Books in Nature Series series

This spectacular board book unfolds to give a panoramic view of the ocean. The meticulously detailed paintings bring to life the animals and plants that thrive along the ocean's shores and swim within its mysterious waters. Armored lobsters, sprightly dolphins, prickly urchins, flying fish, clumsy puffins, and squawking sea gulls are just a few of the exciting and unique marine life forms revealed in the rolling panels of this majestic deep blue sea. The animals and plants are accurately labeled throughout, making this a delightful decoration that will appeal to any budding naturalist.

The roots of the Transcendentalism movement reach deep and wide. With this essay, Ralph Waldo Emerson combines elements from European Romanticism, ancient Indian religions, and the more recent Unitarian thought into a uniquely American philosophy based on an ideal relationship between mankind and nature. “Let us inquire,” he states in his Introduction, “to what end is nature?” He identifies four “uses”: Commodity—the functional benefits we derive from nature: Beauty—the sensual delights it brings; Language—words, all of which trace their genesis to some aspect of nature; and Discipline—the truth and permanence of natural order. The concluding chapters are entitled “Idealism,” “Spirit,” and “Prospects.” Emerson extends his inquiry beyond the uses of nature into its connection—and our ability to make a connection with—God. He continues by exploring the prospects of taking a spiritual approach to nature. Doing so, he suggests will enable us to gain insights that may be more broad and valuable than those gained from a more fragmented scientific process. Emerson’s essay had lasting influence, especially for New England writers, such as Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau and among contemporary and later intellectuals who embraced the concept and the name of Transcendentalism.