Book Description

Travel just five miles outside of New York City, venture off the crowded New Jersey Turnpike. and you will be surrounded by the Meadowlands, a much vilified but still untamed thirty-two-square-mile swamp that is home to rare birds and missing bodies, shiny corporate headquarters and the remnants of ancient cedar forests, tranquil marshes and burning garbage dumps. Robert Sullivan is this weird and wild place's unofficial naturalist, archeologist, and explorer, and here he reports back from the field. Revealing what he has found while traversing one of America's first -- and most fascinating -- frontiers.

A 1978 Federal Report described the Meadowlands as "a swampy mosquito-infested jungle...where rusting auto bodies, demolition rubble, industrial oil sticks and cattails merge in unholy, stinking union." But one man's trash is another man's treasure, and with incomparable wit and enthusiasm, Robert Sullivan reinterprets the reputation and legacy of an area considered by many to be one of the most disgusting in the country. He travels by canoe, bus, car, and foot to tour cities and swamplands and interview mayors, dump owners, and renegade mosquito-control officers. He describes the hideous pollution and the hidden natural wonders, the seedy motels and labyrinth highways, the local population and the indigenous, ubiquitous mosquitoes. The Meadowlands, he explains, is "a place that the forces of progress have perennially targeted but have never managed to completely control, a place that people rush past on their way to the rest of America." But Sullivan learns that, in fact, many things have been left behind here -- from garbage and treasure to the remains of crazy development schemes of generations past. Armed with pickax, shovel, and metal detector, he bravely sets out to find the two things believed to be dumped in the Meadowlands that particularly obsess him -- the elusive corpse of famed labor leader Jimmy Hoffa and Manhattan's once-glorious original Penn Station.

In the tradition of John McPhee and Ian Frazier, Robert Sullivan transforms the seemingly ordinary into the extraordinary with his sparkling literary style and superb sense of irony. Filled with eccentric characters and unforgettable stories, The Meadowlands is an ode to an overlooked American borderland -- a delightfully incongruous battleground marking the ongoing struggle between the forces of progress and nature. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The Meadowlands: More Than Meets the Eye
This is an enjoyable, easy-to-read book. Though many that live outside the New York Metro area would probably enjoy it, the millions that have passed through the Meadowlands on the way to work or to Giants Stadium to catch "The Boss" will most enjoy the nuggets of info in Sullivan's book.

The Meadowlands is a mix ecology, biology, folk tales, local history, and personal observations that seem to reflect the author's love/hate (mostly love) relationship with the meadowlands. Personally, I found the historical tidbits the most fascinating part of Sullivan's book. Like most people, I rub shoulders with a geographic area on an almost daily basis that I know little about. Why a certain place is named what it is? What was this place about one hundred years ago? The author relates the colorful history behind the town of Kearny and its namesake, General Philip Kearny, a one-armed (you will have to read the book to learn why he had one arm) general killed during the Civil War. Sullivan also relates the fascinating tale of Seth Boyden, a notable inventor from Newark, New Jersey. Now I know who Boyden Ave was named for. The Meadowlands has many of these gems imbedded between its covers.

At two hundred pages, Sullivan's book is a fairly quick read. For the millions of folks that rub elbows with The Meadowlands every year, I highly recommend this book. When you are passing Snake Hill while driving down the New Jersey Turnpike, you can turn to your passengers and say, "Let me tell you a little bit about that hill over there...."

A Humorous and Human Face on the Blight
A great read that brings the Meadowlands to life. Sullivan's writing draws you in, inviting you on his explorations--it's never ponderous. I especially appreciate his ability to blend the historical with the human: We learn how politics and people have affected the Meadowlands over the years. Note: Although other reviewers express the wish for a "true" map in the book, I got a kick out of the informal one that appears opposite the title page: It's a perfect match for the book's tone. I'm on the search for more writing by this author, and--even more telling--I'll probably head over to the Meadowlands next time I'm in NYC.

Enjoyable, brief book of essays on the Meadowlands
Sullivan takes a fun look at one of the most maligned regions of the U.S. - the New Jersey meadowlands. He definitely looks at it as an outsider (he is from the Pacific NW) with a mixture of repulsion and ivory-tower superiority, but with a bit of respect at times for the survival of the area and the people around it.

Unlike John Quinn's _Fields of Sun and Grass : An Artist's Journal of the New Jersey Meadowlands_, which was written by a Meadowlands native and mainly deals with the economic and environmental legacy of the area, Sullivan mostly looks at the region from a sociological standpoint, stressing his encounters with the people in and around the meadowlands (and humanity's legacy there) rather than the actual natural area itself. If asked to choose, I personally preferred Quinn's work myself, but Sullivan's book is a worthy companion to Quinn, and I strongly recommend that you read both books to get a total picture of the meadowlands.

My favorite chapter, in fact, dealt with Sullivan's quest for the remains of New York Penn Station, a neoclassical gem of a train station in Manhattan that was torn down in the name of "progress" in the 1960s and which is reported to be buried in the swamps of NJ (read _The Destruction of Penn Station_ by Peter & Barbara Moore for more on the station's demise). Sullivan tackles the project with one part archaeology and one part good detective work, and it reads like a charm.

Sullivan thankfully has an engaging writing style, making the book read like a series of interconnected essays that briskly flies along like a phragmites reed bending in the wind. Since its written more for the general audience (who may not be as familiar with the meadowlands as us NJ denizens), give it a good read, and you won't be disappointed.

Paddling Through the Muck & Mire
Being an avid kayaker, I've often wondered what it would be like to paddle the swampy marshlands of the Meadowlands. Riding on the NJ Turnpike, and amidst the backdrop of the Manahttan Skyline, the Meadowlands looks like an appealing natural area to paddle (..at least from a paddler's perspective). Although the area is historically notorious for being one of the most polluted in the state, I've often seen many wading birds feeding in the area so I figured "how bad could it be?"

Robert Sullivan answers this question in an entertaining account of his canoe expeditions in this area. His trek through the muck and mire lead him on searches for Jimmy Hoffa's body and other 'treasures'while also detailing the local history of the area and the mob related lore of the garbage and solid waste disposal industry. His graphic and detailed accounts of the garbage that have been dumped in the area would make any paddler seriously consider whether they should paddle it. At the same time, Sullivan has also created a curiosity which has motivated more people than ever before to pick up a paddle and check it out.

