Nature and Existence
by Walt McLaughlin
Wood Thrush Books, 2025. 2nd Edition
121 pages, paperback
ISBN 979-8-9881716-5-2
This set of short, interlocking essays outlines a worldview based upon personal experiences in the wild as well as scientific facts. God, nature and human nature all loom large here. The author probes the limits of understanding and the mysteries of the wild while pondering an expanding universe, the emergence of life, what makes us human, the rise of civilization, and humankind’s impact upon the planet. The result is a glimpse into the strange and paradoxical realm of What-Is.
McLaughlin is a philosopher with a hiking stick, a mystic with his feet firmly planted on the ground, a realist with his head in the cosmos. He often engages in speculative thought while tramping through deep woods and other places where few people go.