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Voice From The Wilderness
Raymond Ching
Manufacturer: Swan Hill Press
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ASIN: 1853105163 |
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Over 100 full color paintings and drawings by artist Ray Harris-Ching, one of the leading bird artists in the world. The seventh book of his work to be published addresses the artist's concerns and fears for our fragile earth and for the animals that live here with us. Format is 11 inches by 11 1/2 inches.
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- Green Philosophy for Greenhorn Environmentalists
- Wilderness is so important to living and being an American !
- A Wilderness Philosophy Buffet
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The Great New Wilderness Debate
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
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Wilderness and the American Mind, Fourth Edition
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The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology
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Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature
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Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)
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Reinventing Eden: The Fate of Nature in Western Culture
ASIN: 0820319848 |
Customer Reviews:
Green Philosophy for Greenhorn Environmentalists.......2005-01-11
I've always considered myself an environmentalist and supporter of wilderness, based on my many wonderful personal experiences with wilderness and nature. Shamefully, however, I never did much reading on the topic of wilderness. Nor, for that matter, did I do much THINKING about the whole CONCEPT of wilderness. What do we mean when we talk about "wilderness"? Where, and with whom, did the whole idea of wilderness begin? Has the notion of wilderness changed with our changing attitudes towards the environment and our role in it?
Luckily, you don't have to read several dozen dense volumes to get some answers to these questions. Instead, you can pick up this marvelous collection of essays spanning nearly 250 years of thought on wilderness and the environment. "The Great Wilderness Debate" gave me a chance to simultaneously catch up on the "classic" wilderness texts AND many later influential essays, including plenty that I would otherwise never have read, and several unique to this collection.
The book is divided into four parts, each of which synopsizes a different strand of wilderness writing. The first section focuses on the origin and emergence of the wilderness ideal. It includes the "classic" stuff - selections from Emerson, Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Sigurd Olson - as well as essays on early wilderness preservation in the United States. A definite must-read is the Wilderness Act of 1964, which not only provided a federal definition of "wilderness" but also established the Wilderness Areas that we have today. This section alone makes the purchase of the book worthwhile.
The second section is devoted to "Third and Fourth World Views of the Wilderness Idea." The essays in this section introduced me to the fact that "wilderness" is not some kind of universally-understood concept. Instead, the American/Western/First World concept of wilderness (i.e. as a place without humans) is being imposed on a global scale. The authors in this section take issue with the colonialism inherent in forcing "our" wilderness on others, and discuss the many problems of universalizing a concept of "wilderness."
I most enjoyed the third section, a sort of philosophical WWF match where various eminent environmental thinkers - including William Cronon, Holmes Rolson III, and Dave Foreman of EarthFirst! - go head-to-head over a (seemingly) simple question: Is the "Wilderness Idea" useful in today's world? Can "true" wilderness even exist anymore? Does a focus on "pristine" areas distract us from appreciating the nature in our own backyards? It's fun to watch a bunch of hotshot environmental philosophers tussle over definitions, but it's also unnerving to think that they might actually succeed in undermining one of the few pillars supporting "wild" areas in America (however you define "wild").
Which brings us to the fourth section, "Beyond the Wilderness Idea", which attempts to go beyond the sort of "sound and fury" debate of the third section and instead to actually USE wilderness philosophy to inform environmental policy. There's a lot of discussion here about what wilderness SHOULD be and CAN be and WOULD be if only someone would listen to the philosophers. Initially, however, I found this section to be a bit of a letdown. Several of the ideas discussed here - preserving big areas, promoting biosphere reserves - have already become accepted notions since "The Great Wilderness Debate" was published in 1998, so there's a good bit of "old news." More importantly, the policies expounded here are frequently WAY too idealistic to be practical - they're nice to think about, but not something you could take to your congressman.
But what I later realized is that fundamentally "The Great Wilderness Debate" is about the philosophy and ethics of wilderness, NOT the practical policy issues. Those who would create wilderness policy would certainly do well to read this book, as these essays provide a grounding in the basic beliefs and writings that have informed the concept of wilderness. I'm sure there are plenty of great essay collections on environmental policy, but this is not one of them and is not MEANT to be one of them.
If the environmentalist movement has taught me anything, it's to THINK before you ACT. There's no doubt that "The Great Wilderness Debate" really makes you THINK about a lot of the assumptions we make everyday, about what constitutes nature, what is wild, and what is worth preserving. Consequently, I encourage anyone with a strong interest in wilderness and the environment to read this book. It's a wonderful resource for philosophy, a powerful tool for policy, and a great read for any "greenie."
