Philosophy in the Garden

‘This is a gardening book that takes readers not on a walk around great estates but on a tour of great minds … It's a lovely extension on the notion that gardens make you contemplative and in working with the soil you see life's big picture.’ * The Daily Telegraph * ‘Erudite, yet witty and accessible, [Philosophy in the Garden] is intellectual history at its most completely pleasurable.’ * Oliver Burkeman, author of The Antidote * ‘[S]prightly and stimulating.’ * The Spectator * ‘Like a garden coming into spring … tremendous vistas of thought.’ * The Daily Telegraph * ‘A gentle dig for ideas about how to live — this book will grow your mind and put a glow in your cheeks.’ * Deborah Levy, author of Swimming Home * ‘A brilliant philosophical and literary meditation that helps us rethink our relationship with the natural world – and with ourselves.’ * Roman Krznaric, author of Empathy * ‘Young writes with a delightful combination of humour and insight.’ * The Literary Review * ‘[T]hought-provoking … fine book.’ * Gardens Illustrated * ‘[T]hought provoking indeed.’ * The Good Book Guide * ‘I've been looking forward to Damon Young’s [Philosophy in the Garden] … all year. Part philosophy lesson, part literary companion, it's a contemplative stroll through writers' relationships with their gardens.’ * Charlotte Wood, author of Animal People * ‘I found it utterly engaging and most illuminating. His style is very readable and full of wit and personality.’ * Kate Forsyth, author of The Wild Girl * ‘This beautiful looking book is a wonderfully refreshing mix of literary gossip, historical exposition and philosophical reflection, and I never wanted it to end.’ -- Walter Mason, author of Destination Saigon ‘Young is an engaging writer. His technique is fluent and stylish and never marred by cliches or cliched thinking. He is sincere, a great relief from the ocean of irony in which we live, and intellectually questing, a relief from that other ocean of schmaltzy platitude.’ * The Australian * ‘Reading this book is like strolling in a luxuriant garden with an erudite friend, although one of a literary rather than horticultural bent … Think of this engaging little book … as a philosophical primer, an approachable introduction to ideas about gardens and the natural world.’ * The Age * ‘[Philosophy in the Garden] is a stimulating read where individual truths may well bloom … [T]his volume is packed with brilliant literary info.’ * The West Australian * ‘[M]ore my kind of ‘gardening’ than the digging type … Particularly interesting is his account of Jane Austen’s creative relationship with her Hampshire gardens.’ * The Lady * ‘Young helps readers reflect on the value of the garden beyond a place to hold a backyard barbecue … [He] writes engagingly, showing off his skills as a storyteller … [A]n intriguing little book.’ * Weekly Times * ‘[T]ake the plunge: the writing is fresh, the observations discursive, and the garden … placed front and centre.’ * Australian Garden History * ‘[T]houghtful and highly entertaining.’ * Limelight * ‘Young has managed the difficult task of creating an academically rigorous work while maintaining a light and engaging tone throughout the book, which is actually a highly intellectual look at the complex relationship between humanity and nature.’ * Voice * ‘[W]ith his vivid, critical, and, sometimes loving, attention to detail, he brings to new life writers and philosophers that anyone with a liberal arts education thought they already knew … Young's enthusiasm, compassion, and moments of personal insight are infectious.’ * Island * ‘An absolute joy of a book — I couldn't put it down. Its prose is as careful and lovely as a beautifully tended garden.’ -- Nikki Gemmell, columnist for The Australian and author of Honestly ‘[A] fascinating journey through the lives and creativity of writers … It is an intimate, charming book.’ * Sensibilities: The Journal of the Jane Austen Society of Australia * ‘[L]ucid and entertaining … an enjoyable and erudite addition to a burgeoning literature.’ -- David E. Cooper * Los Angeles Review of Books * ‘[F]or readers drawn to learning about the millennia-old tradition of teaching, writing, and thinking in the outdoors, this pithy offering will more than satisfy.’ * Publishers Weekly *