Beyond the humorous account of his adventure, this book is an easy read that makes us more aware of the vast natural area we have abused and taken for granted. Hopefully it will inspire people to assist restorative and preservation efforts of this area of great potential, preventing it from becoming a continued dumpsite or concrete jungle.

Engaging and informative
I enjoyed this light set of anectdotes about urban North Jersey's backyard. As I child I'd often make similar explorations in the 'meadows', so Sullivan's stories remind me of wonderful times. (Of course, his explorations are like that of Sir Hillary's compared to my own forays.) The writing is easily digestible, with each anectdote standing alone - if you prefer to read in smaller sessions. I was quite happy to read all his adventures at once. Anyone with an interest in the outdoors, and even an urban local like myself can learn a lot from this book - including an interesting mystery or two. I may dig out my waders and start my explorations again, just to find some of the treasures he writes about. ... Read more

Book Description

"We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes-something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."-Aldo Leopold

For the first time, the most important quotations of the great conservationist Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac, are gathered in one volume. From conservation education to wildlife ecology, from wilderness protection to soil and water conservation, the writings of Aldo Leopold continue to have profound influence on those seeking to understand the earth and its care. Leopold biographer Curt Meine and noted conservation biologist Richard Knight have assembled this comprehensive collection of quotations from Leopold's extensive and diverse writings, selected and organized to capture the richness and depth of the North American conservation movement.

Prominent biologists, conservationists, historians, and philosophers provide introductory commentaries describing Leopold's contributions in varied fields and reflecting upon the significance of his work today.

Contributors
J. Baird Callicott
David Ehrenfeld
Susan Flader
Eric Freyfogle
Wes Jackson
Paul Johnson
Joni Kinsey
Gary Meffe
Gary Paul Nabhan
Richard Nelson
Bryan Norton
David Orr
Phil Pister
Donald Snow
Stan Temple
Jack Ward Thomas
Charles Wilkinson
Terry Tempest Williams
Donald Worster
Joy Zedler ... Read more

Reviews (2)

unique and clear-headed thinking
In The Conference Board's magazine, "Across the Board," in a Nov/Dec 2000 article on the best business books read over the past year, I wrote:

"Over the past couple of years, I must have read 10 to 20 management books every month. Unfortunately, before long, many of these titles start reading the same, hoping to capitalize on the management trend of the moment. But every once in a while a book comes along that includes unique and clear-headed thinking and writing. When I was working on an article about environmental ethics in business, I came across a new collection of the writings of Aldo Leopold, the legendary conservationist of the 1930s and 1940s perhaps best known for A Sand County Almanac. Edited by Curt Meine and Richard L. Knight, The Essential Aldo Leopold: Quotations and Commentaries is not, strictly speaking, a business book, but contained here in many previously unpublished observations are the thoughts and ideas of a natural (in all senses of the word) manager. Leopold was a rare combination of someone who saw the need for conserving nature, but who also understood and encouraged experiencing the beauty and functionality of the outdoors." --Across the Board, Nov/Dec 2000

One of my favorite quotes of Leopold's from this collection:

"Relegating conservation to government is like relegating virtue to the Sabbath. Turns over to professionals what should be daily work of amateurs."

A "must" read for Aldo Leopold fans and conservationists.
Aldo Leopold was the author of "A Sand County Almanac" and one of the most influential conservationists of his day. In The Essential Aldo Leopold, Curt Meine and Richard Knight have collaborated to assembled a comprehensive collections of quotations from Leopold's extensive and diverse writings. These gems of wisdom, insight, and encouragement are organized in twenty-one chapters under the broad themes of conservation science and practice, conservation policy, conservation and culture. Each chapter begins with an introductory essay by a prominent conservation scholar to provide the reader with perspective on Leopold's numerous and varied contributions. The Essential Aldo Leopold is an essential, core title for any personal, academic, and professional environmental and conservation studies collection, and highly recommended reading for all Aldo Leopold admirers within the modern conservation movement. ... Read more

Book Description

The acclaimed National Book Award winner gives us a collection of spellbinding new essays that, read together, form a jigsaw-puzzle portrait of an extraordinary man.

With the publication of his best-selling Of Wolves and Men, and with the astonishing originality of Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez established himself as that rare writer whose every book is an event, for both critics and his devoted readership. Now, in About This Life, he takes us on a literal and figurative journey across the terrain of autobiography, assembling essays of great wisdom and insight. Here is far-flung travel (the beauty of remote Hokkaido Island, the over-explored Galápagos, enigmatic Bonaire); a naturalist's contention (Why does our society inevitably strip political power from people with intimate knowledge of the land small-scale farmers, Native Americans, Eskimos, cowboys?); and pure adventure (a dizzying series of around-the-world journeys with air freight everything from penguins to pianos). And here, too, are seven exquisite memory pieces hauntingly lyrical yet unsentimental recollections that represent Lopez's most personal work to date, and which will be read as classics of the personal essay for years to come.

In writing about nature and people from around the world, by exploring the questions of our age, and, above all, by sharing a new openness about himself, Barry Lopez gives us a book that is at once vastly erudite yet intimate: a magically written and provocative work by a major American writer at the top of his form. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excells all
This book is full of beautiful imagry, a must for people who crave to go places and see things. His essays/memoirs excell above all others. The writing reflects his thoughts so vividly you would swear you were there. If you like reading about far away places and the experiences and adventures of a very cultrued and passionate writer, than this is the book for you.

I Never Could Finish The Book, But Some Parts Are Good
I understand some people like this book very much, but I have a dissenting opinion. I did have the pleasure of hearing him read in person and he is indeed very captivating. But keep in mind what this book is about. It is basically a set of essays about places he has been and his insights and knowledge of those places. When it works, it works brilliantly. The essays I liked I could read several times over--he does some fascinating things (traveling on a cargo plane for several weeks comes to mind, or staying with a pottery community also comes to mind). However, when it doesn't work, you realize that not much is really happening and it feels very slow, maybe even unreadable. I just had to stop reading some of the essays after awhile. So it was really hit and miss with me.

What the other reviewers say about his attitude towards life and nature is right. He is very concerned with geography, not just the physical geography of a place, but also the emotional geography of a place. In a time when we don't always feel very connected to places, reading this book could help you feel connected again, to glimmer what it is like to really feel a part of the place in which you live.

