The Natural Navigator – The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
By Tristan Gooley
The Experiment, LLC, 2012
307 pages, soft cover
Ever wonder what life was like before GPS, LORAN-C, LORAN-A? Before the chronometer or compass?
In his new book, The Natural Navigator, explorer and navigator Tristan Gooley shows us the way back to the true roots of navigation in the natural world that surrounds us. He brings navigation on land and sea back to the basics that guided our ancestors and unlocks the directional clues hidden in the sun, moon stars, and sea breeze.
On land, Gooley shows how in the Northern Hemisphere deciduous trees exhibit heavy growth on their southern side. He explains “check effect,” how when viewed from the west, Northern Hemisphere trees appear to have a check mark running through their branches. For mariners, he illustrates how reading the sea, its swells, color, and smells hold important clues as to our whereabouts.
Gooley is both knowledgeable and entertaining as he shares anecdotes, history and practical tips all aimed at knowing where you are by simply being conscious of the clues around you.