Wilderness is so important to living and being an American !.......2001-07-25
If you had to pick one volume to capture some of the greatest thinking on wilderness, this is probably your single best choice. Almost all of the key ideas and influential writers are included. In fact, for most readers, there is probably too much here ! Over 40 wonderful, dense, and thought-provoking articles from all eras of wilderness thought !! 7 of the contributions are new to this volume.
The title of the volume refers to the recent challenges to the idea of wilderness, and therefore the book starts with the received notion of wilderness. There are wonderful selections from well known U.S. wilderness writers as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Bob Marshall, and Aldo Leopold. There are also important ideas from Jonathon Edwards, Teddy Roosevelt, and Sigurd Olsen -- each representing important components of the wilderness idea such as spiritualism, redemption, sacred american virtues of the frontier, etc.
Then J. Baird Callicott, William Cronon and an assortment of postmodern and postcolonial scholars take this 'romantic' notion of wilderness to task. The idea of wilderness is seen as dualistic, ethnocentric, racist, and an attempt to 'freeze frame' nature. Defenders of the wilderness idea then include Reed Noss, Dave Foreman, and others. To some this debate is now a little weary, but it was a high profile and contentious discussion that is still doing the rounds today.
There are also some hidden gems in this volume, and it is to those that I return most readily. Some examples are Fabienne Bayet's story from the Aboriginal communities of Australia, Jack Turner's call for the wild, Gary Snyder's more recent reflections on Turtle Island, and Tom Birch's piece on the incarceration of wilderness. These are cutting edge ideas that are taking many of today's wilderness thinkers beyond the postmodern debate into tackling questions of ecological restoration and the role of wilderness management.
In summary, a solid and thorough discussion of the idea of wilderness. For those of us living and working in the U.S., wilderness is a crucial part of what it means to be American - the ideas in this volume deserve a large readership. But, don't expect to read from cover to cover - this is a collection to which you will continue to return and find great insight and delight.
A Wilderness Philosophy Buffet.......2001-03-13
This is a useful sampler of wilderness philosophy. It's well balanced account of American debate of wilderness and what "wilderness" and "natural" really mean. It contains influential authors such as Aldo Leopold, William Cronon and John Muir. It also has some important reports relating to the history of wilderness management like the "Leopold Report". I've been using it as a starting point for research and it has been a good spring board for finding good authors and diversity of opinion.
Book Description
Imagine this: You're at a campsite 10,000 feet up in the Third Mono Creek Recess of the high Sierras. You have no refrigerator, no food processor, no non-stick cookware, no measuring spoons, no pepper mill, no sea salt. How are you going to cook a meal that is imaginative, delightful, and delicious? That's what The Leave-No-Crumbs Camping Cookbook is all about.Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn show anyone who loves the outdoors how to make homemade pizza, braid challah, wrap poached trout in a sushi roll, and even make dumplings for Chinese dim sum at their campsite.
Campers who have never cooked anything more complicated than s'mores might feel uncertain about tackling chocolate mousse in the wild, but Greenspan and Kahn have three decades of experience teaching camp-out cooking. "We've taught people who could barely boil water," they say. And they are reassuring about trailside mishaps. If your grilled trout falls into the fire, take it out, brush off the ash, and rename the dish Cajun Blackened Trout. If the eggs break in their plastic container, make a dinner of crépes, huevos rancheros, and a cake. "The point of wilderness cooking is to have fun," say Greenspan and Kahn, "not worry if the Académie Française is looking over your shoulder." You'll find recipes for soups and stews; fruit, vegetable, and tofu dishes; pilafs, risottos, and polenta; pasta, noodles, and dumplings; sauces and schmeers (that's Yiddish for spreads); pancakes, crépes, and soufflés; pizza and quiche. An entire chapter is devoted to trout, and the book even includes a recipe for chocolate cake. There are instructions and tips for all sorts of of cooking techniques, including dehydrating, baking in coals or on a camping stove, grilling, frying, and steaming. And several pages are devoted to trip planning: how much food to bring, what to look for in a camp stove, how long you can expect your cooking fuel to last. This book is perfect for car campers, backpackers, bikers, canoeists, tail-gaters, and day picnickers who want good food to be part of the outdoor experience
Customer Reviews:
Cooking When Camping.......2007-07-13
This "camping cookbook" has some very good ideas in it. Most of the recipes, however, do not seem to practical for tent camping considering the lack of storage and refrigeration. Using a home dehydrator is an excellent idea. If one were camping with an RV these recipes would be very useful.
Makes me think, makes me laugh.......2007-04-28
I spent an hour contemplating and chuckling over the first 50 pages... and I have 150 more pages to go. A quality cookbook is one that provides a fresh perspective on techniques and/or ingredients. If you're looking for simple camping fare, then you don't need a cookbook - stick a hot dog on a stick and you're happy. And who can blame you? But if you're reaching for an altogether different outdoor cooking paradigm, grab this book.
