Synopses & Reviews
In an eye-opening sequence of personal meditations through the cycle of seasons, Diane Ackerman awakens us to the world at dawn — drawing on sources as diverse as meteorology, world religion, etymology, art history, poetry, organic farming, and beekeeping.
As a patient and learned observer of animal and human physiology and behavior, she introduces us to varieties of bird music and other signs of avian intelligence, while she herself migrates from winter in Florida to spring, summer, and fall in upstate New York. Humans might luxuriate in the idea of being in nature, Ackerman points out, but we often forget that we are nature — for no facet of nature is as unlikely as we, the tiny bipeds with the giant dreams. Joining science's devotion to detail with religion's appreciation of the sublime, Dawn Light is an impassioned celebration of the miracles of evolution— especially human consciousness of our numbered days on a turning earth.
Review
"Cascading details, sensuous celebrations, and hard-won insights form a glorious spectrum...as Ackerman, fluent in both sorrow and joy, awakens a keen appreciation for the cycles and interconnectivity of life." Booklist
Review
"These pieces are accessible and lyrically written, and they flow well, one after another, making reading the book a true pleasure." Library Journal
Review
"Diane Ackerman wants us to slow down and pay attention.... It's easy to live in the moment when you're immersed in Ackerman's glorious prose, studded with arresting phrases and breathtakingly beautiful images." Washington Post
Synopsis
Humans might luxuriate in the idea of being in nature, Ackerman points out, but we often forget that we are nature for no facet of nature is as unlikely as we, the tiny bipeds with the giant dreams. Joining science s devotion to detail with religion s appreciation of the sublime, Dawn Light is an impassioned celebration of the miracles of evolution especially human consciousness of our numbered days on a turning earth. "
Synopsis
A celebrated storyteller-poet-naturalist explores a year of dawns in her most personal book to date.
About the Author
Poet, essayist, and naturalist, Diane Ackerman is the author of two dozen highly acclaimed works of nonfiction and poetry, including A Natural History of the Senses — a book beloved by millions of readers all over the world.