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The Blue Ridge Mountains run 500 miles from Pennsylvania to Georgia and take in some of the eastern United States' wildest country, including seven national parks and many state parks and wilderness areas. The mountain chain also embraces, environmental journalist Steve Nash writes, 29 species of snakes, 70 species of mammals, more than 200 species of birds, 70 species of fish, 1400 species of flowering plants, and more than 130 species of trees--almost as many as can be found in all of Europe. The richness is astonishing, but also, Nash writes, seemingly unappreciated, for the Blue Ridge is now under threat from industrial, commercial, and residential development, with acid rain and other hazards affecting its many ecosystems. Guiding his readers through many scenarios on how these environmental problems might best be lessened, Nash points out that conflicting scientific data lends an "illusion of precision" to the idea, on one hand, that nature will automatically right itself or, on the other hand, that catastrophic change is irreversible. Neither case, he suggests, is strictly true, and he invites his readers to participate in the business of developing a vision for the Blue Ridge's sustainable future. Residents of the region and students of regional planning alike will find Nash's book to be of much interest. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A most important owner's manual
Just the title provides food for thought: Blue Ridge 2020, An Owner's Manual, reminds us that the public has a responsibility for effective stewardship of the public lands in the Blue Ridge. I also like the play on words of 2020--hindsight is 20/20, and if we don't take a hard, clear look at what is happening to the ecology of the Blue Ridge and work hard to improve it, we will have deep regrets by the year 2020. The human scale of twenty years is very effective. I'm 31--what kind of Blue Ridge will I experience at 51? As a local environmental activist in the Page Valley, I find this book is a tremendously useful and motivating resource. In one book, Steve Nash provides an overview of specific problems and practical solutions. His writing style is clear and accessible. If you care about the health about the Blue Ridge or want up to date information about the quality of air and water in the mountains, this is a book you need to read. This is one of the best "state of the ecology" books I've read, and it is particularly useful for its regional approach. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Another Country: Journeying Toward the Cherokee Mountains
I've searched for years for just the right book that sums up my feelings for lost wilderness and finally found it with this book. I find Mr. Camuto's contrast with William Bartram's descriptions of the mountains both startling and sad. I've walked these mountains for over 30 years and in just the last 10 have I begun to realize the tragic consequences of overdevelopment and urban sprawl. Mountains and streams once largely clean and pristine now are considered off limits for fishing and drinking and I wonder why we have no love for the complexity of our natural environment. Like a Sand County Almanac, Chris Camuto has begun a modern discussion of the land ethic. An ethic our country, I fear, has so far refused to acknowledge or accept.

Another Country-Journeying Toward The Cherokee Mountains
Another Country is a search for the soul of a land almost destroyed. Christopher Camuto writes a powerful narrative describing his exploration of the Cherokee homeland in the appalachians. He seeks communion, a connection he can sense in what is left of the natural landscape and wildness around him. It is as elusive as the dying Cherokee myths, as tangible as the arrowheads and village sites he finds. Camuto refers to the Appalacians as the Cherokee Mountains, their former nomenclature, because it is to the Cherokees they really belong. The rape and exploitation of their land parallels the rape and exploitation of their culture. Camuto's search for a wildness, that now remains only in remnants, is set in counterpoint to the reintroduction of the red wolf into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The most important clan animal of the Cherokee, it is symbolic of the differences between the Cherokee and the early Europeans. One revered its wildness and sought to preserve it. The other despised and killed it. One honored the wolf's home, seeking harmony with the land and its spirits. The other saw something untamed that must be destroyed. The author's journey begins as the wolves are being set free. Like many of the members of this first Canus Rufus release who step beyond their shrinking boundaries, Camuto confronts the vestiges of civilization at almost every turn. Set against continual references to Native-American mythology, and the history of the area, Camuto's book allows the reader to share his insight into the Cherokee view of the world. Unlike many who write about early culture, he does not attempt to steal it as his own. His statement that he is not Cherokee and thus can never totally understand, adds credibility to the objectiveness of his observations. It also demonstrates humbleness of endeavor, a bow of respect to the Cherokee nation. The book is firmly rooted in place as it combines the ethereal with the tangible landscape. Those who cherish wildness and honor those first here, will also treasure this book. In many ways , it is a sad obituary, lamenting that which was, as it examines what is left. The reintroduction of the red wolf represents one small, but hopeful, step in the restoration of that which is lost.

