Wow! eBook
The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature’s Clues
Author(s): Tristan Gooley (Author)
- Publisher: The Experiment
- Publication Date: October 21, 2025
- Language: English
- Print length: 384 pages
- ISBN-10: B0DSZ8CR84
- ISBN-13: 9798893030105
Book Description
“The Sherlock Holmes of Nature.”―BBC
From the New York Times–bestselling author of The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Learn to spot the endlessly unfolding clues and signs that reveal the hidden ways nature changes every day of the year
“Gooley preaches attention to common patterns in nature like a sommelier describing wine―the shadows cast by the sun here, the tree angled there, the moss greener on this side of the rock.”―The New York Times
“One of the most skilled navigators on the planet.”―Smithsonian
We all notice the flowers of spring, longer days of summer, colors of autumn, and snowfalls of winter. But have you observed the way that water tends to run clearest in June? Did you know that at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, you can find Sirius due south in the night sky? And have you seen the poetic “shadow compasses” butterflies make on the hottest days, as they align their wings with the sun, their thin shadows pointing the way north?
The sun, moon, stars, plants, fungi, animals, water, and weather all tell us secrets about the seasons―if we know how to read their clues. In this sense-awakening book, New York Times–bestselling author Tristan Gooley reimagines the seasonal calendar not as four distinct phases but as a series of changes evolving moment by moment every day of the year. Each granular shift is an extraordinary microseason you won’t want to miss. It’s time to get out there and explore―the seasons will never look, sound, or smell the same again.
B&W illustrations throughout
Editorial Reviews
Review
One of Barnes & Noble’s 12 Best Gift Books of 2025
“Gooley preaches attention to common patterns in nature like a sommelier describing wine―the shadows cast by the sun here, the tree angled there, the moss greener on this side of the rock. As part of that work he has invented, or perhaps reinvented, a couple of wayfinding methods.”
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“One of the most skilled navigators on the planet. . . . Tristan Gooley helps millions of followers read nature’s clues to find their way back home.”
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“An inviting journey with a generous guide.”
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“In a clear, straightforward style peppered with mnemonic devices and wry humor, Gooley encourages readers to tune and retune their senses. Readers walking through the year with Gooley will be inspired to pay more attention to their own environments and the subtle delights of each season.”
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“Acclaim for Tristan Gooley
“Gooley interprets clues like a private investigator of the wilds, leaving no stone unturned. . . . For those inclined to solve mysteries written into the landscape, this author’s lead is one they’ll want to follow.”
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“The Sherlock Holmes of Nature”
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“[Gooley] has become the global expert on natural navigation, finding his way around the world using nothing but natural clues and pointers. His discovery (made on a sailing expedition to Iceland)―that if, when at sea, you see more than 10 birds in any given five-minute window, this means you are within 40miles of land―has become part of the British military’s survival guidance.”
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“Gooley is your man. . . . With unflappable practicality, he shares simple ways to understand your surroundings, whether you’re beside a stream or on the open sea at night, without instruments.”
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“While Gooley’s tips encompass useful, practical ways to predict a change in weather, determine when a predator may be prowling and find true North at night, his true gift is in igniting curiosity and wonder about the world around us.”
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“Avid and budding outdoorspeople will appreciate Gooley’s breadth of knowledge and accessible approach.”
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“Gooley, who has single-handedly been reviving natural navigation in this age of GPS, has the birdwatching skills of Bill Oddie and the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes. He can make you feel that you’ve spent half your life walking about with your eyes only half-open.”
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“Most of us have lost our way in nature at one time or another. . . . Gooley can you lead you back to nature if you’re willing to invest the time.”
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“Gooley’s calm, contemplative authority on matters solar, lunar, and celestial establishes his guru credentials―but it’s his revelations about the clues that lie scattered about the natural environment that really entrance: how puddles drying on paths, the shapes of sand dunes, the graininess of scree on the lee of a slope can all be enlisted to summon compass points to your horizon.”
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