Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web

Book Description

Smart gardeners know that soil is anything but an inert substance. Healthy soil is teeming with life — not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants, and thus become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of artificial substances, many of them toxic to humans as well as other forms of life. But there is an alternative to this vicious circle: to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web — the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms whose interactions create a nurturing environment for plants. By eschewing jargon and overly technical language, the authors make the benefits of cultivating the soil food web available to a wide audience, from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants without resorting to chemicals.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent - have the best yard on the block with half the work!.......2007-10-10

This book is awesome for explaining the why behind organic gardening. It also tells you how to have an almost fertilizer-free lawn using microbes in compost tea and compost, and how to encourage the right kind of microbes for your various plants through the use of different kinds of mulches. It explains each step in the soil food web, how to identify any holes in your soil food web, and different steps you can take to improve the health and variety of microbes in your yard and garden. I was surprised at some common gardening practices which are actually bad for your yard!!! It was an enjoyable read with lots of interesting pictures, and made absolutely clear the importance of healthy soil when growing plants, and how to achieve it naturally and easily.

Very good book.......2007-09-30

I am a very seasoned gardener already using many of the techniques proposed by the book. However my approach was based on intuition and experience. This book explains how all fits together in a simpler and more accessible way than the Soil Microbiology treatises.
Strongly recommended for gardeners of all levels.

Learned a great deal about improving my gardens.......2007-09-18

I has astonished at how much new information this book covered. Just the section on new oxygen activated compost teas was worth the price of the book. Highly recommended. I am starting to use the teas and can't wait to see the results.

A must read for anyone who cares about the environment.......2007-07-07

As other reviewers noted this is a 5+ star book. I agree w/ their comments and really have little more to add. I think the authors are passionate about their subject, not only as shown by the book's interesting content, but the presentation of this book. They choose high quality paper (should it have been recycled???) with beautiful photos of the soil's hidden helpers. I read it in an afternoon as one would a novel and highlighted pssages as I went along for easy reference.

Easy reading and informative.......2007-06-27

I had to get this book for a botanical class I am taking. As I began to read this book I am grateful that this is the recommended text. It is pleasant to read and informative.

Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy

Average customer rating:

Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy
Olof Alexandersson
Manufacturer: Newleaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Hidden Nature: The Startling Insights of Viktor Schauberger
Living Energies: An Exposition of Concepts Related to the Theories of Viktor Schauberger
Energy Evolution (The Eco-Technology Series)
The Fertile Earth: Nature's Energies in Agriculture, Soil Fertilisation and Forestry (The Eco-Technology Series, Volume 3)
Nature As Teacher: How I Discovered New Principles in the Working of Nature (Eco-Technology Series)

ASIN: 0717133907

Wildlife Warrior: Steve Irwin: 1962 - 2006, a Man Who Changed the World

Average customer rating:

This book should be RATED R, not for Christians or kids
An Honest and Fair Read
Could have been a little better, but hey
Steve Irwin, a Man Who Changed the World
Gone but never forgotten

Wildlife Warrior: Steve Irwin: 1962 - 2006, a Man Who Changed the World
Richard Shears
Manufacturer: New Holland Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

He Changed Our World - Steve Irwin Memorial Tribute
Steve Irwin: The Incredible Life of the Crocodile Hunter
The Crocodile Hunter: The Incredible Life and Adventures of Steve and Terri Irwin
Steve Irwin: Wildlife Warrior: An Unauthorized Biography
The Crocodile Hunter - Collision Course

ASIN: 1741105528

Book Description

Steve Irwin's sudden and tragic death made headline news around the world. Shock and grief followed. He was a giant and the world has lost a man of heroic proportions: the Crocodile Hunter touched and change lives everywhere. Wildlife Warrior charts Steve Irwin's amazing life - from his childhood in Victoria, Australia, through his work in the wilderness and his zoo. It follows his story into marriage and his fame on the world stage as he took every opportunity to spread the word about wildife conservation. He was a natural historian, whose passion will be remembered long after the world has paid its final respects. A percentage of the proceeds of this book will be directed to ensuring the survival of wildlife around the world.

Customer Reviews:

This book should be RATED R, not for Christians or kids.......2007-09-27

Steve Irwin was a great man. This book has language in it that could have been left out. I wish I could return the book because I couldn't read all of it and it is something that I can never share for the language. There was no warning of this so beware.