Lopez is the champion storyteller
In an era where American storytelling is all but dead, Lopez may be the resurrection. Lopez gives us his sketches about life with the precision of a master craftsman but with the story telling skills of my grandmother. All essays are compelling, and the only disappointing moment is when the reader realizes that he or she is on the last page.

One of the best I've ever read, takes the mind places!
The book takes the reader to real places in its descriptive and thought-provoking style. The imagery dances before the eyes, while the heart feels the pride and awe of the author. A book any nature-lover must read!

Lopez Is On the Verge of Being a Genius
I just heard Lopez at a book festival and fell completely and utterly under his spell. He is a writer of immense talent and extreme breadth. His intelligence of all matters, big and small, is amazing. He believes in community, he believes in nature, he believes in the moral fiber of this country and the world. Barry Lopez, read him! ... Read more

Book Description

Barry Lopez's National Book Award-winning classic study of the Far North is widely considered his masterpiece.

Lopez offers a thorough examination of this obscure world-its terrain, its wildlife, its history of Eskimo natives and intrepid explorers who have arrived on their icy shores. But what turns this marvelous work of natural history into a breathtaking study of profound originality is his unique meditation on how the landscape can shape our imagination, desires, and dreams. Its prose as hauntingly pure as the land it describes, Arctic Dreams is nothing less than an indelible classic of modern literature.
... Read more

Reviews (19)

Beyond the Pale; Notes from the Crytal Land
Lopez' earlier slim volumes, "River Notes" and "Desert Notes" pale in coparison to this book which centers around an excursion into the Arctic, a region vastly unexplored (and, excepting Viking, Russian and Dane enterprises, unattainable beyond the sometimes invisible margins separating terra firma from the then-mythic Ultima Thule) and has only reached prominence until relatively recently in navigational history. The book reads much like a journeyman, the personal experiences mingling with sections outlining the cultural and historic (shamanistic to Cook and Peary), species and subspecie, the flora and fauna cirques, terminal moraines, and frazil of the crystal land. In many ways it also reads like a guidebook to the unknown, a sort of latter day spin-off to the wonderous adventure sagas on travel and exploration which played a critical part in books (and National Geographic) and other series' of the earlier part of the twentieth century. At still another level it presents a narrative which manages to economically convey the historic and environmental aspects which are arranged as if for magazine specials (of note are the lists of Specific Names and Places in the appendices sect.); concise, substantive and memorable. This is an enjoyable and enduring read, especially for long hot summers.

A Celebration Of The Arctic Landscape & Man's Dreams!
"Arctic Dreams" was recommended to me by a friend before I went on an Alaskan adventure a few years ago. This book expanded my vision of nature, and turned me on to the exquisite writing of Barry Lopez, who won the 1986 National Book Award for this classic work on the wild regions of the far north. "Arctic Dreams" is an extraordinary celebration of Arctic life and landscape which takes the reader on a journey to places rarely visited by man. Lopez' narrative does have a dreamlike quality, not only in its descriptions of nature at its most surreal, but in the absolute beauty of the writing itself. He does indeed capture the foreign reality of Arctic life, and death, with the loving care of an artist who places each brushstroke carefully on a canvas, bent on bringing the vision before him to others.

Mr. Lopez made a number of extended trips to Siberia, Greenland, and northern Canada, including Baffin Island, to observe the flora and fauna of the region - polar bears, killer whales, caribou, narwhals - as well as the spectacular Arctic landscape. He experienced eerie encounters with the aurora borealis, massive migrating icebergs, solar and lunar light, halos and coronas. And he experienced both the potential for catastrophic danger and the remarkable beauty that the Arctic land and sea offers. "Spring storms can sweep hundreds of thousands of helpless infant harp seals into the sea" - juxtaposed with, "A tiny flower blooms in a field of snow touched by the sun's benevolent light." Through Mr. Lopez' eyes the breathtaking experience of the Arctic landscape and the people who inhabit it become palpably real. I was particularly moved by his intimate and compassionate descriptions of the indigenous people of this region, who so aptly illustrate how mankind is capable of living in harmony with his surroundings. Lopez' prose and his conclusions make the strongest argument possible to work for the ecological health of our planet, for the sake of life itself, and for the health of our imagination and sense of wonder at the magnificent.

As mankind grows closer to conquering the earth's last frontiers, the issue of exploitation and encroachment becomes greater. For anyone who advocates preserving the few remaining wild areas on our planet, "Arctic Dreams" is a welcome gift and a source of motivation. It also provides an extraordinary read, and, perhaps, an awakening to those who have shown little interest in earth's most mysterious places.

This is a magical book that will enchant and awe the reader. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Bravo, Barry Lopez!
JANA

Desert Island book
Funny that a book about the Arctic would be on my "Desert Island" list, but this is one of the most effecting things I've read in my life. It's one thing to write a book about a region that explains it to the reader. It's quite another thing to write a book about a region that truly makes you feel as if you are there, that you understand it, that you "get it". The Eskimos have something like 25 words for snow. They can draw incredibly detailed maps of coastlines, from memory. On and on, the people and places are introduced to you, like visitors to your home, and you really begin to understand what it is to live in such a cold, beautiful place. The story of one Eskimo hunter will never leave me: he was hunting, and somehow became stranded on a broken off piece of ice. It floated away, with him on it, into the mist. All he had was his knife, made of bone. His friends searched for him, to no avail, and he was given up for dead. But he came back, years later, in a kayak he'd made, fully outfitted with warm clothes he'd also made, fat and happy and completely in tune with his environment, absolutely as at home there as the polar bear. He could make everything he needed, just from what this supposedly "barren" wasteland provided. That may not sound like much, but put yourself in his shoes (or mukluks) and you'll begin to feel the cold and the quiet close in around you.

That's what this book does for you. It puts you there.

