108. Why We Need to Be Wild with Jessica Carew Kraft

“Why would anyone want to learn the wild skills of our ancient ancestors today, when our lives are full of advanced technologies, quick conveniences, and the joys of instant communication? What could their Paleolithic wisdom have to offer us when a blockchain digital utopia is on our horizon?”

That is the opening paragraph of the book Why We Need to be Wild: One Woman’s Quest for Ancient Human Answers to 21st Century Problems and are the questions that author Jessica Carew Kraft sets out to answer during a five-year research project.

While we can’t cover the entire book in one podcast episode, in episode 108 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, I sat down to chat with Jessica about her book process, what inspired her research, and how we can aspire to rewild in our own lives.

Jessica is an independent journalist trained in anthropology. She holds degrees from the University of London, Yale University, and Swarthmore College. Her reporting on health, culture, tech, and education has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle, Politico, NBC News, KQED, and many other outlets. In mid-life, she became a naturalist and wild food forager. Formerly residing in Berkeley, she now lives with her partner, two daughters, and like-minded neighbors of various species in the forest of the Sierra Foothills.

INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

ORDER THE BOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

VENMO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@OutdoorMinimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Jessica Carew Kraft

Why We Need to Be Wild: https://www.jessicacarewkraft.com/book

Medium: https://medium.com/@writingkraft

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyweneedtobewild

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacarewkraft/

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