Episode 15 - Tracking and Animism

In this major work of ecological philosophy, David Abram draws on diverse sources including the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Balinese shamanism, Apache storytelling, and his own experience as a magician to reveal the intricate relationship between human perception and the natural world. The book delves into the character of perception and the sensual foundations of language, highlighting how even abstract language echoes the natural world. Abram argues that humans have severed their ancient reciprocity with nature and explores what it would take to recover a sustaining relation with the earth.

The Tracker is a powerful memoir that recounts Tom Brown Jr.'s journey in learning the skills of tracking and wilderness survival. The story begins with Brown's chance meeting with Stalking Wolf, an Apache elder, at the age of seven. Over the next ten years, Brown and his childhood friend Rick were trained by Stalking Wolf in the ways of nature. The book follows Brown's transition to manhood, his discovery of his life's purpose, and his eventual career as a full-time tracker, working with law enforcement and establishing the Tom Brown Jr. Tracker School in New Jersey. The narrative is filled with adventure, suspense, and lessons about living in harmony with nature.