This book aims to describe humanity's relations with nature, animals and places. The 16 essays are organised into 5 parts: Green Places, Animals and Us, Food and the Land, People and the Land, and The Future. Other than some black and white photographs at the beginning of each chapter, there are no illustrations, graphs or figures. In the first part there is some discussion of how modern civilization is being threatened by over-consumption, followed by the idea that engaging with nature in all its forms improves our well-being. The second part describes our relations with a range of animals, both wild and domestic. In ‘Food and the Land’ the author debates the relationship between diet, obesity and ill health. This part also includes an essay on how productivity has been improved in small farms across India, Kenya and West Africa. In the essay entitled ‘Rewilding Agriculture”, ideas for bringing about the greater integration of agriculture and wildlife are presented. The fourth part deals largely with the forced removal of people from their ancestral lands. Examples given include Chernobyl after the nuclear accident and the Scottish clearances. The fifth and final part starts with a discussion of the role of genes in the environment and concludes with an essay which considers the possibility for ecological recovery. This book is very readable, with a wide range of personal anecdotes and observations. There are extensive annotations on each chapter at the end of the book and a comprehensive list of literary references.