Fine writing
An account of the American Arctic based on the author's own travels and a survey of the biology, ecology and history of the region. There is a tree-hugging, save-the-endangered-species,motif. (Don't get me wrong -I love trees and whales and things). He is rather solemn and philosophical with a lot of fine writing about the wonders of nature lifting us above the mundane. Sometimes he falls into the traps of fine writing, such as impressive long lists of plants, birds and animals, and misuse of words such as "mesic" and "adumbrate". It is a mine of information which I suppose is mostly accurate although I hadn't heard before that Walsingham was a duke or that Vitus Bering was a Dutchman.
I had mixed feelings aout his attiude towards the Eskimos. His account idealizes the nomadic hunting existence and it is sometimes unclear whether he is talking about present-day Inuit or drawing upon older accounts. He only once mentions alcohol as a problem and does not mention disputes with other native Americans, even when desribing Hearne's travels.
The description is largely limited to America and the bibliography has no Russian sources. He often uses Inuit words but his review of Arctic prehistory draws only on archeological evidence and is weak on linguistics and says nothing about the Chukchi language and Asian-American language links. DNA and blood groups are not mentioned.
I wouldn't make all those niggling criticisms about what got left out if the book did not set itself a high standard of comprehensiveness. It's virtually a one volume encyclopedia of the Arctic full of fascinating facts, vivid firsthand accounts, and splendid writing.
By the way, one arctic question's been bugging me since I was ten years old (the teacher didn't know the answer then and Lopez doesn't have it). What time is it at the North Pole?

I wish someone could write about Australia like this!
Of all the books I've read on the artcic and antarctic, this stands out for its absolute precision of description. To see a landscape with Lopez' eyes, you would have to spend a lot of time looking, and absorbing what you saw, until you knew every inch of it with your eyes shut. So it's appropriate that when he describes things, the descriptions take time to write, they are precise, and thorough, and need to be read slowly. Any less would not convey the strangeness and unfamiliarity of the place. Lopez reminded me that many times, a day's aimless wandering about, just thinking about what you see, has as great a value as a day seeing the sights.
My edition has no photos, which is appropriate as the verbal description is superb. If you read this book, keep the internet handy, to use search engines to find photos of the places he and things he writes about. It's like having a limitless dictionary to hand, and with subject matter as unfamiliar as this, it helps tremendously. One could say that the book was 25 years ahead of its time. ... Read more

Book Description

With consummate craftsmanship, Mary Oliver has fashioned fifteen luminous prose pieces: on nature, writing, and herself and those around her. She praises Whitman, denounces cuteness, notes where to find the extraordinary, and extols solitude. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Carefully chosen, wild and precious words
Prior to reading this book, I had already read several volumes of Mary Oliver's poetry, as well as a book of her nonfiction. So I knew what to expect: beautifully concise language, lovely descriptions, and some insightful observations about the natural world and about life. What struck me most about this book was its similarity to the nonfiction of Annie Dillard, another of my favorite writers who deal with both the natural world and the craft of writing. Certain essays in this book reminded me of "Teaching a Stone to Talk," which is another book remarkable for its economical prose. I enjoyed learning some of Oliver's philosophies about the purpose of a writer, and I appreciated her observations about writers who inspired her, particularly Edna St. Vincent Millay and Walt Whitman. She writes well about everything from owls to deer to poetry, and it all comes across as effortless and seamless (though she shows us that the process itself is anything but smooth). I loved this book, although I would say that the best introduction to Mary Oliver is through her poetry: I recommend "White Pine" or "Dream Work." If you already like Mary Oliver, this book won't disappoint you!

THank you, Mary Oliver!
This book is exquisite. Thanks to Mary Oliver, I have begun to open my eyes, ears, and soul once more. Her poetry, all her observations, are so moving and her connection to life and what really matters has made me reexamine my own "wild and precious life." I wish I could thank Mary Oliver in person for her poetry and her dazzling insights!

M. Oliver speaks the absolute truth in only "A Few Words".
Whatever you believe to be the truth you must read this book. Mary tugged at my heart so intently that I broke down and cried. She seems to possess a consciousness that eludes much of humanity and I wonder how did we let that happen. Mary offers no answers, but she stimulates thought and hopefully her writing will lead her readers to perhaps even conscious thought. I will read this book over and over and over again ... Read more

Amazon.com

Less well known than the embattled Everglades, northern Florida's St. Johns River has long been subject to the same forces that have imperiled that vast wetland. "The St. Johns," writes naturalist Bill Belleville, "is surely one long and meandering palimpsest," a place that has been remade many times over as humans have sought to grow crops, raise livestock, and otherwise make the river bend to their will. With 3.5 million people now living in its broad valley, the St. Johns is coming under increased pressure to change, its dense forests cleared for shopping malls and housing developments.

The river harbors many secrets, and Belleville is only too happy to share them as he makes a case for why the river should be allowed to follow its own path. It is a place, he writes, of giant snails and nesting herons, a place of wild storms and suffocatingly hot days.And more: it is a place of rare qualities, one that deserves to be protected. The author writes approvingly of grassroots efforts to do just that. His book is a fine piece of advocacy journalism blended with memoir, as he recounts his long history kayaking and hiking the length of the St. Johns. In Belleville, the river has a gifted champion. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Book Description

The engaging writings gathered in this new book explore an important but little-publicized movement in American culture - the marked resurgence of agrarian practices and values in rural areas, suburbs, and even cities. It is a movement that in widely varied ways is attempting to strengthen society's roots in the land while bringing greater health to families, neighborhoods, and communities. The New Agrarianism vividly displays the movement's breadth and vigor, with selections by such award-winning writers as Wendell Berry, William Kittredge, Stephanie Mills, David Orr, Scott Russell Sanders, and Donald Worster.

As editor Eric Freyfogle observes in his stimulating and original introduction, agrarianism is properly conceived in broad terms, as reaching beyond food production to include a wide constellation of ideals, loyalties, sentiments, and hopes. It is a temperament and a moral orientation, he explains, as well as a suite of diverse economic practices - all based on the insistent truth that people everywhere are part of the land community, as dependent as other life on its fertility and just as shaped by its mysteries and possibilities.

The writings included here have been chosen for their engaging narratives as well as their depiction of the New Agrarianism's broad scope. Many of the selections illustrate agrarian practitioners in action - restoring prairies, promoting community forests and farms, reducing resource consumption, reshaping the built environment. Other selections offer pointed critiques of contemporary American culture and its market-driven, resource-depleting competitiveness. Together, they reveal what Freyfogle identifies as the heart and soul of the New Agrarianism: its yearning to regain society's connections to the land and its quest to help craft a more land-based and enduring set of shared values.

