This One Wild and Precious Life

I truly love the way that Sarah Wilson writes, she gives you all the information without it feeling like it’s overkill.
Her latest is very timely, and quite honestly can be overwhelming in places. But this book is quite important

This isn't necessarily an easy book to review. Disclaimer, I love Sarah Wilson and have since her Cosmo days. Everything that she has dabbled in or lent her name to, I have paid attention. I did her IQS program 4 times and learnt a remarkable amount about food and the way the body consumes it. I have read FWMTBB and both thoroughly enjoyed it and related to it. I love watching her be interviewed and the way that she interacts when she is being interviewed. So I come to this book whilst not quite a flailing fan girl, definitely an ardent supporter.

The first half of this book had me figuratively screaming YES from the rooftops and highlighting an obscene number of relevant and captivating lines throughout. Eg., "We are communal beings. We need to belong to a tribe to survive and thrive. Yet we are also inherently selfish. And we tend to veer towards rampant self-interest if given a fifth of a rampant chance. Albeit it to survive and thrive." (p.59) Wilson deep dives into COVID-19, the impact it's had on us both individually and as a society. Going further, she expands into why so many of us are in despair, seeking connection yet being incredibly disconnected at the same time, and what has broken our tether to society and community. So much of what Wilson discusses rings entirely true. She is able to articulate everything I've been feeling internally and struggling to express to both myself and the people around me. I could re-read the beginning third of this book everyday and feel a sense of camaraderie in truly knowing I'm not alone.

Wilson shares her vulnerability and writes about her attempts to become a mother which she has also discussed previously. These moments were incredibly raw and personal. I loved these personal interludes in the books as well as the sub-chapters about her various hiking journeys and anecdotes. How her hiking helped her deconstruct her grief after the loss of her pregnancy was an incredibly powerful moment in this book.

The second half of the book lost a little of its relevance and shine. It seemed to be slightly too long, became a little repetitive and as someone that has been on the SW bandwagon for many years, it was a lot of information that she'd discussed in other works. I think there may be a few people that would find the second half of the book to be 'preachy' although I don't necessarily agree that it is. Wilson notes numerous times to remind us that she's not perfect, that she's a white woman living a life with immense privilege and that she's acutely aware that what works for some doesn't work for others. She's put an extreme amount of effort into her writing to not come across as judgmental of others and their choices, however you can't control the way that people react to your writing or your privilege. I think she makes it clear that this is what works for her, maybe it'll work for you too, but maybe it won't and that's okay, here are some suggestions on how to forge your own path. There's definitely lots of different facets to this book and you may relate to some more than others.

If you're interested in seeking connection to humanity, the environment or both, I would strongly recommend reading this. If you're interested in the breakdown, anger and hopelessness amidst our societies, give this book a go. There may be parts of the book you relate to more strongly than others, but I still believe it's a relevant and rewarding read.

This was just what I needed to sort through the mind-guff reinforced by the pandemic and other uncertainties in the world at the moment. Sarah's new book is a sort-of self-help guide, a bit of a travel guide, a guide to aspects minimalism and waste reduction, and also provides on-the-ground reporting on the benefits of travel and solitude from all across the globe. I closed this book feeling hopeful about the future with new ideas for self-care, personal growth, and efforts to become more environmentally mindful. Sarah is forthright and honest; she digs into some heavy themes here and discusses their impacts on her decisions and her worldview. The great thing about this book, too, is that there's room for discourse and disagreement on the path to finding out what works for you. I really enjoyed it. It also makes an excellent gift for friends and family experiencing that same mind-guff. A curious and calm perspective.