors from around the world are brought together to offer their expertise and insights about forest therapy from a variety of research perspectives. The theoretical discussion of the effects related to the biophilia hypothesis presented here is complemented by research results compiled across the last three decades in the fields of forest medicine and biochemistry from Asia. The book also highlights the latest developments with regards to forest therapy in a number of different countries, ranging from China and Australia to Germany and Austria. The handbook constitutes a major milestone in research in this field. It sets the baseline for forest therapy to be implemented worldwide as a powerful and financially prudent public health practice.

Book A Handbook of Theories on Designing Alignment Between People and the Office Environment

Download or read book A Handbook of Theories on Designing Alignment Between People and the Office Environment written by Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-06-16 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although workplace design and management are gaining more and more attention from modern organizations, workplace research is still very fragmented and spread across multiple disciplines in academia. There are several books on the market related to workplaces, facility management (FM), and corporate real estate management (CREM) disciplines, but few open up a theoretical and practical discussion across multiple theories from different fields of studies. Therefore, workplace researchers are not aware of all the angles from which workplace management and effects of workplace design on employees has been or could be studied. A lot of knowledge is lost between disciplines, and sadly, many insights do not reach workplace managers in practice. Therefore, this new book series is started by associate professor Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek (Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands) and postdoc researcher Vitalija Danivska (Aalto University, Finland) as editors, published by Routledge. It is titled ‘Transdisciplinary Workplace Research and Management’ because it bundles important research insights from different disciplinary fields and shows its relevance for both academic workplace research and workplace management in practice. The books will address the complexity of the transdisciplinary angle necessary to solve ongoing workplace-related issues in practice, such as knowledge worker productivity, office use, and more strategic workplace management. In addition, the editors work towards further collaboration and integration of the necessary disciplines for further development of the workplace field in research and in practice. This book series is relevant for workplace experts both in academia and industry. This first book in the series focuses on the employee as a user of the work environment. The 21 theories discussed and applied to workplace design in this book address people’s ability to do their job and thrive in relation to the office workplace. Some focus more on explaining why people behave the way they do (the psychosocial environment), while others take the physical and/or digital workplace quality as a starting point to explain employee outcomes such as health, satisfaction, and performance. They all explain different aspects for achieving employee-workplace alignment (EWA) and thereby ensuring employee thriving. The final chapter describes a first step towards integrating these theories into an overall interdisciplinary framework for eventually developing a grand EWA theory. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003128830, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.