An Honest and Fair Read.......2007-08-24

While I agree the book was written in a bit of a disorganized style, and some wording in sentences made me have to re read some to get the sense of it, I am Thoroughly enjoying the read, I'm almost done with it. Its Fair, esp. the part about Steve supposedly putting his baby in danger nearly feeding him to the crocs as so many put it.. I am a huge fan of Steve and Terri, and I KNOW how much he loves his family, I NEVER was worried or shocked, as I understand him and his thinking.. he'd NEVER take a chance of any kind with his children, family, friends, co-workers. Richard wrote about all of it fairly and honestly, which I appreciated, and felt he is also a fan too with a fondness for the man. Richard is an award winning writer, so I did enjoy the book. Some nice pictures in it.
First time using Product link, its for the new book by Terri Irwin herself, titled "Steve and Me" - not sure I did it right.Steve and Me: Life with the Crocodile Hunter

Could have been a little better, but hey.......2007-07-03

This book is mainly clips based on articles/personal opinions from many 3rd hand sources, and did seem maybe just a little disorganized, but not bad at all. I would still recommend this book highly for the mere fact that you get a good look into the life and chronicles of Steve Irwin. Sadly the book also discusses what his future plans were, and how tragic it was he died before he could finish them. His death was a terrible loss to the world.

Steve Irwin, a Man Who Changed the World.......2007-02-09

A wonderful look at the life of a truly great man.

Gone but never forgotten.......2007-01-16

A wonderful account of Steve's life from someone that dearly loved the man and his work. We should never forget Steve and what he stood for and continue caring and believing in what he did.

Average customer rating:

Another book of lovely excursions to the island of Corfu
Good product
Menagerie
Another fix of Durrell family fun
My family and other animals

Birds, Beasts, and Relatives
Gerald Durrell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

My Family and Other Animals
A Zoo in My Luggage
Menagerie Manor
Marrying Off Mother: And Other Stories
The Whispering Land

ASIN: 0142004405
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Book Description

Part coming-of-age autobiography and part nature guide, Gerald Durrell's dazzling sequel to My Family and Other Animals is based on his boyhood on Corfu, from 1933 to 1939. Originally published in 1969 but long out of print, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives is filled with charming observations, amusing anecdotes, boyhood memories, and childlike wonder.

Customer Reviews:

Another book of lovely excursions to the island of Corfu.......2007-09-24

This is another wonderful books of Gerald Durrell's memories of his time on the island of Corfu prior to the Second World War. He takes us back to another time and place before the world changed for good.

Each chapter is a separate story and rememberence of those days when as a young man he marvels at not only the natural world around him, but also the various people he encounters and learns to appreciate. It is easy to get lost in one of these stories and feel like you are there with him on a hot summer day with his faithful dogs tagging along beside him.

I recommend this book to anyone who not only loves nature, but also can appreciate a time gone by when people were different and even strangers were looked as guests. This book is one that I intend to read again and again in the coming years and will appreciate the stories just much each time as the first time.

Good product.......2007-08-16

The books arrived in perfect condition and in very good time. I am completely satisfied.

Menagerie.......2003-10-07

Gerald Durrell is the younger brother of Lawrence Durrell. The island of Corfu lies off of the Albanian and Greek coastlines. The family settled there to escape the deary English weather.

Gerald's mother fought a losing battle with the Greek language. The family members became familiar with all of the peasants in the region. Gerald had a tutor named George who was an adept of fencing and an adult scientist friend named Theodore.

Gerald visited the rock pools while his sister swam. Margo's sun bathing bothered a church functionary, a monk. Gerald sought permission to follow a fisherman, to accompany him in his boat when he fished at night. The fisherman used a trident to catch scorpios.

There was a myrtle forest near the family's house. Gerald received a rich dark brown donkey for his birthday. The donkey was used by Gerald to transport things. Larry brought home friends, artists and writers, and brought home an artist who could play the accordian, Sven.

Theordore had told a countess that Gerald, who was a fairly young boy at the time, was a naturalist and had a number of pets. The countess offered to give him a white owl who had an injured wing. Gerald went to fetch it and to meet her on his donkey.

He wanted to add baby hedgehogs to his menagerie. When he went away for a weekend his sister overfed them and they died. The book is joyous and colorful. The snippets above are used to give the reader a sense of what to expect.

Another fix of Durrell family fun.......2001-02-06

I eagerly read this after "My Family and Other Animals" (which I had enjoyed immensely). It contains stories which were omitted from "My Family" and while the offerings were still magical and wonderfully well-written and sometimes hilarious (especially the story about the turtle), it lacked the memorability of its predecessor. There was also no real structure in the order of the stories, this is more of a miscellaneous collection.