Just another gourmet cookbook.......2005-03-14
I was hoping that this would be a more useful camping cookbook. It is really a gourmet cookbook that tries to be a camping cookbook by using "sierra cup" as a unit of measurement (a "sierra cup" is a fancy backpacking cup purchased at trendy outdoor stores, and holds about 9 ounces)and by illustrating it with camping pictures and artwork. The ingredients for most of the recipes require access to gourmet and specialty stores.
When I go camping, I like to camp. I like to fish, hike and enjoy the outdoors. If you use this cookbook, you need to be someone who likes to cook. And I mean really likes to cook. In fact, camping must be something that you do to impress your friends with how environmentally conscious you are, while you whip up a meal of "Vegetarian Chicken Lemon Grass Soup" and "Spinach & Roasted Peppers Risotto." These are great sounding dishes that I would order at an expensive restaurant, but not something that I would want to spend hours preparing over my Coleman stove while the trout are biting.
The book tries really hard to be a camping book (remember the "sierra cup" thing?). But, it refuses to call a biscuit a biscuit. The book refers to them as scones. Scones are cool when sitting at an outdoor table at Starbucks discussing the evils of a capitalistic society with your liberal friends, but come on, when camping, I eat biscuits!
All in all, if you like gourmet recipes and gourmet cooking, and don't mind spending endless hours hunting down exotic ingredients, this is a good book. If you like to enjoy the outdoors, ditch this book, put together some simple, good food and go enjoy!
Move Over Wolfgang Puck.......2004-09-15
For those of us who like to cook, camp and eat well, this book has no peer. If you love to cook anyway, this is the book for you. If you don't, stick with the premade stuff you buy at the sporting goods stores as the home prep is critical and time consuming. For me, it was heaven. And the rewards paid off in spades at the campsite because you merely "just add water" to create meals worthy of the finest home dinner party (as proof - we're home and I made one of the recipes for a dinner party this week!). Thank you Rick and Hal for changing the face of camp food -- and for your bright, witty text that made it even more of a pleasure. I can't wait for the sequel.
Gourmet Ultralight Backpackers Rejoice.......2004-06-22
The fact that everything tastes good outdoors has kept campers eating shoe leather and birdseed for years. This is for the serious back country gourmet who will go just about anywhere and do anything to eat well once they get there. Be prepared to break out the food dehydrator and camping oven. However, recipes like steamed Chinese dumplings and "The Most Dangerous Cake in the Wilderness" are good enough to serve at home. The book is lightweight at 17 ounces, yet packed with tasty ideas. "Leave No Crumbs" is the best kind of camp companion: it kept us well fed and laughing.
Average customer rating:
- A wonderful rapid-fire suspenseful romance
- GREAT romantic thriller
- Enjoyable read, with plenty of humor!
- Along Came Jones
- loved it, you gatta read it
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Along Came Jones (Palisades Pure Romance)
Linda Windsor
Manufacturer: Multnomah Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1590520327
Release Date: 2003-03-10 |
Book Description
Diana Wells lost track of God in her hard-earned quest for success in the New York advertising world. Now she's accused of embezzlement, fleeing for her life with nowhere else to turn. When trail outfitter Shepherd Jones runs Diana's car off the road, the ex -- U.S. Marshal isn't sure what to make of his comely stray. Instinct says this duchess of disaster is on the run and needs help -- a girl like her can't last long in the forsaken outpost of Buffalo Butte. But is Shep willing to risk his life and his heart to offer her the same refuge God once provided him?
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful rapid-fire suspenseful romance.......2007-02-17
Deanna Manetti is running for her life. When her escape is cut short by a wild stallion, she finds herself depending on a man named Shepherd Jones and the kindness of strangers. But who can she trust? "Along Came Jones" is an action-packed tale of suspense and second chances.
Linda Windsor paints a colorful picture of a close-knit western community. Her writing style flows smoothly from action sequences to romance to intrigue to spirituality and back to action again. This is a wonderful novel - so engaging, I didn't want to put it down.
GREAT romantic thriller.......2007-01-17
The characters were realistic, the plot was riveting, the romance was beautiful. The only thing that got to me was the ending. Holding onto the "bad guy" and giving him such a major role kinda threw me. And the realization "blow up" scene near the end was a tad over done, but everything eventually ties up nicely. Great book.
