Astonished by Beauty : A Field Guide to the Practice of Paying Attention

An invitation to slow down, experience the world, and connect with nature through mindfulness.

“An inspiration and an ode to the natural world.”
—MICHAELA CARTER, Peregrine Book Company

What happens when we truly pay attention to the natural world? Through a series of brief, intimate stories from the Alaskan Arctic to the Amazon, Thomas Lowe Fleischner reveals how both easy and meaningful it is to deepen our connection with the Earth and its creatures. Readers are invited to learn how to look closely, see clearly, and feel deeply the living world around them, while recognizing the vital link between our well-being and the health of the planet. Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture this bond, the book is part reflection, part field guide, a call to a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us.

THOMAS LOWE FLEISCHNER, a naturalist and conservation biologist, is a leading voice advocating for the importance and rejuvenation of natural history. He is the author of numerous articles and professional papers and author or editor of four books, including The Way of Natural History, and Nature, Love, Medicine: Essays On Wildness and Wellness. He was the founding director of the Natural History Institute and is Faculty Emeritus at Prescott College. He has led and coordinated efforts to recognize the high biodiversity values of the Mogollon Highlands Ecoregion of the American Southwest. He lives in Prescott, Arizona.