"To most of us there have come exceptional, unworldly moments, like unsuspected deeps in a stream, when we fell through appearances - fell through ourselves - into an intuition of majesty and wonder." - Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano in Landscapes of Wonder Landscapes of Wonder deftly transports the spirit of Buddhist contemplation off the cushion and into the natural world. With a lyricism and spiritual immediacy reminiscent of Thoreau and Emerson, in eighteen meditational essays Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano considers Buddhist themes through the prism of nature. The reflections captured in these satisfying literary explorations will appeal to all who appreciate contemplation of the natural world and our place in it.

The technology boom of recent years has given kids numerous reasons to stay inside and play, while parents' increasing safety concerns make it tempting to keep children close to home. But what is being lost as fewer kids spend their free time outdoors? Deprived of meaningful contact with nature, children often fail to develop a significant relationship with the natural world, much less a sense of reverence and respect for the world outside their doors. A Natural Sense of Wonder is one father's attempt to seek alternatives to the "flickering waves of TV and the electrifying boing of video games" and get kids outside and into nature. In the spirit of Rachel Carson's The Sense of Wonder, Rick Van Noy journeys out of his suburban home with his children and describes the pleasures of walking in a creek, digging for salamanders, and learning to appreciate vultures. Through these and other "walks to school," the Van Noys discover what lives nearby, what nature has to teach, and why this matters. From the backyard to the hiking trail, in a tide pool and a tree house, in the wild and in town, these narrative essays explore the terrain of childhood threatened by the lure of computers and television, by fear and the loss of play habitat, showing how kids thrive in their special places. In chronicling one parent's determination (and at times frustration) to get his kids outside, A Natural Sense of Wonder suggests ways kids both young and old can experience the wonder found only in the natural world.

What happens when a field guide includes the human heart and mind as an essential part of the Place? Like any good wander, `A Place-Based Guide to Wonder¿ roams through many different landscapes: from earth living skills to the leading edges of psychology, from personal reflections to revelations of the brilliance of other life forms. Sometimes serving as a practical guide. Sometimes providing a good story to help fertilize the soil of our beings. We wonder together about the vast potentials of being human with our Place. Together, we enter into the uncharted wilderness of how and who we could be. But through it all, we remain steadfast in grounding ourselves in some very earthy concerns, and we make sure that the most sacred and mysterious edges of our explorations can find their place on the tough, rocky sphere of the mundane.

A brilliant photographic account of the wonders of nature details the splendor, magic, and subtle, spiritual beauty of earthly creations and features sections accompanied by literary samplings from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rachel Carson, Annie Dillard, and other notable writers.

Through the union of landscape architecture and environmental installation comes four projects commissioned by the architecture department at the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco. The only curatorial guideline given to each architect was to explore the edges of the urban landscape through designated site-specific projects. From this unique challenge comes the documentation of these innovative public projects. Featured landscape architects include Kathryn Gustafson, Margraves Associates, Hood Design and Tom Leader Studio.

Exhibition held at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 13 November 2001 to 3 February 2002.

First published a half-century ago, Rachel Carson's award-winning The Sense of Wonder remains the classic guide to introducing children to the marvels of nature In 1955, acclaimed conservationist Rachel Carson—author of Silent Spring—began work on an essay that she would come to consider one of her life’s most important projects. Her grandnephew, Roger Christie, had visited Carson that summer at her cottage in Maine, and together they had wandered the surrounding woods and tide pools. Teaching Roger about the natural wonders around them, Carson began to see them anew herself, and wanted to relate that same magical feeling to others who might hope to introduce a child to the beauty of nature. “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder,” writes Carson, “he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” Now available in paperback, The Sense of Wonder is a timeless volume that will be passed on from generation to generation, as treasured as the memory of an early-morning walk when the song of a whippoorwill was heard as if for the first time. Featuring serene color photographs from renowned photographer Nick Kelsh, “this beautifully illustrated edition makes a fine gift for new and prospective mothers and fathers” (Gregory McNamee), and helps us all to tap into the extraordinary power of the natural world.