My family and other animals.......2000-02-29

I read Gerald Durrell's books 10 years ago, while I was still living in Romania. I loved his books from the first page to the last and literally I couldn't put them down until I finished them. The best humour I ever met in books! His stile is unique. I am planning on reading all of them again in English. I would recommend them to anyone!

A Patch of Eden: America's Inner-City Gardeners

Average customer rating:

A Patch of Eden: America's Inner-City Gardeners
H. Patricia Hynes
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Garden Weasel Gold Garden Claw Cultivator #91306

ASIN: 0930031806

Amazon.com

This is the delightful story of the resurgence in urban community gardening, describing the rehabilitation of jail inmates through raising organic vegetables, teaching inner city youngsters where food comes from, and laying out an inspirational plan to help all of us world-worn urbanites get involved once again in raising delicious food in the midst of our paved-over, formerly bleak, urban landscapes. This is about making the World a Better Place, about getting our fingers in the dirt, touching our planet with loving hands, and creating a vision of hope for our cities and our children.

Average customer rating:

More about Michael Pollan than gardens
Delightful reading
philosopher of gardening
Lawn Mowing et al
For the virtual gardener

Second Nature: A Gardener's Education
Michael Pollan
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Voices of the Land

ASIN: 0871134438

Book Description

In his articles and in best-selling books such as The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan has established himself as one of our most important and beloved writers on modern man's place in the natural world. A new literary classic, Second Nature has become a manifesto not just for gardeners but for environmentalists everywhere. Chosen by the American Horticultural Society as one of the seventy-five greatest books ever written about gardening, Second Nature captures the rhythms of our everyday engagement with the outdoors in all its glory and exasperation. With chapters ranging from a reconsideration of the Great American Lawn, a dispatch from one man's war with a woodchuck, to an essay about the sexual politics of roses, Pollan has created a passionate and eloquent argument for reconceiving our relationship with nature.

Customer Reviews:

More about Michael Pollan than gardens.......2007-05-15

That's not entirely fair, but...this is a book of essays, not a natural history or gardening book. It is about Pollan's perceptions of nature and landscape, through the gateway of his garden. He does only enough research to flesh out his musings with historical fact and literary reference - and he is very selective. He leans heavily on Thoreau, and neglects wider scholarship. His essays bog down in pedantic and turgid language (he abuses at least one 5-syllable word per essay). The writing is much like Bill Bryson's, about whom, I'm also kinda lukewarm. I didn't love it, although there are good bits - the story of his first rose plantings was interesting, and inspired me to drop a few snobby old roses in the sod.

Delightful reading.......2007-03-09

Michael Pollan's writing is full of metaphors. This book about nature as a human construct was enjoyable to read. I found some parts frustrating because I like the romantic idea of nature even if it is just a human construct. But overall I would recommend this book for a quick read.

philosopher of gardening.......2007-02-08

I loved this book. It is written in the spirit of earth that author obviously is in love with. The book is divided into four seasons: spring summer,fall and winter. Each of the seasons has it's own unique characteristic that follows ancient tradition of preparing soil, sowing,cultivating, weeding, harvesting and winter nothingness.
However if reader looks for practical advises, he or she will not find it here. It is a wonderfull read for all the nature lovers.

Lawn Mowing et al.......2006-07-22

Pollans description of what is a green thumb and the sysiphean art of mowing reminded me how therapeutic gardening can be and why it cures depression. Thank you Michael for making me look at my roses in a totally different way. You will love this book if you tend to think in pictures and love the art and hard work of gardening.

For the virtual gardener.......2006-06-27

I picked up this book when I didn't have my own dirt to get my hands into, and I was hoping to garden vicariously through Pollan's essays.

There are a lot of lessons to be found. For instance, the chapter on roses explains how human intervention and selective breeding brought about a huge difference between the technicolor tear-dropped buds we see for sale at the grocery store and the rounder and simpler flowers that Shakespeare and his contemporaries wrote about.

Throughout the book Pollan makes the case for uniting culture and nature in the garden rather than pitting them against each other as Thoreau (the naturist) did in his writings or suburban landscaping (very culture-centered) implies today. It is an interesting argument worth considering, but by the fourth part when I found it repeated for the umpteenth time without anything new to add I quit reading the book.

Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in the Sierra

Average customer rating:

Good book for the plane
Mother Nature & Politics--Man is Always the Bad Guy
Slow, Ponderous
Poor writing with some good stories
Wildness and beauty at the heart of Mother Lode country

Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in the Sierra
Jordan Fisher Smith
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Last Season (P.S.)
Shattered Air: A True Account of Catastrophe and Courage on Yosemite's Half Dome
Hey Ranger!: True Tales of Humor & Misadventure from America's National Parks
Park Ranger True Stories from a Ranger's Career in America's National Parks
Seaworthy: Adrift with William Willis in the Golden Age of Rafting

ASIN: 0618224165

Book Description

Nature Noir is the intensely original story -- part Edward Abbey, part James Ellroy -- of Jordan Fisher Smith's fourteen years as a park ranger on forty-eight miles of Sierra Nevada river canyons. The gorgeous government-owned land along the American River that Fisher Smith and his band of fellow rangers have pledged to protect is (think Catch-22) condemned to be inundated by a huge dam. As Smith learns from his first day on patrol, the provisional quality of life here attracts the marginal and the pure crazy. Ranger work, in this place where wildness tends toward the human kind, includes encounters with armed miners who scour canyons for gold, drug-addled squatters, and extreme recreators who enjoy combining motorcycles, parachutes, and high bridges. Nature Noir reveals some startling truths about park rangering on America's public lands. In one heart-stopping scene, Smith comes across the corpse of a woman runner, killed and partly eaten by a mountain lion -- the first Californian to die in that way since the nineteenth century. Elsewhere, the predator on the loose may be human, and Smith goes looking for the bones of a long-missing woman in the surreal landscape around a half-constructed dam slowly reverting to wild.

Customer Reviews:

Good book for the plane.......2007-06-20

I don't really have much to say about Nature Noir. I read it on the plane out to Denver. It was recommended to me by a non-fiction writer and I heard part of an interview with the author on the radio. I confess that I have not read a great deal of non-fiction aside from personal essays. "Nature Noir" read much like a long personal essay, interspersed with the customary commentary on landscape necessary in all nature writing. Smith's narrative seeks to dispel the idyllic image of wilderness and the life of the Forest Ranger. And I imagine for many people, particularly people who do not spend much time in the Western backcountry, Smith's reports of meth-labs, poachers, suicides, and predator attacks contrast their image of wilderness. But it's something most people who spend time in the backcournty have know about for some time. Ultimately I found his tales and observations somewhat pedestrian. The reviewer on the inside cover compared the work to Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder, and Aldo Leopold. Such comparisons are far too generous for this particular work.

Mother Nature & Politics--Man is Always the Bad Guy.......2007-03-26

Alas.......A good friend recommended this book for me. He really enjoyed the heck out of it, but I guess I didn't get the same thrill out of reading it. In fact, it was like a big sleeping pill for me to try and finish this book. Sorry 'bout that Steve......but like any book I've ever read, there are always some tidbits of information that makes a person smarter, so I'm not unhappy that I read it. If a person is really into environmental issues, then this just might be the kind of book some other reader is looking for.

Basically the author tells of his 20+ years as a park forest ranger on the north-western coast of California, Sierra Nevada of California, Wyoming's Grand Tetons, and a couple of other locations. His primary focus was the government-owned land of the American River that is condemned to be covered by a dam some day. In his mind it is doomed land that will eventually be flooded over and never to be enjoyed by human kind again. It will be a home that will be taken from the existing animals that now preside there. The flora and fauna will eventually be covered by water too. Of course, whatever good might come from the dam such as a new water supply for the ever-expanding human population, new wildlife in the form of fish, water fowl, underwater plant life, etc. aren't considered as a positive tradeoff. Instead, a new dam is just more human exploitation of mother nature.

Smith spends some time talking about the human element of being a park ranger and the kinds of people that spend time in the public park system, but mostly his focus was on the negative side of the human experience (the armed miners, wild druggies, alcohol-crazed losers, squatters, motorcyclists, gangs, bridge jumpers, etc.). Not much was mentioned about the vast majority of the public (families, campers, and nature lovers) who visit the national forests and treat it with respect.

Smith gives his reader lots of history and geography lessons throughout the book. What it was like to be a park ranger really took the back seat to the author pressing his environmental and political agendas. Instead, we are given a big dose of environmental politics and conservationist history which I found to be mostly dry and uninteresting. In my mind, Smith made 'Man' the bad guy. I also felt that he was a rather bitter person as he looked back on his years as a ranger.

Sooooooo........the bottom line is that this book didn't quite do it for me.