Enjoyable read, with plenty of humor!.......2006-12-18
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it may not be the best Christian fiction novel out there. The characters are realistic, the dialogue doesn't seem forced, and the story is compelling. The romance is rushed at times, but the banter and chemistry between Shep and Diana makes up for it. I found myself laughing at Diana countless times, and the author's sarcastic tone is refreshing in a world of stale Christian romances. I would definitely recommend this book!
Along Came Jones.......2006-05-31
I have never written an online review before, but I just HAD to review this one. It's my first Linda Windsor, but it won't be my last. I loved this book! Romance, action, humor, lovable characters, a great plot, and cowboys...what's not to love? Deanna's journey back to God, and the trust she learns to rely on are common in every Christian's life at some point. A friend loaned it to me, and I went out and bought it. This book should be a movie. Read it!
loved it, you gatta read it .......2006-03-07
picture your self being acussed of a crime you did not comit. Then after being questioned for countless hours you come home to find your appartment totaly trashed, wouldn't you be freking out. Well that is just some of what happened to the lead character in this thrilling mystery/action/romance novle.deanna has to over come the fear that some one is out to get her after driving several states from the only home she has known her hole adult life. in the mean time she totaly turn the life of a simple rancher sheperd jones (ex-marshell of the US gov.)upside down when he runs her off the road destroying her sports car and stranding her at his desrted gost town. Just wait and see all the trouble deanna and shep get in to as the find that broken hearts can mend and love is not totaly lost. that if you can beat the trials that they fase together any thing is possible with the help of god.
Book Description
For the first time in softcover, Edward Abbey's last book, a collection of unforgettable barbs of wisdom from the best-selling author of The Monkey Wrench Gang.Notes from a Secret JournalEdward Abbey on:Government"Terrorism: deadly violence against humans and other living things, usually conducted by a government against its own people."Sex"How to Avoid Pleurisy: Never make love to a girl named Candy on the tailgate of a half-ton Ford pickup during a chill rain in April out of Grandview Point in San Juan County, Utah."New York City"New Yorkers like to boast that if you can survive in New York, you can survive anywhere. But if you can survive anywhere, why live in New York?"Literature"Henry James. Our finest lady novelist."
Customer Reviews:
Bumpersticker Abbey!!.......2001-12-03
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........2001-06-26
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........2001-03-14
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!.......2000-06-07
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.
Vox et Abbey! Fantastic little book!.......1996-12-02
After Ed's passing, there were many holes, despite the prolific nature of the self proclaimed bastard. This small book offers a wonderful insight into the man behind the Monkey Wrench. Through his journals, poems and other unpublished work, another ray of desert sunlight falls upon Ed's hulking form. We miss you Abbey, but this eases the emptiness a little
Book Description
The journals of Richard "Dick" Proenneke are now available in an edited and annotated volume covering the years 1974 through 1980. The nation first became aware of the remarkable life of Dick Proenneke with the publication of One Man's Wilderness in 1973.
Master of woodcraft and camp craft, keen observer of the natural world, mechanical genius, tireless hiker and journalisx, for 30 years Proennek lived a storied existense in a small log cabin her built in the Alaska wilderness. Proenneke was an active yet reluctant participant in the epic struggle to protect some of Alaska's wild lands for future generations of Americans.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book!.......2007-07-19
This guy was amazing. His descriptions are wonderful and really make you feel like you know the guy. If you want to try before you buy it's also available at the NPS site in a PDF (www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/lacl/proenneke.pdf)
Read Proenneke's own words.......2007-06-19
This book, unlike One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith, gives us Dick's own words. The editor, a friend of Proenneke's, honored his request that, if this part of his journal were ever published, his words and phrasing not be changed in any way. So what you get here is Dick's own phrasing and manner of speech - which is folksy and direct.
Proenneke was disappointed that Sam Keith heavily edited his prose in One Man's Wilderness (which is obvious if you read both books) and he refused to have any more of his journals published without a promise that no editing would occur. If you are a fan of Dick Proenneke, this is the best and most authentic look at his life. It contains an introduction with a brief biography which, although short, is the only such work that we have.
Are you awake?.......2007-04-18
This book follows the daily life of Dick Proeneke as he lives in his log cabin in the Alaska Bush. He lives delibertly in the moment and enjoys life and manual labor. He is a gentle man who loves nature and is very spiritual without being religeous, to me he is the essence of Zen ,but he probably has no idea what Zen is. Something in this short little series of notes in this book,is almost like medicine. Something that we desparately need in this society of fame chasers,greedy sychophants,capitalist consumers, a quiet little message ,powerful and direct. Dick Proeneke got one up on us...
