Friday 29 March 2013

Artful Readers Club March ~ Sophie

 My March book for the Artful Readers Club is 'Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking, 17 Years of  Silence'  by John Francis Ph.D. 

I came across this book after following a link to a TED talk by John Francis and have been wanting to read it ever since.  Here is the summary from the back cover,

'In 1971 an oil spill in San Francisco Bay changed John Francis's life forever.  Helping to clean up wasn't enough; he sought a way to contribute to the health of our planet in a personal way.  The solution he came up with was unconventional and courageous - to give up the use of all motorised vehicles and walk everywhere. Several months later, he took a vow of silence, which elicited concern from family and friends for his sanity, but as his memoirs eloquently demonstrate, these were the first steps on a three-decade pilgrimage to wisdom.'

This book follows John's journey from the time of the oil spill until the early 90s and there is an epilogue about his walking and work since.  Along the way John plays the banjo, paints watercolours, learns to build boats and walks to the relevant places to get a degree, masters and Ph.D. What I enjoyed most about the book was John's interactions with others along his journey and how people responded, both positively and negatively to what he was doing.  I was really interested in the silence and how John communicated with others non-verbally.  Although there is a lot about human interaction in the book, there is also the opposite part which is about being on a solitary journey, literally and metaphorically, and about experiencing wilderness. 

For me, this was a great read. It cover a lot of areas of interest for me, environment, communication, nature, music, art, personal journey and human behaviour. I would definitely recommend this book as it is such an unusual and positive story.

Near the beginning of the book, when John has started painting, he discovers bamboo and paints quite a lot of it.  I loved how he suddenly noticed it was everywhere so I decided to do a simple watercolour bamboo for my artwork...

 

14 comments:

  1. How impressive. As someone who has gotten all those same degrees, I can't possibly imagine not speaking while presenting my master's thesis and doctoral dissertation, much less completing a required internship without speaking a word. Of course, I'm sure people born mute do it, so I suspect John found a way. I'm also an environmentalist, so this sounds like a great read.

    To make matters even more relevant, I planted bamboo in my back yard a few years ago, and it has practically taken over my yard. I adore how you captured the beauty of this invasive plant.

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  2. Simple watercolor bamboo? It looks pretty complicated to me!!! It's perfect! ♥

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  3. That's an absolutely lovely painting of bamboo and so beautifully composed and balanced. There is a lot of peacefulness in it, which seems to match the story.
    What a difficult road to tread! After reading your review, I am sure I would enjoy the book, but realistically I know that I have so many books already that it is unlikely I would get around to it. But your review has left enough impression for me to think about what he did and perhaps how he did it.

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  4. Gorgeous watercolour!!!...and I am intrigued by the book! How on earth does someone survive in this hyperactive noisy world without speaking? I can totally relate to why he chose to take up this path...but the how is beyond me :D XXX

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  5. How fascinating! I love bamboo, we have some in the livingroom. Fantastic watercolour, very dimensional.

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  6. It's absolutely mind boggling. As someone who likes the quiet and am totally comfortable being silent at home (much to my noisy middle daughters annoyance) I can't imagine how hard this journey must have been - he must constantly, at least in the beginning, have been badgered to talk. It sounds fascinating - one I think I will add to my 'to read' list.

    Your bamboo painting is gorgeous - so delicate and so strong at the same time.

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  7. Sounds like a really interesting book. Love your picture too, reflects it really well.

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  8. Thank you for the FABulous review...I will put Planetwalker on my must read list...It expresses many of my interests too...especially nature. Your Bamboo watercolor is so meditative and beautiful.

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  9. Beautiful water colour of the bamboo. Sounds like a fascinating read.
    Jen x

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  10. It sounds like a book that leaves the reader with a huge smile. And your water color is quite soothing, too ;-)

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  11. Your bamboo painting is wonderful and very peaceful looking. A fascinating read. Aren't people wonderful!?

    Janet xx

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  12. What an interesting book, he certainly sounds like a man who has a great story to tell. Love your bamboo water colour.

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  13. Your bamboo painting is BEAUTIFUL! and this sounds like a fascinating book about a very interesting man

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  14. Wow ... You describe your painting as simple .. I disagree ... It is stunningly beautiful! What a great creation!
    Catherine

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