Forgotten history
I've hiked and fished the Southern Highlands for years, especially the area in and around the Smoky Mt. National Park. Reading Another Country has shown me this place in a completely new light. He compares these mountains at one point to a palimpsest--a scraped-over parchment on which old texts leave faint traces. This book records Camuto's efforts to track these traces, which of course are quickly vanishing if not already gone. By giving these mountains back their ancient names, by telling stories the Cherokee told their children about their homeland, by delving into the natural and human history of the places he walks, by honoring the memories of the ones who are gone, and by contextualizing the beleaguered efforts to bring the red wolf back to its former ground, Camuto opens up layer upon layer of meaning for us who seek out the last wild places without always knowing why. An unforgettable book.

Another Country: Journeying Toward the Cherokee Mountains
A wonderfully written book about the red wolf reintroduction into the blue ridge mountains and the land of the Cherokee indians. Tells the history of the European exploration of the mountains with DeSoto woven into how red wolves were put back into their original habitat.

Its a very hard book to put down. ... Read more

Book Description

How do birds stay warm in January? What causes meadows to become full of wildflowers in May? Why is August the best time for young animals to develop survival skills? And what is the primary reason brook trout spawn in October? In Adirondack Almanac, Tom Kalinowski chronicles a year in the natural world of the Adirondacks, vividly bringing to life the hidden events that occur there each month. Beautifully illustrated by North Country artist, Sheri Amsel, Adirondack Almanac is both a fascinating introduction to the unseen world of natural cycles and an entertaining account of life among the animals and plants of the spectacular Adirondack region. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Just the Thing for the Camp
Consistent with its title, the book is organized into 12 chapters, starting with January. Each chapter consists of a number of titled subsections, or essays. Each essay discusses the expected activity of a species, and is accompanied by an illustration.

The essays do attempt to tie together information about a species' activity in other times of the year, and other species' activity at the same time of year. The illustrations are mostly black line drawings, while some are half-tones. All are nicely done and complement the text well.

Essays on some species appear in more than one chapter. The index allows the reader to locate information about a specific animal or plant.

The book is filled with details that you may have missed or forgotten in school. It explains how to distnguish a dragonfly from a damselfly, where loons spend the winter, and why there's a run on mouse traps in September.

The text is repetitive at times, and the pronouns are sometimes confusing. Overall, though, it is a pleasant and informative book. The author clearly knows and loves his topic. It's well worth having at the camp, or while wintering away from it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rodents are fun to watch.
I happend to run across this book while doing a search for rodents. It's a great book, but it could have been better. What was intriguing to me was that, generally, when you think of a rodent, you think of something small, like a mouse or a hamster, etc. It's hard to believe that the largest rodent is the size of a dog, and grazes right along side cattle. This book would be good for anyone doing research on these particular animals, or if you just feel like reading up on them. ... Read more

Book Description

A collection of classic mountaineering stories. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive and well-illustrated history of one of the more significant historical areas in Utah offers a case study of the development of a scenic, rural area near a major western metropolis. Emigration Canyon was the original route, opened by the Donner party, through the Wasatch Mountains into Salt Lake Valley. It subsequently was the route for pioneer settlers, overland wagon trains, freight and mail lines, and the pony express, and it remained an important transportation corridor even after the development of alternative roads. Subsequently, the canyon provided stone, timber, and grazing resources for the developing city below it; began to be homesteaded; provided a route for one of the Wasatch Range’s more interesting narrow gauge railroads; and became a resort community. Its history since the Great Depression has been one of gradual development as a Salt Lake City suburb. Because of its location in the mountains, it has attracted local city dwellers as visitors or residents, and because of its strategic position above the city, it has continued to capture the attention of government and politicians, as repeated contests over water, development, annexation, and zoning of the canyon have shown. ... Read more