EXCELLANT -MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE THERE.......2006-10-12
THIS WAS THE SECOND BOOK I HAVE READ BY AND ABOUT DICK PROENNEKE. LIKE ONE MAN'S WILDERNESS, THIS BOOK IS A COMPILATION AND DAILY ACCOUNT OF DICKS' LIFE IN THE ALASKAN WILDERNESS. THE SIMPLE PROSE AND WRITING STYLE OF PROENNEKE IS EASY TO READ AND MAKES THE READER FEEL AS HE IS TALKING TO DICK IN PERSON. THERE IS ALOT OF READING AND THE BOOK IS LONG, BUT AFTER I FINISHED IT, I FOUND MYSELF YEARNING FOR MORE. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE ALASKAN PARK SERVICE( WHO PRINTED THIS BOOK) ALSO PRINT THE REMAINDER OF THE PROENNEKE JOURNALS.
THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU YEARN FOR EASIER TIMES. TIMES WHEN FOOD AND A ROOF WERE ALL YOU NEEDED.
IF YOU ARE CONTEMPLATING THIS BOOK --DON'T --GET IT. YOU TOO WILL BE YEARNING FOR MORE, AND FEELING THE BITE OF THE ALASKAN COLD AS YOU READ
Splendid sequel to One man's wilderness.......2006-02-20
A great book from a great writer I loved it A++++
Amazon.com
Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior James Watt may have seemed only a passing nightmare in his day, but he acted out of a very old tradition of American attitudes toward the land and its proper use. So did Henry David Thoreau. So did Edward Abbey. Americans have been arguing about the environment since the first boats landed at Jamestown, and by all appearances they'll keep right on arguing into the next millennium. The Idea of Wilderness packs the centuries-old story into a lively narrative with its full complement of heroes--Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold--a few choice villains of the robber-baron and bureaucrat persuasion, and a few middling souls like Gifford Pinchot, founder of the United States Forest Service. Max Oelschlaeger writes persuasively on the philosophical and religious underpinnings of various environmental positions, showing that indeed there's nothing new under the sun.
Customer Reviews:
Impressive review of (too many) wilderness thinkers from philosophical stance.......2006-07-26
There is a lot to like in this book. As I'll discuss later in this review, some sections provide valuable summaries and critiques of various thinkers and streams of thought. Oelschlaeger is at his best when he examines individuals at depth, but the overall structure of the book is less satisfactory.
The first two chapters summarizes vastly: paleolithic man, early agricultural man, ancient and Judeo-Christian views of nature, and medieval views. Obviously the texts available to Oelschlager improve with time; as a result, so does the degree to which one can take his summaries seriously. His reconstruction of Paleolithic and archaic views of nature are just erudite speculation - - after all, how can he, or anyone else, really know how paleolithic man *thought* about nature?
Oelschlager never makes clear why this review is important: should our views of wilderness be conditioned by how early man thought about nature? Do we need to recapture "primitive" understandings simply because they are more natural? Later on he briefly praises John Muir and ecofeminists - - amusing bedfellows, that - - for recapturing part of the Paleolithic, but it's not clear why that should be a Good Thing. Elsewhere he drops similar thoughts. Clearly Oelschlager sometimes seems to think something along the lines of needing to recover the Paleolithic, but he never says this, I don't think he really means it, and in any case he never confronts the issue directly.
The next two chapters review modernism and its critics. Both kinds of summaries are fine. Oelschlager's strategy is to summarize a large number of thinkers, each of whom get 2-5 pages. More synthesis, and a more thematic development would have been better here. This book isn't really a philosophical text that is trying to understand the unity of (say) Spinoza's thought, but rather a critical overview of how people have viewed nature and wilderness. Themes, not individual thinkers, would have better made the points that he wants.
The best chapters come in the middle of the book - - reviews of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold. Here Oelschlager finally has both enough text to work with, and enough space to develop each writer's overall thought. For me, these chapters also highlighted Oelschlager's failure to develop greater unity throughout the book. These three authors explore themes that we saw in the Paleolithic and ancient worlds, or in modernism and its critics, but Oelschlager doesn't draw out many of the connections. That said, these are wonderful chapters on their own, taken simply for their own purposes.
The chapter on Muir was the most impressive, making a case that Muir should be taken seriously as a developer of wilderness philosophy and not merely as a popularizer of others' ideas.
The final pair of chapters explores wilderness poetry of Robinson Jeffers and Gary Snyder, and then summarizes contemporary philosophies of wilderness. The poetry chapter doesn't reach the quality of the Thoreau, Muir and Leopold chapters, perhaps because of the ways in which poetry differs from prose style. Or maybe it's just me.
