Feral by George Monbiot Summary
Overview of Feral
Monbiot's "Feral" reimagines our relationship with nature through rewilding. Endorsed by Radiohead's Thom Yorke as "mind-opening," this revolutionary manifesto sparked the creation of Rewilding Britain charity. What if returning wolves and whales could save us from our ecological claustrophobia?
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Key takeaways
When the Wild Calls Back
Have you ever felt something essential is missing from modern life-a nagging emptiness despite comfort and safety? George Monbiot names this feeling "ecological boredom," and it drives everything from our obsession with phantom big cats to our fascination with fugitives hiding in the wilderness. We evolved for crisis and challenge, yet live in sanitized predictability. The solution isn't abandoning civilization but rewilding-allowing natural processes to resume in landscapes we've managed into sterility. This means reintroducing missing species, letting trees reclaim barren hills, and accepting that what we call "pristine countryside" might actually be ecological desert. Rewilding promises something radical: ecological change reversing direction, creating abundance instead of loss. It's about expanding human opportunities, not constraining them-offering new freedoms in self-willed lands where we might roam among species that once shaped our evolutionary history. The Cambrian Mountains stretch across 460 square miles of Wales, celebrated for their "unspoiled wilderness" and "utter solitude." Yet walking these treeless slopes reveals something disturbing: almost no life. The nibbled grassland contains just two flowering plants-purple moorgrass and tormentil, the only species sheep won't eat. No birds break the silence. The emptiness feels post-apocalyptic, like poisoned land.
The Lost Forests and Economics of Emptiness
Trees Return Without Permission
The Beaver Effect and Trophic Cascades
The Wolf at the Door and Europe's Rewilding Success
Breaking Free from the Conservation Prison
The Work of Hope
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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