Book Description

Becoming a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail is an awesome and exhilarating experience.This book offers a day-by-day account of the trials, goals, successes, failures and wonders of hiking one of America's most challenging hiking trails. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Brilliant demonstration of many-sided mountain realities
Cooper's work directly confronts all this nonsense produced by so-called main stream scientists that there is just one reality 'out-there'. Wrong! There is no such thing. Mountains mean so many things to so many people. They can be huge hulking masses of brutal rock, or they can be the most delightful, gentle companions. They can be cruel or they can be our greatest teachers. How can we make sense of this diversity of possibilities? By listening to the pilgrims who make these decisions to live by those truths. What is the data for our understanding of these poetic geographies? It is the words of these thoughtful travellers. And this is what Cooper does. He's listened to pilgrims from Europe and North America. And then he brings us their words and the words of the writers and teachers who've most influenced these people. So the result is one of the richest books I've ever read. Bristling with ideas. Never short of compelling, courageous experiences. Daring to go places where other mountain books fear to tread. But in doing so, doing a great service to mountain literature, pilgrimage and all allied scholarship. Read it!

Brilliantly original. Insightful. Very, very special
There is no shortage of mountain literature, but a great shortage of real quality in this field. Adrian Cooper's brilliant first book is of the highest quality, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to all who love mountains - climbers, walkers, skiiers or other pilgrims. At the heart of Cooper's success here is a willingness to listen to the stories mountain people have to tell. He doesn't judge, condemn or categorise. Instead, he takes these stories, uses the travellers' own words where appropriate and then locates them with the ancient history of the mountain in question - the poetry and prose which others have been inspired to write. So we, the readers, are treated to so much wisdom and clear insight. A remarkable achievement.

An excellent read - thoroughly original in each chapter
I was given Sacred Mountains as a birthday present, but began reading it with dread. It looked too New Age to me. But that was just my first reaction, which I soon banished as soon as I got into this excellent and original book. I like the use of interviews with so many fascinating people. And Cooper's remarkable breadth of knowledge in developing an intelligent discussion from what everyone says is truly impressive. And in so many directions too, but with singular clarity. Each of the pilgrims Cooper writes about have embarked on some remarable mountain journeys. But as readers, we're never left behind. Cooper writes so we can all 'see' what others have experienced - both within their psychology and their physical surroundings out on the peaks. The use of poetry and prose from other writers is also a wonderful added dimension to this multi-dimensional book. To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been any other mountain book which is like this one, so for originality alone, it deserves the support of all folk who need the mountains and love them (ie find them sacred/precious places). In an age when religious ideas are so much under threat, Cooper reminds us of how important Rudolf Otto's famous observation is: sacredness is both terrible and fascinating.

An original, stimulating, challenging and beautiful book
I finished reading Sacred Mountains a couple of months ago, but it won't let me go! It keeps challenging me. It keeps pushing me to think more deeply about my feelings and instincts toward mountains. And I like that. Any book that refuses to let go of its reader has got to be worth talking about, which is why I wanted to offer this testimony. This is a truly great book.