Oelschlaeger clearly seeks to contribute to contemporary philosophies of wilderness, as he does in chapter ten, which makes his review in chapter nine more important. Once again, however, he tends to move too fast - discussing authors and philosophical movements in 4-8 pages each. His own position consists more of allusions, and a la carte selections from the thoughts of others, not really a coherent alternative.
Potential readers should be aware that this is very much an academic book, and most of it is not easy reading. He does define the jargon that he uses (say, resourcism) but there is rather a lot of it. Chapters on modernism or contemporary wilderness philosophy are denser than the chapters on Muir or the Paleolithic. Oelschlager does summarize key elements of each body of thought in a convenient table, so he's *trying* to make it easier on us.
Thought-provoking but little else........2006-04-03
Max Oelschlaeger examines the politics of wilderness and history of interaction between humans and nature. He takes us through the history of wilderness philosophy as well. Oelschlaeger walks a fine line between historian and philosopher. I enjoyed reading the book for the simple fact it inspired me to examine my own take on wilderness. However, the book is not for the faint of heart and even the truest academics will need to keep a dictionary handy while trudging through Oelschlaeger's work. Extremely well researched and a must in the library of anyone truely interested in wilderness and its impact on the human race.
Excellent Insights and Perspective.......2004-07-14
This is the most comprehensive and insightful book I've read on the history of our relationship with nature. Beginning from 20,000 BCE to today, Oelschleager takes the reader on a journey through to the perceptions of wilderness from what can be gleaned about how Paleolithic man might have seen nature on through the myths, poetry and philosophies of ancient, modern and postmodern times, including the perspectives of philosophers from Heraclitus to Descartes and Thoreau, Muir and Leopold. He has masterfully accomplished his goal to write a universal history of "the idea of wilderness, and its ever-changing yet constant relationship between humankind and nature,"
This has been a seminal book in my life and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is seeking an objective and clear understanding of how in the midst of such affluence our culture has evolved to the current state of confusion, conflict and concern about our health and the health of the envirnoment and why we don't seem to be able to address these concerns effectively as of yet. When my son got this book as a gift, I began reading it and couldn't put it down. Soon I bought him another copy. It has provided me with answers to questions and concerns I've had from the time I was a child through college and into adulthood as to why so much of what I was being taught didn't jibe with my own experiences in nature and in life. The book is extensively researched and documented, yet even the end notes are engaging to read.
Get yourself back to the garden.......2001-02-26
'There are many things in western culture that are admirable. But a culture that alienates itself from the very ground of its own being - from the wilderness outside (that is to say wild nature, the wild, self-contained, self-informing ecosystems) and from that other wilderness, the wilderness within - is doomed to a very destructive behavior'.
This quotation from poet Gary Snyder sets the agenda for Max Oelschlaeger's important study of the idea of wilderness. His aim is to demonstrate the importance of the Darwinian idea of nature 'as the source of human existence, rather than a mere re-source to fuel the economy' (p.1) He approves strongly of a reaffirmation of the wilderness in the American consciousness, and along with Snyder he 'announces the opening of the frontier again and attempts to push it eastwards, to reverse America's historical process, to urge the wilderness to grow back into civilization, to release the stored energy from layers below us.' (L. Folson, quoted on p. 275).
This is more than a history of ecological ideas and more than a primer on 'wilderness philosophy'. It is a significant contribution to the question of civilisation and its purpose - in many respects a philosophical, ethical and religious challenge to the twenty-first century.
Book Description
During the winter of 1825, Richard Hamilton--a timid Harvard philosophy student--arrives in St. Louis on business for his father. Robbed and beaten, desperate to save his life, he reluctantly joins the crew of the Maria, a fur trader's keelboat. Bound for the beautiful, wild, and dangerous Indian country of the Upper Yellowstone River, the native Bostonian begins the education and adventure of a lifetime.
On a converging path is Packrat, a Pawnee warrior who captures a beautiful young Shoshone medicine woman named Heals Like a Willow. But slaves with ties to the spirit world can--and do--fight back.
As the Maria struggles deeper into the wilderness, Richard and Willow are cast together: seekers of knowledge and spirit, unwitting adversaries separated by time, space, and birthright. As inevitable as the collision of their two worlds, their love begins to unfold--and with it the terrible consequences of a forbidden consummation.
Customer Reviews:
Morning River: A Novel of the Great Missouri Wilderness in 1825 (Man From Boston) .......2007-09-27
After reading this book, I really dreaded it coming to an end. The follow-up book, "Coyote Summer" also comes highly recommended. You really feel like you're part of the mission/excursion. It seems like everybody who reads this book either knows someone like Richard Hamilton or can relate to him in some way. These two books showed how two different worlds could learn from each other and change their lives and the world around them.
"ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI".......2007-08-08
LIVING HISTORY, BEAUTIFULLY AND ACCURATELY PRESENTED IN A STORY OF A MAN,S INNER AND OUTER SEARCH FOR HIMSELF, HIS OWN MANHOOD IN THE TIMES HE LIVED, AND HIS SEARCH FOR FOR THE TRUTH OF HIS SOUL(S).
THE AUTHOR REVEALS HIS OWN SEARCH AND HIS OWN INNER BEAUTY TO US AS HE UNWINDS A TALE OF A WILD RIVER AND THE MULTI-FACETED CIVILIZATIONS THAT LIVED, FLOURISHED, STRUGGLED, AND DIED ALONG ITS COURSE. SO MUCH LIKE THE RIVER OF LIFE ITSELF. WE ARE ALSO REMINDED OF THE DANGERS OF MAN'S ARROGANCE AND PREJUDICE, WHICH CARRY FORWARD TO THE WORLD WE ALL LIVE IN TODAY.
DON'T FAIL TO READ THE SEQUEL "COYOTE SUMMER" (AS IF ONE COULD RESIST!) AND EVERY ONE OF THE VAST TREASURE OF BOOKS BY MICHAEL AND/OR KATHLEEN GEAR. AND NO, I DON'T KNOW THEM, BUT WOULD BE HONORED TO
WONDERFUL STORY.......2006-11-17
I absolutely LOVED this book. I was transfixed, spellbound, couldnt put it down and felt like I was living the story as I read it. The characters are incredible and the story was wonderful. I bought the sequal "Coyote Summer" the instant it was available and have since been in correspondence with Mr Gear begging him to write a 3rd sequel. I cant stand not knowing where life took his characters. If you even slightly enjoy historical type novels set in the early American frontier this is MUST reading.
The Greatest!!!!.......2006-07-27
I do not like to read, and was forced to read this book by my professor. Thank God he did, because it is the most amazing thing that I have ever read or will!!!
This book took over my life! Do yourself a favor, read this book!!!
Great, especially for guys!
A wonderful read.......2004-03-28
In 1825 Richard Hamilton is a wealthy, vain, arrogant foppish young Bostonian, intent upon spending his life as a philosopher, eating well-prepared foods off fine china. He knows everything about humanity and the meaning of life because he's read all the books - and he never hesitates to share his wisdom.
Richard's self-made father can't even be near him without losing patience, and decides Richard needs a good lesson in life. He sends him (kicking and screaming) off to St. Louis with $30,000 Richard is to deliver for a business deal.
On the way, Richard dismissively calls one of the steam ship's crew members an "animal". The crew member retaliates by attacking Richard after they land in St. Louis, stealing his money, then forcing him to sign a contract making him an indentured servant on a trading expedition for two years, a fate far more satisfying to the crew member (who thinks it's funny)than it would be to kill him. Everyone is threatened all around in order to ensure that Richard does his time on that expedition. And so Richard embarks on a journey experiencing life as he had never imagined it in Boston.
This is a wonderful, gripping story. The writing is excellent, the characters are colorful and well-drawn and the meticulous detail brings the American wilderness to life.
I highly recommend this book!
Customer Reviews:
"The Desert Mothers: Spiritual Practices from the Women of the Wilderness" .......2007-06-14
The Desert Mothers: Spiritual Practices from the Women of the Wilderness
There is no denying the impact the Desert Christians had and continue to have on Christian spirituality. Having myself been influenced by the Desert Christians for over twenty years, I welcome Mary C. Earle's book.
Looking at the title I am reminded of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. The last clause in that recount is "not counting the women and children." Estimates vary. Counting the women and children is thought to increase the number of those fed from 15,000 to 35,000. Even with the more modest 15,000, when we count the women and children it is a far bigger miracle than feeding merely 5,000 men.
Scholars tell us that the number of women in the desert far outnumbered the men. So perhaps it is safe to say that the impact of desert spirituality upon Christianity may be dependent more upon the contribution of women than men, even though only the sayings of four Ammas have been preserved. One can only hope that future archaeological digs will uncover a collection of sayings of the Desert Mothers.
Be that as it may, Rev. Earle has filled a need left lacking in Christianity for far too long. Not only does she answer her own question "where are all the women?", she tells us how to use what we read in the Desert Christians and apply it to our own lives. I say she has supplied a need because most of what is written about the Desert Christians has been scholarly: where did they come from; why did people flock out into the desert; development of monasticism and such topics. In this book, Rev. Earle uses the sayings very much as the first audience must have done: to change one's life in tangible ways.
It could be argued that main reason desert spirituality has been so important is precisely because it address the nitty gritty of how to meet Christ, turn one's back on one's old life to follow Him. The question is often "But how do we follow Jesus? What does that look like? I am sickened by the extravagance all around me, but how can i live differently?"
