Our Wild Calling by Richard Louv Summary
Overview of Our Wild Calling
In "Our Wild Calling," Richard Louv explores how human-animal connections can cure our epidemic of loneliness. Bill McKibben calls it "remarkable" for breaking our screen fixation. Could deepening relationships with wildlife - from urban foxes to household pets - be our path to healing?
Similar books to Our Wild Calling
Feel the book through the author's voice
Turn knowledge into engaging, example-rich insights
Capture key ideas in a flash for fast learning
Enjoy the book in a fun and engaging way
Key takeaways
When the World Went Silent: Rediscovering Our Animal Kin
A six-year-old boy once told his mother that his heart lived inside their golden retriever, Jack. Not metaphorically-literally. He believed his heart had moved from his chest into the dog's body, beating there alongside Jack's own. Most adults would dismiss this as childish confusion, but what if this boy understood something we've forgotten? What if the boundary between ourselves and other creatures is far more permeable than we've been taught to believe? We're living through what health officials now call an epidemic of loneliness. Americans have fewer close friends than previous generations, and chronic isolation rivals obesity as a mortality risk. But there's another kind of loneliness we rarely name: species loneliness. It's the gnawing fear that we're utterly alone in the universe, separated not just from each other but from the millions of other conscious beings sharing this planet. We've become so absorbed in our digital devices and climate-controlled bubbles that we've lost the ancient intimacy our ancestors shared with the living world. Yet something remarkable is happening-wild animals are returning to our cities in unprecedented numbers, and a new generation of scientists is discovering that other creatures possess far more intelligence, emotion, and self-awareness than we ever imagined. The question isn't whether we can reconnect with our animal kin. It's whether we're brave enough to let them change us.
The Habitat Between: Where Hearts Meet Across Species
The Octopus Who Bent Time: When Wonder Stops the Clock
The Language Older Than Words: Earth's Communication Network
More Than Pets, More Than Wild: Co-Becoming with Our Animal Kin
Cities as Ecosystems: Building the Age of Connectedness
The Ancient Future: Reclaiming Kinship in a Lonely World
Quick Summary Mode - Read or listen to Our Wild Calling Summary in 10 Minutes
Break down key ideas from Our Wild Calling into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.
Flash Card Mode - Top 9 Insights from Our Wild Calling in a Nutshell
Distill Our Wild Calling into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight Pixar’s principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.
Fun Mode - Our Wild Calling Lessons Told Through 24-Min Stories
Experience Our Wild Calling through vivid storytelling that turns Pixar’s innovation lessons into moments you’ll remember and apply.
Personalize Mode - Read or listen to Our Wild Calling Summary in 0 Minutes
Ask anything, pick the voice, and co-create insights that truly resonate with you.
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"
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"
Get the Our Wild Calling summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.