The New Agrarianism offers a compelling vision of this hopeful new way of living. It is an essential book for social critics, community activists, organic gardeners, conservationists, and all those seeking to forge sustaining ties with the entire community of life. ... Read more

Book Description

The World Bank, Environmental Impoverishment, and the Crisis of Development

"A detailed and thought-provoking look at an important subject from the viewpoint of a passionate advocate."
— The New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrating her life-long love for the "land above the trees," author Joyce Gellhorn takes readers on a season-by-season tour of the alpine tundra. With clear, readable prose and 140 beautiful color photographs (from her collection that spans some twenty-five years), Gellhorn reveals the subtle wonders of this haunting landscape. The plants and animals that populate this often harsh and unforgiving environment have evolved remarkable strategies for survival in their high mountain home. Faced with bitter cold, scouring winds and fierce storms, they must somehow hold on and still find water and nourishment. Gellhorn tells us how they do it, and the intricacies and precariousness of these strategies are astonishing.

The high country of the Colorado Rocky Mountains has been a destination and a home for Joyce Gellhorn for more than fifty years, including some twelve years spent living with her family at the University of Colorado’s research station, Science Lodge—a log cabin at 9,500 feet. Like the snow that would sift through the chinks in the cabin, the alpine, despite its harshness, captured her heart.

She writes: "The clear mountain air, the scenery, the invigorating feeling of physical activity, and the fascinating plants, animals, and insects captivated me. Through the years, these wind-blown forlorn places continue to excite me. It is their wildness—untamed and unpredictable. No matter how many times I visit the alpine, even areas I know intimately, it always shows a different face." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Gorgeous book, but not just a pretty face
This is a gorgeous, fact filled book, but hard to classify. Joyce Gellhorn is an adventurous women - one of the women backpackers interviewed in Susan Alcorn's book, We're in the Mountains, Not Over the Hill: Tales and Tips From Seasoned Women Backpackers. Song of the Alpine tells how at the age of 15, Joyce Gellhorn and her sister decided to climb all of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks, starting with Longs Peak. The author was hooked on the high tundra country, and made a career of it, getting a Ph.D. in botany, with a specialty in plant ecology. Her book is beautiful, glossy paged, lots of color photos, but by the end of it you realize that you have also picked up a huge amount of factual information - the physics of thunderstorms, the winter habits of pikas, wet snow and dry snow avalanches, early mountain climbers - worth the price just for the pika photos.

Song of the Alpine
Joyce Gellhorn is a botanist, a science teacher, a gifted photographer and a passionate observer and explorer of the natural world. She has combined these talents with fine writing in her book, "Song of the Alpine". This book is a treasure for anyone who has wandered the fragile and exquisite land above the trees whether in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado (Gellhorn's home) or high peaks anywhere in the world. Ever wonder how the tiny alpine flowers survive in the rocky alpine terrains? How the ptarmagin manage not only to survive but actually to gain weight during the long, harsh winters? Why when spring comes to the Rockies, yellow and grey butterflies (Rocky Mountain parnassian) swarm the meadows of yellow flowers (stone crop)? "Song of the Alpine" illustrates and explains these fascinating adaptions and interactions and symbiotic relationships. Gellhorn's book includes over 140 photographs to accompany her text. The book is a guide and an inspiration to the reader. Gellhorn asks us to bear witness: to observe the dance of the tiniest insects, to study the amazing design of a snow crystal and to experience the grand symphony of the alpine weather in all seasons. This book teaches us that the more we can know of the natural world, the more we will experience the song and the joy that Gellhorn so eloquently evokes.

A Stirring Portrayal of a Magical Place
Song and of the Alpine presents fascinating details about plant and animal survival in North America's harshest and most scenic landscape: how ptarmigan burrow into the snow to survive frigid winter nights, how sky pilots use their skunky smell to attract pollinators, how the bright yellow petals of snow buttercups act as solar collectors. Lyrical prose depicting the flow of the seasons and struggle for survival weaves these ecological insights together. Lovely color photographs of wildflowers, butterflies, wildlife, and dramatic weather events accompany the text. I will read this book over and over, and I will carry it with me whenever I go camping in the high country. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although anthologist John Murray does not belabor the point, nature writing by women has long been undervalued, the canon dominated by the likes of Thoreau, Abbey, and Krutch. In the 2000 edition of his well-regarded annual series, Murray--himself a fine nature writer--gathers recently published short work by 19 established and emerging women nature writers. Among these nicely diverse essays are several standouts, such as Carol Ann Bassett's luminous travelogue on a rafting excursion on a Chilean river; Trudy Dittmar's short treatise on the lifeways of the moose; Pattiann Rogers's elegiac meditation on a car-struck snake; Lisa Couturier's lovely memoir on walking through the crow-rich fields of Maryland; and Janisse Ray's thoughtful appreciation of the deer who inhabit the pine woods of Georgia, and the men and women who hunt them. The contributors range in age from 20 to 60; some have published widely, while others are appearing in print for the first time. Although their work differs in many respects, together these writers offer a body of work that admirers of nature literature will want to know about, and follow in the future.Murray's well-conceived anthology is a fine place to start. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

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Reviews (6)

The voice is still echoing
The voice is silent now, but the echoes will remain. This was Edward Abbey's last book, published the same year that he died. It's a very brief book, containing a short introduction followed by a collection of personal quotes and sayings from the private journal (in 21 volumes) that Abbey had kept since 1948. These fragments, as Abbey calls them, vary in quality from the brilliant to the not quite so insightful. They are divided into 13 chapters: Philosophy, Religion, and So Forth; Good Manners; Government and Politics; Life and Death and All That; On Writing and Writers, Books and Art; Sport; Music; On Women, Love, Sex, Et Cetera; On Nature; Science and Technology; Money, Et Cetera; On Cows and Dogs and Horses; and Places.
For me, the first chapter, on religion and philosophy, contained by far the best material. Chapter three, on government and politics, wasn't bad either, and there were some gems scattered in most of the other chapters as well. One chapter were Abbey's wisdom failed, however, was the one on science and technology. Abbey, like the "desert philosopher" that he was, couldn't, unfortunately, like so many others, see that the only hope for nature and the environment is the continued use of science and the continued development of future technology, so that the need for the exploitation of nature will at some point disappear. People will always be consumers, which is why the "back to nature" idiocy could never work, not to mention that very few sane people would really want to live like animals, in "harmony" with nature, when the going starts getting tough. So the thing to do is to find a way for people to continue being consumers without harming the environment. And this can, and will, be accomplished only through science and future technology.
Back to the book. A Voice Crying is an absolute treasure trove for people looking for Edward Abbey quotes. There are many memorable one-liners, and some longer quotations as well (to about half a page in length). Abbey's atheist and libertarian anarchist opinions make his thoughts all the more enjoyable for those few people in this world who are still sane and rational. Recommended.
The book is illustrated by Andrew Rush.

