Reflections is two years old today

I know I’m a tad biased, but I do think this is a good book and it’s just as good to read now as it was two years ago on publication day.

The idea, launched in this book, of being a conservation investor rather than a ‘member’ or ‘supporter’ is a lasting one and many people have told me that they have followed the advice on reviewing their donations to environmental organisations and been more thoughtful and more selective.

What others have said (unsolicited emails to me):

• “… a terrific commentary on the key issues.  I felt you were persuasive in all your main conclusions and the combination of expert first hand experience, sharp analysis  and robust common sense suited the topics perfectly.”
• “I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book and that I will ask more, more often of my wildlife donation recipients.”
• “Well done!  I was particularly impressed (and depressed) by your thoughts on cause-led versus transactional supporters for eNGOs. It captures perfectly what I think has gone badly wrong with Plantlife, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and definitely the RSPB, of which I am no longer a member.”
• “Just wanted to let you know that I finally got around to finishing Reflections; once I resumed it I couldn’t put it down.  I ended it feeling the beneficiary of all the research, information, statistics and insights you put into the book (in a well-written style), so it was a truly educational read. I confess also to feeling a little shamefaced about the ways in which I let involvement in supporting the natural world become relegated to the ‘priorities’ that take over once you start a career and family. I’ve always had inclinations or a disposition towards positive involvement with ‘fauna and flora’ but at key moments lacked the guidance of the sort your book provides…and I probably didn’t have the initiative, self-discipline or focus to pursue my dispositions in more serious or productive ways.”
• “I have just finished your book. Probably one of the best £20 I have ever spent.
  I will follow the recommendations you make in your final chapter.”
• “I loved Reflections, especially as someone who runs a charity. I wholly agree people should be asking, ‘What am I getting for my money?’ when it comes to charities. Top work!”
• “Thank you for writing that book. It was just what I needed. I mean, there’s a kind of selfish reason in that it substantiated, from someone exponentially more knowledgeable, what I thought might well be the situation and it’s always good to feel validated. Your book led me to change my donation strategy. I cancelled a few, doubled one and set up two new ones – one of which is for Wild Justice.  It is impressive for one book to lead to direct behavioural changes and actions. Perhaps that is no surprise: well written, well argued, persuasive without being hectoring, modest where modesty was appropriate, and packed with relevant information.”