Slow, Ponderous.......2007-01-19

The book started with a bang and ended with a whimper. It was tedious reading by and large, as the Park System is viewed by kind of the Willie Loman of Rangers. He also, as is common in this day, blames all the world's ills on America's and particularly George Bush's failure to get with the program and turn America into a socialist paradise.
He also spent twenty years with his co-workers, but has about as much insight, overt compassion, and intimacy with them as I have with the people with whom I wait for the bus. I'd really have to suggest skipping this depressing and needlessly politicized book; the ramblings of an embittered man. It reminded me of a poor-man's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

Poor writing with some good stories.......2007-01-05

Jordan Fisher Smith's writing is extremely poor. However, some of the stories he writes on are interesting despite his lack of proper grammer. I am pretty sure he uses the word "I" 20 times in one page multiple times in this book. But if you can get through the poor writing the book is fairly interesting.

Wildness and beauty at the heart of Mother Lode country.......2007-01-02

Far from safeguarding the big-time, high-profile, and first-rate landscape and wilderness of the national parks and national monuments as a ranger, Jordan Fisher Smith instead worked to safeguard a second-rate, or even third-rate, semi-wilderness that was slated for damming and was open country for prospective miners, developers, and social misfits. For those who have sped through I-80 east through Auburn and Colfax, admittedly more interested in the snowcapped peaks of Emigrant Gap and Donner Pass than in the canyons of the Western Sierra foothills that cradle the forks of the American River, a reappreciation of this part of the Mother Lode country is inevitable, thanks to the powerful sense of place and environmental sensibility of Smith, not to mention a writing style infused with humility and devoid of preachiness. Hence the title "Nature Noir", where, unless you are a local who knew the land (such as Smith himself) or an avid river-runner of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the American River, you would have never thought twice of the wilderness quality of a place with a dam and reservoir that never existed but was already permanently emplaced on maps and mindset of people who had power over the use of the land for flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectricity. In this land, laws are broken, boundaries are pushed, and the moral resilience of rangers are tested, but there is salvation in the knowledge that nature still rules--pockets of wildness where human--and boat--tracks are erased, an aerial flood of beetles swarm from seemingly nowhere, people's lives are claimed by the power of water, a runner is ambushed by a mountain lion, wildflowers burgeon, and a clearer understanding of the complex geology merely underscores the power of nature over human folly where short-term gains tend to overlook long-term large-scale disasters.

Woodswoman: Young Ecologist Meets Challenge Living Alone Adirondack Wilderness

Average customer rating:

Engrossing story, don't miss it.
Captivating!
On the Road with the WOODSWOMAN
A sensitive, intelligent, and compelling book
Enthralling!

Woodswoman: Young Ecologist Meets Challenge Living Alone Adirondack Wilderness
Anne LaBastille
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Woodswoman II: Beyond Black Bear Lake
Woodswoman III: Book Three of the Woodswoman's Adventures
Women and Wilderness (Sierra Club Paperback Library)
A Place in the Woods
We Took to the Woods, 2nd Edition

ASIN: 0140153349

Customer Reviews:

Engrossing story, don't miss it........2005-04-23

I read this book when it was first published and I have carried it around in my head ever since. My copy has "gone missing" and now intend to repurchase and read it again. I will always recall Anne's adventures warmly. Her statement about using the wind as a dryer has stuck with me. She is a remarkble woman.

Captivating!.......2005-04-22

Her first - WOODSWOMAN - just captivated me from the first page to the last. Then, every other book in the series - WOODSWOMAN II, WOODSWOMAN III - was like watching a movie. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. WOODSWOMAN IV is the most exciting yet - her walk across Black Bear Lake in February through three inches of ice water over one foot of snow is riveting. The chapters about her German shepherd, Chekika, who was quadriplegic for two years, show the deep love the author has for her dogs. When James Herriot published his books, I didn't think anyone could come close to his writing. But, Anne has. I love her books as much as his!

On the Road with the WOODSWOMAN.......2005-02-18

WOODSWOMAN IV - Book Four of the Woodswoman's Adventures.
Anne LaBastille ISBN 0-9632846-3-0

Strong and independent, Anne LaBastille has chosen to live very simply as an ecologist and an Adirondack wilderness guide. She loves the solitude of the mountain lakes and woodlands. Fortunately for us she shares her vision once again in this fourth book of the WOODSWOMAN series. She seeks solitude and revels in everyday miracles of nature. She lives a contemplative, traditional life in an increasingly technological world. In this book she shares vignettes of life in her log cabin next to the Adirondack wilderness; a frugal, yankee approach to publishing; a "Deliverance-like" adventure in Appalachia and much more. Her style is conversational and easy. Delve into a chapter and into the book's 50 photos and you are there, alongside her. It is a fast and delightful read.
I really didn't want this book to end.