Could there be a more stark contrast between life in twenty-first century United States and the barren wastes of the deserts of Egypt? In an age when Voluntary Simplicity is a way of life for so many, when people take Internet quizzes to measure how big is their individual impact upon the planet, maybe the Desert Christians have something to say to us. I believe they do.
So does Rev. Mary Earle. In this deceptively short book (less than 100 pages), she uses a saying as a jumping off point, becomes an Amma herself to start us thinking of our homes as our hermitage or what it effect it might have on us were we to be regular in prayer and reading Scriptures. Above I called it a "deceptively short book." This is because its impact is in excess of the number of pages. One every one, Rev. Earle invites us deeper into the life of faith and the most simple lifestyle possible.
like visiting with a dear friend over coffee or tea.......2007-04-03
Mary Earle, Episcopal priest and teacher, takes tiny gems from the known writings of desert mothers (ammas) to help regular folk deal with and even embrace the desert moments in their lives. Mary is a mother and pastor and a teacher. Her writings here take snippets of writings from Christian women at the birth of Christianity and sift them through her understanding of being in the world. She uses these sayings of the mothers to remind us that deserts, while challenging, are not bad places or places devoid of richness or places of escape. Earle, through her engagement with the writings of these holy women, encourages women (and men) to acknowledge their desert places, to embrace the challenges of such places, and to create cells (holy corners) to make sense of our lives.
It is a short book full of thoughtful passages and practical applications. It would make a lovely gift for anyone, but especially those who feel sort of "stuck" in a desert-like moment.
Mary Earle has done it again........2007-02-26
What she did for Celtic Christian spirituality and Benedictine practice in her previous books--combine rich historical and theological background with practical ways to engage a particular way of praying--Mary Earle does here for the tradition of the "desert mothers." She introduces us to some remarkable 4th century women (less well known but no less wise than their male counterparts), and invites us to join them on their journey into God. These desert women take us back to basics: reminding us to stay open to ongoing transformation, to trust in God's abiding Presence, to cherish silence in our noisy world. Weaving together scholarship, story-telling, and shrewd insight from her own experience, Mary Earle leads us to see our daily lives as "the very habitat of God," and shows us "ways of becoming new." Her style is quiet, conversational, disarming--but be warned: the company of these luminous women could change your life. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Collected from the works of Chinese evangelist Watchman Nee, these daily devotions focus on the nature and glory of God as the starting point for our spiritual questioning.
Customer Reviews:
The SPIRITUAL GIANT of devotional books.......2007-06-03
Absolutely the spiritual giant of devotional books!
The Christian who is nearing the "end of themselves" will benefit most from this book. Watchman Nee joins the puzzle pieces of our Christian learning and life experience (especially our failures)...giving us the bigger, more powerful picture that the Lord has carefully prepared us to see. Readers will rejoice as they learn that dismal failure has actually prepared them for the higher ground where Victory is found.
Watchman Nee literally poured out his life to receive this wisdom from the Lord and make it available to those with spiritual hunger. The revelations in this book will open doors that have previously been locked.
Table Indeed!.......2001-05-25
Watchman Nee is the best. He is so good at making the word accessible and understandable. Based on Psalm 23, Pastor Nee expounds on how God prepares a table for us (even in the midst of our enemies). To me it's a must read.
5 stars is not enough!.......1999-12-10
This is a wonderful book. Written in daily format, God seems to speak to me through this book each day as I read it and re-read it year after year. Another book, just as good in daily meditation format is A Joyful Heart.
5 stars is not enough!.......1999-12-10
This is a wonderful book. Written in daily format, God seems to speak to me through this book each day as I read it and re-read it year after year. Another book, just as good in daily meditation format is A Joyful Heart.
A rich daily devotional book........1998-06-24
This book has had a greater impact on my growth and development as a Christian than any other book I can think of. Watchman Nee's other books, such as The Spiritual Man, are a little too deep and theological for me to wade through, but Table In the Wilderness is like eating bites of fine steak, rich and deep, but in an easily digested form. It is laid out in a daily-reading format, but all the material is so laden with gold that at the end of the year you want to turn around and go through it again, for the next year. Five stars!
Books:
- Voyager
- Water Song: A Retelling of "The Frog Prince" (Once Upon a Time)
- Why Didn't I Learn This in College?
- Why We Want You to be Rich: Two Men - One Message
- Words of Wisdom: Daily Affirmations of Faith
- A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander)
- A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
- A House on the Water: Inspiration for Living at the Water's Edge
- A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
Books Index
Books Home
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