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Robert Macfarlane - endangered natural language

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 steveriley 10 Oct 2017
Just been on Word of Mouth: 'The writer Robert Macfarlane (author of Landmarks, The Old Ways, The Wild Places and Mountains of the Mind) believes that the language we use to talk about nature is itself at risk of becoming an endangered species.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09794s4

Really nice & engaging radio voice. Pulled the rug right out from under my preconceptions - I found Mountains of the Mind a bit hard work.
 nufkin 10 Oct 2017
In reply to steveriley:

> I found Mountains of the Mind a bit hard work

I think everyone I know who's read it did
2
estivoautumnal 10 Oct 2017
In reply to steveriley:

Mountains of the mind hard work? Really? It's such an accesible read I struggle to believe that. It's by far and away his most accessible book. I've given it to 2 non climbers as a present and they have both loved it. It's one of my favourite 'mountain' books.
 coldfell 11 Oct 2017
In reply to steveriley:

Thanks for the link Steve, wonderful radio - I find myself still rolling the words around my head.
I felt compelled to read "Mountains of the Mind" twice and loved it, made more sense second time around. "The Old Ways" I am struggling with, but wonder if this is more to do with filling my spare time surfing the internet
Dorine
OP steveriley 11 Oct 2017
In reply to estivoautumnal:

I did find it a bit ponderous yes and more impressed by the research that drove it, rather than moved. It's been a while though. Happy to hear otherwise - and this is why the radio program came as such a nice surprise - an engaging and warm speaker. Maybe I'll give the book another peek.
 Robert Durran 11 Oct 2017
In reply to steveriley:

Mountains of The Mind does seem to split opinion (I'm in the "slightly tired rehash" camp) .
On the other hand I though The Wild Places was wonderful - one of the books which has influenced me most.
estivoautumnal 11 Oct 2017
In reply to steveriley:

Thanks for the R4 link. Wonderful.
 Siward 11 Oct 2017
In reply to Robert Durran:

Slightly tired rehash yes, but accessible and readable too...
 Glyno 13 Oct 2017
In reply to steveriley:

>I found Mountains of the Mind a bit hard work.

I've tried about 3 times (unsuccessfully) to read MotM, I'm resigned to defeat.
The Old Ways - a tad pretentious?

I loved The Wild Places though.
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