A brilliant book which I'm recommending to all my friends
I can't add too much to the other reviews here. I agree with them all. But all I would say is, for me, mountains have been such a help in getting over a lot of personal problems in my past. They've given me solitude. And this book comes closest to being the truth about mountains from the way they've changed my life. ... Read more

Book Description

‘An excellent introduction to an important, and often neglected, topic. Valuing Cultural Heritage combines a useful primer on the theory of economic valuation followed by a dozen interesting case studies from eight different countries. The cultural resources studied include traditional cultural monuments and assets such as castles and cathedrals in Norway and the UK, a royal theatre in Denmark, monasteries in Bulgaria, and marble monuments in Washington DC. However, the volume also includes studies on less commonly considered assets such as the value of an entire historic quarter in Fez, Morocco, cultural services of Italian museums, or rock paintings in the Canadian woods, and, in a very interesting application of the approach, the benefits from reducing visual and noise pollution near Stonehenge by burying a nearby highway. Although contingent valuation techniques (CVM) predominate, other approaches are also illustrated. The volume is made even more valuable by an exceptionally good summary chapter that provides clear guidance on lessons learned and best practice to guide future work. I highly recommend this book for both researchers and policymakers.’

- John A. Dixon, The World Bank

What value do we place on our cultural heritage, and to what extent should we preserve historic and culturally important sites and artefacts from the ravages of weather, pollution, development and use by the general public? This innovative book attempts to answer these important questions by exploring how non-market valuation techniques – used extensively in environmental economics – can be applied to cultural heritage.

The book includes twelve comprehensive case studies that estimate public values for a diverse set of cultural goods. The authors demonstrate the potential utility of these techniques, and highlight the important social values that cultural heritage can generate. Given limited resources, such studies can help set priorities and aid the decision making process in terms of their preservation, restoration and use. The authors conclude by reviewing the majority of cultural valuation studies done to date, and draw some general conclusions about the results achieved and the potential benefits, as well as the limitations, of valuing these types of goods.

This highly original book will be of great use and interest to academics in the fields of environmental, resource, and cultural economics, as well as NGOs and policymakers involved in cultural heritage at the national, international and global level. ... Read more

Book Description

From the time of Coronado’s discovery to the era of modern ski resorts and sport climbing routes, adventurers have been lured irresistibly to the Rocky Mountains. In this book distinguished writer David Lavender traces the colorful history of the Rockies, focusing on the period that began in 1859 with the first gold strikes. The real and fabled attractions of gold, silver, furs, lumber, and lead brought swarms of people into the mountains, eagerly seeking wealth. A get-rich-quick spirit pervaded the Rockies, leading to lawlessness, violence, vigilantism, and political expediency. The Rockies is particularly revealing about the struggles which resulted in codes peculiar to the mountainous West. Duane A. Smith provides a new introduction to this Bison Books edition of The Rockies.

David Lavender’s many books on the history of the American West include The Way to the Western Sea: Lewis and Clark across the Continent, Westward Vision: The Story of the Oregon Trail, and The Fist in the Wilderness, all available in Bison Books editions. Duane A. Smith is a professor of history and Southwest studies at Fort Lewis College. His many books include San Juan Gold and No One Ailing except a Physician: Medicine in the Mining West, 1848–1919. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An informative history of the majestic Rocky Mountains
Enhanced with an informative introduction by Duane A. Smith, The Rockies by David Lavender (Professor of History and Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College) is an informed and informative history of the majestic Rocky Mountains ranging from the gold strikes of 1859 to struggles that brought about law codes unique to the mountainous American West. An engaging presentation as much about the impact of humanity as it is about the mountain range itself, The Rockies is a welcome addition to American History Studies reading lists and academic library collections. Also very highly recommended is Professor Duane Smith's earlier works: The Way To The Western Sea: Lewis And Clark Across The Continent (0803280033, ...) and Westward Vision: The Story Of The Oregon Trail (0803279159, ...). ... Read more

Book Description

An examination of the relationship between the natural and cultural history of high topography, with chapters about the mountain people of the Shenandoah National Park area, the native American use of high ground botanicals, and the relationship of the high ground at Harpers Ferry with the Civil War. ... Read more

Book Description

The history of rural, Maplecrest, Windham, NY in the Catskill high peaks. ... Read more