Good Nature

‘Should be mandatory reading … A superb book’ CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN
‘Fascinating, comprehensive and highly convincing’ OBSERVER
‘I defy anyone to read this book and not embrace a life with plants!’ ISABELLA TREE

We know the benefits of eating your greens, or getting your ‘five a day’. But what about the other ways that nature can help us lead healthier – and happier – lives?

In this revolutionary book, Professor Kathy Willis reveals the surprising science behind the natural world and how we can harness its benefits to improve our health: whether it’s gardening with your bare hands to boost your gut microbiome; letting the scent of roses make you a calmer and safer driver; or tuning into birdsong to help reduce stress, and even pain.

With applications for everything from which way we walk to work to choosing where our kids go to school, Good Nature brings the latest scientific research into our homes and workplaces, showing us how we can have better, happier, healthier and longer lives.

Author Biography

Katherine Willis CBE is Professor of Biodiversity in the Department of Biology and the Principal of St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. She is also a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. Previous roles include Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a member of the UK Government’s Natural Capital Committee. She has extensive broadcast experience and, in 2015, Kathy was awarded the Michael Faraday Medal for public communication of science from the Royal Society.