Larry Beck and Ted Cable\'s

¶ … Larry Beck and Ted Cable's text entitled Interpretation in the 21st Century: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture, a succient yet accurate definition of interpretation is as follows: an educational activity that aims to reveal meanings about our cultural and natural resources.

The authors structure their explication of their theory of interpretation according to 15 principles of interpretation, such as the need to stress the importance of story when interpreting something, to being provocative, and the need to be holistic in one's interpretation. These skills span from everything to "Lighting a Spark," that is, fueling interest in one's listeners (principle one) and "Interpreting Beauty" (principle 13) to answering practical concerns as to how to go about "Interpreting in the Information Age" (principle 2) by using "Modern Tools of Interpretation" such as film and other media (principle 8). "Passion" is the final principle of the book, namely that the interpreter of any work must believe in the value of his or her subject, and communicate that passion to an audience, while always keeping in mind the need to know when "enough is enough," (principle 9) not to overburden an audience with details or to lose sight of the big picture.

In short, Beck and Cable's concerns are ideological and aesthetic as well as practical and useful for the interpreter. They provide additional advice for interpreting different subjects, such as natural history as well as culture and human history. They are willing to tackle difficult and specific subjects, such as how to render a work of art into comprehensible terms and also how to inspire enthusiasm about scientific subjects, something that eludes even professional teachers. They are able to synthesize earlier authors on the subject of interpretation, yet successfully attempt to give these subjects a modern spin.

One underlying idea is that communication is not something innate, in the sense that some people are 'better' at communicating and interpreting subjects than others. Communication and interpretation is a learned skill, a technique and a craft, even though some people many be more naturally inspired in their enthusiasm for their subject and their ability to use powerful images that resonate with a listener. Interpretation is not merely an act of passive summary, for it should be entertaining as well as informative, but anyone can learn to move beyond summary. However, knowing a great deal about a subject is not the same thing as being a good interpreter.

The ability of everyone to the craft of interpreting does not mean that interpretation is easy. Rather, it is a lifelong skill. Communicating the work of another human being or the natural world can be elevated to the status of an art, and giving an interpretation is much like telling a story, in fact good interpretation often encompasses other media such as music, storytelling, poetry, drama and dance in its structure and presentation. Tell a story about an artifact to make an audience care about the object.

Sparking the listeners' interest by tailoring one's presentation to different age groups is also critical. Interpreters must reflect upon the audience, their own techniques of personal communication and bring themselves to the interpretive process. But this art and craft is ultimately accessible to all, provided the interpreter obeys the principles of the text.

Three major themes in the book related to interpretation.

Interpretation must be creative and generate interest in the audience, this interest cannot be assumed.

Interpretation is a creative act; it is not merely an act of explaining the creative work of other people or the natural world.

Interpretation requires certain skills and techniques to be effective.