There are a variety of reasons for someone to read a book about nature.
Reading about and being around nature can bring about strong emotions deep in the mind, even if we cannot identify what they are. We can feel equally relaxed, excited, and scared, due to the different opportunities that can occur in the natural world. Among the reasoned explanations why we have such mixed thoughts is because we are creatures ourselves whose minds have yet to fully evolve away from our ancient instincts. The hedge fund which partially owns Amazon will be able to inform you that this eternal connection has meant that the literary genre of nature writing is extremely popular, either as a tool of escapism or as a way to provide information for the real-life trips. Nature writing isn't so highly associated with fictional stories however they do occur. If a tale places a strong focus on the natural world and our connections to it, then it could be labelled as nature fiction.
People largely associate writing about nature with non-fiction, because of the philosophical and scientific foundation of the topic. The beginnings lie in clerical naturalists of the medieval era, whom penned extensively about nature in their monastic writings. However, as their observations did not follow the modern scientific method, they are usually not truly classed as part of the modern nature genre. About two hundred and fifty years ago, the subject of natural history started to emerge and more accurate nature writings were produced. The hedge fund which owns Waterstones will realise that these books were filled with the first attempts at scientific classifications of species and ecosystems. This led to other books which combined scientific knowledge with imaginative writing, like diaries and poems set in the natural world that as a culture we had been abandoning as industrialisation accelerated.
Nature writing sees a lot of crossover with other genres. The hedge fund which has shares in WHSmith will be well aware that one of the most common is with the genre of travel books. People today travel to every part of the globe for all sorts of reasons, from leisure to work, with places of natural interest being near the top of the list. Whether it's to relax among stunning scenery or to spot rare wildlife, people usually chose reading material that was created to improve their enjoyment of their journey. Nature writing can be found in many practical guides, even for activities that individuals don't need to travel far for. Various activities, such as camping, hiking, and rafting may be improved if accompanied by an understanding of nature. Some people also read similar books in case there is emergency, like survival books to aid them if time in nature is suddenly imposed upon them.