Bumpersticker Abbey!!
A great service was provided Edward Abbey fans with the publication of this marvelous little tome. Now we anarchists have a handy source of short bits by Abbey to plaster on our webpages, our mail, and even our car bumpers! Up with nature, down with Empire!

4.5 is closer to it.
This is not Abbey's grand work nor was it intended to be. This is a small collection of one-liners and pithy observations of a highly talented, self-admitted misanthrope. "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell" is a prime example.

Abbey was a truck riding good ole boy and was about as politically correct as a punch to the head. His backpack was not designed by Gucci and his boots were mostly army surplus but he spent a life time outdoors, not behind a desk finding fault. His writings, his actions and his public appearances brought more awareness of nature and its plight to the public than did the combined number of his critics by a factor of 1000.

Borne just before the depression, he did not see all wild game as Bambi or Thumper but, as a child, watched as his father hunted for the table. Abbey may not be for everyone, but, by the same token, neither is Mr. Rogers.

If you have read a lot of Abbey this is a great book.
If you have read only a few of Abbey's books these quotes might not mean anything to you. This is not a story but is just a collection of quotes. Although he likes to make broad generalizations like 'all rebels are good' that is part of what makes Abbey so endearing. He doesn't sugar coat his opinions. I may not agree with all he says but I do respect him for at least putting it out there and not backing down. It also gives a lot of insight into his writing and reveals some specfics that you would have to read every book of his carefully in order to understand. It does make for a great reference and is interesting to see him contradict himself. You could very easily write 'Down the River with Abbey' by using this book and it would have much the same feel as his book concerning Thoreau. A great book for just thumbing through or reading out load to friends on a long car trip.

Skip it!
Edward Abbey is quite possibly the most overrated author of the 20th Century. For proof, look no further then this little book of pseudo-wisdom. You'll have the pleasure of watching as Ed spouts tiresome untruths (all government is bad, all science is bad, all rebels are good, etc.) with the petulant attitude that he is the very first person in history to say them all, and that it makes him great. Environmentalists who think that Abbey was some kind of hero might be shocked by the elitist arrogance of this "man of the people" (he thanks nuclear physicists for inventing the atomic bomb) or by right-wing moronics worthy of the most brainless militiaman ("the rifle and handgun are 'equalizers'--the weapons of a democracy"). Abbey even puts the s-word in print and brags about it as if he were the first person on the planet to do it. If you are an environmentalist (like me) and you want inspiration, read Emerson, read John Muir, even read Wendell Berry--but skip Edward Abbey. ... Read more

Book Description

Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For each volume, a series editor reads pieces from hundreds of periodicals, then selects between fifty and a hundred outstanding works. That selection is pared down to the twenty or so very best pieces by a guest editor who is widely recognized as a leading writer in his or her field. This unique system has helped make the Best American series the most respected -- and most popular -- of its kind.

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2002, edited by Natalie Angier, is another "eclectic, provocative collection" (Entertainment Weekly). Malcolm Gladwell, Joy Williams, Barbara Ehrenreich, Burkhard Bilger, Dennis Overbye, and many more of the best and brightest writers on science and nature explore such topics as the rise and fall of Islamic science, disappearing cancers, and the meaning of mountain lions in the back yard. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A real pleasure
This is a truly wonderful anthology. Thought-provoking, humorous, almost every chapter taught me something new and fascinating.

Excellent Collection
This series is awesome! An anthology such as this allows the reader to get a taste of some wonderful articles without the possibly harrowing search for the diamond in the rough. All articles are well written and the subject matter is diverse. A true treat!

a new year of science
The Best American Science and Nature Writing series is always a great joy to pick up. This is the way to keep up with general science without spending hundreds of dollars on magazines and journals (well, not really, but it is a good series of books to read). This year Natalie Angier, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of _Woman: An Intimate Geography_ is the guest editor. None of the essays stand out as newborn classics, but they are good essays. And they cover the range of fields.

Anthropology - Sarah Blaffer Hrdy's "Mothers and Others"

Biology - Frederick C. Crews' "Saving Us from Darwin" originally published in The New York Review of Books (Crews attacks every form of creationism and the blending of science and religion, including Gould, but offers us no alternative idea or solution-that's what kept this essay from being an instant classic); H. Bruce Franklin's "The Most Important Fish in the Sea" (ecology/conservation science); Gordon Grice's "Is That a Mountain Lion in Your Backyard?"; "The Dirt in the New Machine" by Blaine Harden (which is both an ecology and technology essays); "Life's Rocky Start", an essay on the origin of life on earth and the importance of minerals, by Robert M. Hazen; Anne Matthews' "Wall Street Losses, Wall Street Gains" which is about birdwatching and the World Trade Towers; Chet Raymo "A Little Reminder of Reality's Scale" (a brief piece from the Boston Globe); Peter Stark's embarrassing piece (at least he should be embarrassed by this half poorly written 'fiction' with facts on jellyfish-the most poisonous one there is) titled "The Sting of the Assassin"; Joy Williams' "One Acre" about her little plot in Florida that she tried to keep ecologically safe and sound

Medicine - Barbara Ehrenreich's essay about her fight with breast cancer "Welcome to Cancerland" (a great essay that is also included in the Best American Essays"; Gary Greenberg's touching essay "As Good as Dead" (about a young boy who has a brain tumor in his head and his incredible courage to continue living and dreaming and planning for his future); Judith Newman's"I Have Seen Cancer's Disappear"

Psychology - Roy F. Baumeister's "Violent Pride" (written in a pseudo-highschool-science fair report style. This could have been a great study, but...): Malcolm Gladwell's "Examined Life" (about the SATs and test taking); "Dumb, Dumb, Duh Dumb" by Steve Mirsky (again, about our test scores); Daniel Smith "Shock and Disbelief" which is about ECT of things-yes, the pros of electroconvulsive therapy

Physics - K.C. Cole's "Mind Over Matter" (originally in the L.A. Times); the heavy material of Dark Matter by Karen Wright ("Very Dark Energy" which first appeared in Discover

Computers - Clive Thompson's "The Know-It-All Machine" which goes into artificial intelligence

And the others: Burkhard Bilger's essay on eating odd animals, "Braised Shank of Free-Range Possum"; "In the Realm of Virtual Reality" by Richard Conniff and Harry Marshall, which discusses pseudozoology (creatures like the Yeti and such); Garret Keizer's essay on sound and noise, "Sound and Fury" (from Harper's); Verlyn Klinkenborg's odd newspaper column, "The Pursuit of Innocence in the Golden State", which is about California, but more on a two sentence sociological statement; Robert Kunzig's "Ripe for Controversy" which discusses cheese and health regulations' Dennis Overbye's "How Islam Won, and Lost, the Lead in Science" ; Eric Schlosser's "Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good"

and above all, these essays are easy enough for the layperson, but good for the expert as well.

