Kathy Willis

Good Nature

‘This lucid and entertaining book presents compelling scientific evidence that proves what many of us have perhaps long suspected: nature is really good for us. I found it revelatory’ Richard Deverell, Director of Kew A revolutionary, science-based look at the ways nature can help make us healthier. Fifteen years ago, University of Oxford Professor Kathy Willis read a study that radically changed her view of our relationship to the natural world. The study revealed that hospital patients recovering from surgery improved three times faster when they looked out of their windows at trees rather than seeing walls. Since then, she has dedicated her research to proving this link between the amount of green space in our lives and our better health, mood and longevity. For the first time ever, Good Nature brings together these recent scientific findings and shares the simple changes we can all make in our lives. The book is full of surprising and practical ways that nature can improve our lives, such as: did you know that cedar enhances cancer-fighting cells in our immune system? Or that touching wood makes us feel calmer (the woodier, the knot-ier, the better)? Or that the scent of roses helps people drive more calmly and safely? Even having a pot plant by your desk can make a difference. A book with applications to everything from which way we walk to work to choosing where our kids should go to school, Good Nature brings the latest scientific research into our homes and workplaces. It shows how nature can help reduce the costs of healthcare and how, by bringing nature into our towns and cities, we can create a better, happier and healthier environment for all.