Au Natural: Ruminations on Nature

Au Natural is a collection of essays by Lucille Bertuccio, long-time president and co-founder of The Center for Sustainable Living based in Bloomington Indiana. These essays focus not only on the beauty and diversity of the Earth as expressed locally by its myriad flora and fauna but also on living sustainably to protect this planet and its creatures. While reflecting on the lives of insects, birds, and bats these stories also play the role of cautionary tales calling on us to change our behavior. Included are paeans to earth, air, water, and fire, the "elements" necessary to life on Earth, which modern humans have (for the most part) ignored, damaged, and devastated. Beyond this idealistic view of the potential of living in harmony with the Earth, Ms. Bertuccio's essays invite us to open ourselves to the potentialities within ourselves by seeing the broad range and scope of life on this planet.