Superb collection of Articles
As a longtime science and health writer, when I saw this title, it leaped out at me. What a good way to see the articles that are considered the best-- to see what kinds of articles mainstream magazines are buying, in terms of topic, style, approach, etc.

It's been a delightful surprise to discover that this book is just loaded with brilliantly written, fascinating articles covering an incredible range of topics. If you enjoy the world of science-- if you read Discover, Scientific American, New Scientist, Science News, Nature-- then you'll love this book.
Actually, I could just as easily mention magazines like The New Yorker, Atlantic, Smithsonian.... because the writing is certainly good enough to make into their pages.. and has.

Some of the articles are just fun to read. Some have been wonderfully helpful in filling in some ideas I've been working on. For example, the article on child rearing, which reports an anthropological approach which studied humans and other primates gave me ideas that plug in beautifully with the ideas on the prefrontal lobes, affect regulation and parent child interaction that Allan Schore writes about. It actually ties that together with Thom Hartmann's hunter farmer model of ADHD. But that's just one article. I've been amazed how, as I'd start out each article with the intent to browse, I'd shift gears to reading each and every one in depth.

Turning someone on to this book will be a real gift. it's a gem.

Natalie Angier is a genius
I have actively sought out and enjoyed Angier's writing for about 5 years now, after reading her work casually in the New York Times for more than a decade. Part of the reason I enjoy her so much is that our political tendencies are similar -- lefty, feminist, liberal, humanist, scientific.
Her selections of the year reflect this left-leaning temperament, and thus I couldn't help but love them all. Can't wait to read what she does next. ... Read more

Book Description

In a sequel to ALASKA'S BEAR TALES, Larry Kaniut offers more true stories of encounters between bears and humans that are action-packed and compelling. Both titles are musts for all who love a good adventure story. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Read this book or you will be eaten!
Is this book exciting ? Does a bear sh*t in the woods ? This book, a couple of bears (and a couple of beers) is all one needs for some great reedin'. It kept me occupied while I await the release of Fox's "When Animals Attack IV". It kept me up all night, and I ain't takin' Viagra neither.

Great Book and Fast Read
The saga continues from the first book. Spine tingling reading full of chills, thrills, and even some laughs. Do not pass this book up but be prepared to not be able to put this book down!

An eye opener
Mr Kaniut has done it again. As in the first book Alaskan Bear Tales this one picks up where it left off. More chilling tales of the Ursus arctos horribilis in action. You can bet that anyone who reads this work will think twice about doing a dumb thing around a very unpredictable bear. The book is much more than a blood and guts thriller. It affords the reader an open minded look at the attacks and as you read you find yourself second guessing the victims. Larry has put forth alot of effort in his research I enjoyed the book and hope that there is a book three in the works... ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (15)

Perfect for anyone who loves life!
As not only an animal lover, but (hopefully) an up and coming veterinarian, James Herriots books seemed like a great thing to look into.

Herriot's books bring the Yorkshire countryside directly into your home. He brings the world of hard work, late nights, confusing symptoms, and the unknown of a vets life into the readers heart, but at the same time he also shows the thrill of pulling an animal back from the brink of death or bringing another life into the world.

This wonderful combination starts off when Herriot leaves for the RAF to fight in World War II, but as he goes through basic training his mind (and the book) wanders back to his days in Darrowby doing what he loves best.

Book assignment on a great book!
This is a really great book and the only biography I've really ever liked. It's about a guy (James Herriot) who is a country vet. This has stories about his work at a pet show, him when he's trying to court his future wife, and it has a lot about the personalities of the animals he treated. It also has a lot of his blunders, like when he got drunk (accidentally, I think) and went out to a farm. The people there were really religious, and he found out the next day the despised drinking! He didn't go out there again. All in all, it was a really good book, and I recommend it for any animal lovers or future vets out there.

James Herriot - an Amusing Storyteller
James Herriot Describing Himself in All Things Bright and Beautiful
In the novel All Things Bright and Beautiful, the author James Herriot is using his experiences as a veterinarian in Scotland to make an indirect characterization of himself. Reading the book, we get the picture of James Herriot as being a person who simply loves life because of the small things that happen in it whether they happen when he visits the farms in the country, goes and gets drunk in a pub, or has to get up in the middle of the night because of his job. Due to his amusing and joyful way of describing what he sees and does, we get encouraged to love life as much as James Herriot loves it himself. The way he indirectly describes himself makes the novel a joy to read.
We are not supposed to learn the lessons of life when reading this novel; we are supposed to enjoy James Herriot as a fantastic storyteller and get inspired to enjoy the small though extraordinary things in life that happen every day. The indirect characterization of James Herriot is what makes us realize that. We get inspired by his personality and his actions. James Herriot has put his personality onto every page of the book, and it is his personality that shapes the novel and makes it as good and amusing as it is. James Herriot has not written this novel because he had to; he has written it because he wanted to, and his love of writing about a topic as banal as his own life makes this novel a positively different and extraordinary piece of literature.

The BEST book I have ever read
This book is GREAT !! I loved from the beginning to the end.
It is about a Country vet. named James Herriot. Through out this book you have humor, adventure, everything you would want to find in a book! If you are a vet. , you love animals or you just want to read something good this, this book is for you!!

A wonderful book!
This book is just the beginning of a series full of good-character and fun-filled adventures. It will keep you interested the whole way through. With tales of every good or bad event that Jim encounters on his many early morning rounds to aid the animals of his English countryside, this book is a celebration to life. James Herriot makes the books come alive with his expertise in writing. A great book! ... Read more

Book Description

Exploring the wilderness of the Russian Lapland, Took shares his adventures spent with a reindeer-herding and hunting community on the fringes of the modern world.