Ellie Horwitz
Concord, MA

A sensitive, intelligent, and compelling book.......2003-10-02

I have to admit up front: I'm an Anne LaBastille fan. Ever since I read her gripping book, Woodswoman, I've been hooked. As an avid conservationist and author, I've even had the privelege of meeting her and having dinner with her at her cabin on her beloved Black Bear Lake. Sitting around a crackling fire, drinking wine, we talked about book publishing, writing, and the acid rain that has devastated lakes like hers in the northeastern United States.

This book, while tamer than Woodswoman is a sensitive, intelligent, and compelling tale of five years in Anne's life in the Adirondacks. Those who, like me, read her books will be rewarded many times over. Those who haven't yet had the opportunity to explore her world will likely find this book a delight. No matter what the topic -- her self-publishing ventures, a hummingbird that landed on her hand to seek refuge from an overzealous suitor, the death of her beloved dog Chekika or her wild adventures in America's South -- Anne's skilled story telling will keep you entranced. You'll smile, you'll laugh, you'll shiver in fear, and you'll cry as you read this wonderful book. You'll no doubt want to go back to the beginning to pick up a copy of Woodswoman.

Enthralling!.......2003-06-21

Anne LaBastille has penned another riveting read recounting her adventures as an independent woman residing in the wilderness and as a wildlife biologist striving to protect the natural world. She shares her forays in the complex world of self-publishing which adds a new dimension to this already accomplished visionary. Quite frankly, LaBastille is my favorite writer - her life is fascinating and I marvel at her commitment and ability to convey the emotional pain of losing her beloved pet-companions. Her talented writing style allows the reader to experience the fear of death she faced when confronted by out-of-control, gun-wielding thugs while camping in a public wilderness park. WOODSWOMAN IV is a page-turner that chronicles the changes in "Woodswoman's" life - and society.

Customer Reviews:

Want a detailed description of a snow-banner? the nut-pine?.......1997-08-01

Or numerous other natural phenomena? Come browse Muir's collection of books. Yes, browse the 1,030 pages which comprise his writings. This book is excellent for the student of nature because his descriptive writing takes you to the high Sierra, the redwood forests, the 1,000 mile trek through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. You are there and you want to be THERE! While much of the description was written over 100 years ago, the magnificence of a Sequoia, the humidity of a Florida swamp and the curiosity of a Douglas squirrel is still REAL today. A true travelogue for nature lovers and mountainmen wannabes alike

Average customer rating:

Magnificent man, fine book
Provides vision and hope.
What a nature lover!

John Muir: Nature's Visionary
Gretel Ehrlich
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

John Muir : Nature Writings: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth; My First Summer in the Sierra; The Mountains of California; Stickeen; Essays (Library of America)
Meditations of John Muir: Nature's Temple
The Wilderness World of John Muir
Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir
The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures

ASIN: 0792279549
Release Date: 2000-11-01

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent man, fine book.......2003-07-24

John Muir is one of the greatest and least appreciated men of the paste 150 years. His fierce determination to preserve the wilderness was a gift to us all. This book does him justice in all ways. Not only is it beautifully written and crafted, the author's empathy and understanding of Muir is evident throughout. Naturally there is an emphasis on Muir's tremendous conservationist efforts, but I was pleased to see material on his early years in Scotland and the emigration to America. Ehrlich also discusses in some detail Muir's loss or sight and his spontaneous restoration of sight. An incredible story in itself.

Most of the book is devoted to Muir's tireless environmental work in California. His (ultimately futile) battle to save Hetch Hetchy is described in painful detail. His triumphs are also chronicled, including his epic hiking adventures, trail forging and wilderness activism. This is a first-rate biography of an outstanding human being, and hero to envioronmentalists everywhere.

Provides vision and hope........2003-07-06

An elegant and beautiful book. It was both visionary and poetic, like Muir, and offers us a fine, new appreciation of the man and his message in this time of political and environmental degradation. Stunning photographs.

What a nature lover!.......2002-09-04

This is an excellent book about the life of one of our greatest conservationists. If you have enjoyed Muir's books, I highly advise learning about his incredible life journey with this great biography.

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