Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: October 19, 2021
Source: Print – ARC Paperback via Celadon Books / Audio – Borrowed via library
Summary:
In a world that seems so troubled, how do we hold on to hope?
Looking at the headlines–a global pandemic, the worsening climate crisis, political upheaval–it can be hard to feel optimistic. And yet hope has never been more desperately needed.
In this urgent book, Jane Goodall, the world’s most famous living naturalist and Doug Abrams, internationally-bestselling author, explore–through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue–one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope. In The Book of Hope, Jane focuses on her “Four Reasons for Hope”: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit.
Told through stories from a remarkable career and fascinating research, The Book of Hope touches on vital questions including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? Filled with engaging dialogue and pictures from Jane’s storied career, The Book of Hope is a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in today’s world.
And for the first time, Jane tells the story of how she became a messenger of hope: from living through World War II, to her years in Gombe, to realizing she had to leave the forest to travel the world in her role as an advocate for environmental justice. She details the forces that shaped her hopeful worldview, her thoughts on her past, and her revelations about her next–and perhaps final–adventure.
There is still hope, and this book will help guide us to it.
My thoughts/audio thoughts mixed in:
As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it and when I saw that it was narrated by Jane and Doug, I knew that this was going to be one that would be best listened to. Listening to this one was like eavesdropping on two friends having a conversation…and I have to say, what a fantastic conversation to listen to.
Let’s be honest, this past year and a half has been tough and I think many of us have been holding on to the idea that we “hope” things will eventually return to some type of normalcy. So of course, I gravitated towards this book that explores the vast idea of “hope.”
I loved this book and all the many ideas that Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams discussed. I also liked the way it was presented, as a conversation between two long-time friends. The conversation was driven by the idea of hope – what it is and how it drives us. And being able to listen to these two was just amazing – it really did feel like I was sitting right next to them as they had a chat.
I didn’t really know much about Jane other than her work with the chimpanzees, so it was fascinating hearing her talk about all the many different areas she has had her hand in – all her personal anecdotes really bring this book to life. These are the stories that continue to inspire her and drive her to continue to have hope. The ones that particularly stood out to me were the Survivor tree that survived the 9/11 attack and the two Chinese men that planted more than ten thousand trees despite the fact that one was blind and one was armless.
I really cannot think of a more timely book to read at this moment than this book. I know it’s one I’m going to keep on my nightstand so I can reread when I need to be reminded of the messages contained within. I also plan to pick up the other book in this series, The Book of Joy, which is a conversation with the Dalai Lama and Desmund Tutu, as well as some of Jane’s other books.