Russian Lapland, a region of amazing contrasts. Here lies the last true wilderness of Europe, a rich and pristine ecosystem teeming with bird and animal life. But here too lie the dark, satanic mills of the former Soviet Union and the rotting remnants of nuclear submarines. Running with Reindeer is the first account in over a century to describe life in this harsh but beautiful land. Living among remote reindeer-herding and hunting families, Roger Took spends a decade following the lives and traditions of the indigenous Lapps, or Saami. He meets pioneering villagers descended from medieval Novgorod fur-traders who are now learning to cope with the new economy, and the men and women originally forced north to mine Russian Lapland's fabulous mineral wealth but are now unemployed and stranded. Avoiding the still vigilant security services, he explores the naval bases where nuclear-powered submarines are lying dangerously neglected. His encounters with the land and its inhabitants are dramatic and comical as well as emotionally disturbing and physically dangerous. Moving between the lines of the official histories, coping with arduous Arctic conditions, he writes compellingly, offering a vivid account of a unique part of Europe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Into Europe's "Last True Wilderness"
Touted as Europe's "last true wilderness", Russian Lapland (which goes by a number of names, including the Kola Peninsula and Murmansk Region) lies mostly north of the Arctic Circle and is generally unknown to the West. This combination of undeveloped wilderness and mystery proved to be an irresistible destination for British art historian and fisherman Took, who made a number of trips there during the early to late 1990s. This book is the result of these trips he took to the region as well as a capable synthesis of the literature available on its inhabitants. It follows no distinct narrative pattern, hopscotching around in time and subject matter, as Took weaves his own travel narrative in with the history of the place.

Although a glance at a map might lead one to think otherwise, this is no arctic tale. Due to a surprisingly beneficent gulf stream, the climate is much more temperate than one might expect. Which is why a great deal of Took's travel involved backpacks, camping, and industrious plodding through wildernessónot to mention decrepit planes, trains, and automobiles, and the odd helicopter or ex-Army tracked vehicle. Indeed, despite the title, he actually spends very little time with reindeer herders, as most of his visits involve trekking to remote villages and hanging out with the locals. As Took recounts, the traditional nomadic reindeer herding culture underwent profound system shocks under Soviet rule, when the Saami (the correct term for Laps) were forced to settle and their herds were collectivized. The parallels to the American conquest of Native American tribes all too striking, right down to the forced education of Saami children at boarding schools where they would be beaten if they used their native tongue. And just as in many Native American communities, modern Saami settlements have extremely high rates of alcoholism. His encounters and friendships with these native fishermen and foresters is engrossing, especially when he delves into the issue of fishing rights, which are tightly regulated. There's a very illuminating chapter on the establishment of luxury fishing camps for wealthy Westerners.

Took's presentation of the area's history is quite fascinating as well, and he tries as much as possible to link it to people living there today. The region first came to prominent attention in the West in the 16th century, when trade routes were established, primarily seeking furs. Just after the turn of the century, an amazing wealth of minerals were discovered there, and mining became a large concern. Still, like Alaska, the area mostly remained a hinterland ó although it was a popular locale for gulag work camps. World War II saw the establishment of a front against German and Finnish troops, and the enlistment of thousands of native Saami to the Soviet Army ranks. Following the war, it acquired strategic significance with the advent of the Cold War, and much of it was militarized and placed off limits as numerous naval bases were built, and much of the Soviet nuclear submarine fleet was housed here.

Which brings me to the book's one problematic area. In his zeal to explore every square mile of the peninsula, Took continually butts up against restricted military zones. Now, these areas are generally little more than crumbling decommissioned bases, many housing nuclear submarines that area literally falling apart into the sea. Still, they are patrolled by special services, and they are explicitly no-go areas. Took repeatedly scoffs at the notion that these areas are still off-limits, and finally deliberately crosses into one for a period, going so far as to get close enough to a base to observe its workings. This strikes me as the height of Western arrogance as well as the height of stupidity. First of all, he's lucky not to have gotten shot by some nervous conscript, or trigger-happy patrol. Second, his actions immediately endanger everyone who assisted him on his various trips, placing them under suspicion. Thirdly, I wonder what he would make of a Russian adventurer who decided to poke his nose around some military zones in the UK? Yes, the rules about these areas may appear stupid and arbitrary, but it incumbent on all who travel to respect the laws of the country we are traveling in. Otherwise, we not only endanger ourselves, but those travelers who come after us. This is the one aspect of the book that really upset me.

By the end, Took has done much to dispelling the mystery of the region with his exhaustive travels and research. Ironically then, it is the sudden appearance of wealth in the go-go days of the late '90s that confounds him. In less than a decade, the Murmansk he first came to, with virtually no consumer culture or tourist infrastructure, is transformed into a fashion-concious city with boutiques aplenty, and heartbreaking child prostitutes. And upon reflection, this bleak end to the book is fitting for a region which, despite it's natural beauty, has seen a great deal of human and environmental catastrophe over the last century. ... Read more

Amazon.com

To live in the vast American Southwest is to understand, writes Gregory McNamee, who lives near Tucson, that "you cannot find a landscape that is not bordered, somewhere, by a blue fringe of mountains." Hence the title of this superb collection of 13 essays that wander the landscape those mountains define. These are meditations on exploration inward and out that revel in nature, honor the environment, touch the land, ponder science and art, contemplate religion, and, with an almost alchemical touch, make big moments small and understandable and small moments big and awesome. The essay "Walking," for instance, is a pointed antidote to the hurly-burly on the surface most of us inhabit:

"Solvitur ambulando," Saint Jerome was fond of saying. To solve a problem, walk around. Walk until your shoe leather falls off, until no moleskin patch can save the tattered remnants of your heels--only walk, walk as only a human can until the mysteries of the ages unravel before you.

Reviews (3)

A small package of brilliance
McNamee's heartfelt essays of humankind's relationship to the natural world are beautifully and poetically written, and reveal the subleties of the arid American Southwest in much the manner of Edward Abbey, minus the politics. Which is not to say that McNamee does not have strong convictions. His analysis of Las Vegas is searing, as is his detailing of desert development in general. What he points out here is how alive the desert is and how easy it is to miss that aliveness. Tho