Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology

For class, I read Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology, by David Abram. I really didn't know what to think going in, other than disappointment that it would be nonfiction. At this point, I don't think I could dislike anything I read for this class, of course, since the stuff we discuss is so interesting.

Still, the style of Abram's writing caught me off-guard. He uses an objective, third-person voice mingled with subjective first-person and second-person. Basically, he uses everything he can to form a book that both teaches and engages the reader. After all, it would defeat the purpose if he only used the objective perspective on his subject matter.

The basic point behind the book is to show how our society has lost touch with its roots. In other words, we have wrongly separated ourselves from the Earth (or Eairth, as he calls it once--with "I" always in the midst of it, as well as to recognize the fact that "air" is a part of the planet). We have wrongly decided that we are above and separate form animals. Abram tries to bring us back to reality, pointing out the way this division started, and the way our culture maintains the lie. I don't want to get too far into the things he talks about, because there's just so much that I can't explain as well as he can...and because I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Now, it can be hard for people to take some of his claims seriously (such as the Gaia hypothesis, which he firmly believes in). But that's okay. When you read this book, just throw away all preconceptions and try to appreciate the things he's saying. It really is worth the read.

Rating: 8/10