Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places

Sustainable development, environmental economics, etc., are some topics, amongst many others (e.g., insurance, macroeconomics, etc.), which can be used for killing insomnia (even the medically induced ones). Considering this, I was initially a bit skeptical about reading (or listening to) this book, which came as a must-read recommendation. However, upon overcoming my hesitation and going through the book, I think it was definitely worth the read (or in my case, it was definitely worth listening to).

Now, as to what makes it worthwhile: To begin with, this book lightly touches on everything from a brief introduction to the idea of environmental economics by explaining the cost of cutting down ecosystems like mangroves to make space for human occupation and the cost needed to replace this natural barrier through artificial constructions (like a seawall) in the case of a cyclone, to the origin of the study of ecology, the TEEB project, amongst many other topics. Though it sounds exactly like some of the aforementioned insomnia-killing topics, the way the author has approached them is by blending them into his personal experiences and stories, which include his joy of discovering butterflies being attracted to the Buddleja (also known as the Butterfly Bush), his sadness and his coping mechanism to deal with the sudden departure of his mother, his excitement as a teenager for getting a pair of binoculars for observing birds, amongst many other events.

It is a story of tragedy, joy, love, and nature, and that is what makes it fulfilling and worthwhile. On top of it, Gordon Griffin has made this book absolutely enthralling.

NOTE: I'm currently in the second chapter, but I'm already hooked.

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