Praise

“Touching Nature” is the debut book by my good friend Kamal Advani. Many, if not most, know him as a software developer, and we actually met through our activities in this field. However, we have always had the affinity to more subtle things with deeper meanings, him mostly through martial arts. Therefore, when he published this book, it came as no surprise to me—a former martial arts practitioner.

What you can expect from this book: poetry (on the topic of nature) and more importantly, what we can learn from the nature. Since I have special fondness of beaches and water, I take as example the chapters of “Water” and “The Beach”. In the former, Kamal discusses the flowing property of the water as something to learn about being reasonable and adaptable. On the other hand, water can also be stagnant, and that’s akin to being inert, not willing to improve. In the latter, he discusses a parallel between the Mother Earth and the human body.

I believe you would appreciate the simple structure of the book, and what stands out from this book is that it reflects Kamal’s putting a restraint on himself—there’s an evident emphasis on getting points across through terseness without being overly brief. Reading this book would be beneficial for you. Do yourself a favour: buy a copy.

— Ade Ishs | Ade Ishs Music

I found this book to be a great mix of topics on nature and life. It refreshes our mind, and provides a sense of thankfulness as you look and ponder upon nature. On reading this, I know which element is lacking in me and how to bring it into balance. You also gain a better appreciation of nature — how a simple lotus flower can bloom beneath the swamp. There's also some humour to be found in the book!

— Ka Ming Hioe | Jakarta, Indonesia

I don't usually read these books, I'm a fairly pragmatic person and I was suspicious that I would find the contents too spiritual, enigmatic or just plain fluffy.

Instead I found it insightful and full of interesting analogies that I hadn't really considered before, connections with nature that I hadn't seen.

You get a strong sense of Kamal's appreciation of nature; his mindfulness and his peacefulness after reading this book, and it's contagious. Makes me want to take a quiet walk through one of our local rain-forests.

— Mike Farah | Goodreads Review

I have the privilege of knowing the author and having him as a friend in this life. I am not one to read self-help books or sanctimonious authors, but I do read musings and poetry, and I really enjoyed these in the book. My favourite is Night Sky as it is the one that resonated with me the most.

As for preachy, which is mentioned by the author as a preconception people might have about the book, it is far from it.

This is a book that you would want to read again and you would want it to sit with you for a while after having read it, as it is doing with me now.

— Supi Ghansham | Goodreads Review