Wanderlust: A History of Walking

Amazon.com

The ability to walk on two legs over long distances distinguishes Homo sapiens from other primates, and indeed from every other species on earth. That ability has also yielded some of the best creative work of our species: the lyrical ballads of the English romantic poets, composed on long walks over hill and dale; the speculations of the peripatetic philosophers; the meditations of footloose Chinese and Japanese poets; the exhortations of Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman.

Rebecca Solnit, a thoughtful writer and spirited walker, takes her readers on a leisurely journey through the prehistory, history, and natural history of bipedal motion. Walking, she observes, affords its practitioners an immediate reward--the ability to observe the world at a relaxed gait, one that allows us to take in sights, sounds, and smells that we might otherwise pass by. It provides a vehicle for much-needed solitude and private thought. For the health-minded, walking affords a low-impact and usually pleasant way of shedding a few pounds and stretching a few muscles. It is an essential part of the human adventure--and one that has, until now, been too little documented.

Written in a time when landscapes and cities alike are designed to accommodate automobiles and not pedestrians, Solnit's extraordinary book is an enticement to lace up shoes and set out on an aimless, meditative stroll of one's own. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Drawing together many histories-of anatomical evolution and city design, of treadmills and labyrinths, of walking clubs and sexual mores-Rebecca Solnit creates a fascinating portrait of the range of possibilities presented by walking. Arguing that the history of walking includes walking for pleasure as well as for political, aesthetic, and social meaning, Solnit focuses on the walkers whose everyday and extreme acts have shaped our culture, from philosophers to poets to mountaineers. She profiles some of the most significant walkers in history and fiction-from Wordsworth to Gary Snyder, from Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennet to Andre Breton's Nadja-finding a profound relationship between walking and thinking and walking and culture. Solnit argues for the necessity of preserving the time and space in which to walk in our ever more car-dependent and accelerated world.

Customer Reviews:

A personal and erudite survey of three centuries of walking.......2007-03-17

Solnit's "history of walking" is a surprising excursion in a vast and unsystematised subject area. Indeed, like eating and playing, walking is one of these emblematic human activities that are invested with wildly different cultural meanings. I picked up the book because I am an avid walker and mountaineer and, as I learned, an adherent to the British walking tour ethos. For me there is something fundamentally cleansing, wholesome and right about spending time in the great outdoors. However, this smug romanticism, this adhering to an "established religion for the middle class" is sternly criticised by the author of this book.

For Solnit walking is a quintessentially political activity. And the politics play out at different levels. First, walking is a bulwark against the erosion of the mind by the incessant contemporary rethoric of efficiency and functionality. The walker exposes herself to the accidental, the unexpected, the random and unscreened, and by doing so rebels against the speed and alienation endemic in our postindustrial world. Second, walking is also a reclamation of a physical and public space that is increasingly suburbanised and privatised. Solnit discusses how the early 20th century city was an arena for aesthetic experimentation and political agitation. Walkers and flaneurs, starting with De Quincey in London and Baudelaire in Paris, experimented with an urban underground culture suffused with eroticism and desire. Protest marchers all over the world and throughout the ages have relied on the democratic functions of the street to make their voices heard. Today, the scope for these kinds of trespasses are increasingly rare due to encroaching private property rights and a soulless, panoptic urban architecture. Hence, thus Solnit, we need to revitalise a counterculture to walk in resistance to the post-industrial and post-modern loss of space, time and embodiment. Last and perhaps not least, walking is and will remain the domain of the amateur. It is one of these few areas of human activity where a hierarchy based on expertise makes very little sense. Everyone, barring physical disabilities, is in principle able to be an expert walker.

Beyond the political, there is also a phenomenological dimension to walking which is quite deftly described by Solnit as an "alignment between mind, body and the world". Whoever has spent a couple of days on the trail knows that once the rhythm has been established, one becomes much more alert to minute variations in sensory input (smell, colour, temperatur). Meanwhile, the mind starts to wander much more freely. Solnit writes: "This creates an odd consonance between internal and external passage, one that suggests that the mind is also a landscape of sorts and that walking is one way to traverse it."

Solnit's smart and cogent survey of 3 centuries of walking is appropriately brought into relief by her supple and subtle prose which is a real pleasure to read. Her writing is warmly personal - with a tone that modulates unexpectedly between stridency and vulnerability - as well as erudite. There is none of the pedantic selfconsciousness that spoils the discourse of many academic writers and popularisers alike. After "Wanderlust" I went on to read Solnit's "Field guide to getting lost" which, although not in the same league, confirms her qualities as an engaging personal voice.

Read this Book, and Go for a Walk.......2006-06-04

Solnit has her flaws. She tends to make a mistake common among critics, that of confounding a powerful metaphor with literal truth. She sometimes over reaches. And I suspect that her research may get some details wrong.

That said, she is intellectually gifted, a good writer, has her heart in the right place, and is always interesting to read.

Read this book, and escape for a while the future that is rushing towards us with an earbud for a phone or Ipod always plugged in. There's great pleasure to be had in a contemplative walk---and in this book.

An excursion into fascinating territory.......2006-01-01

In "Wanderlust" Rebecca Solnit weaves together myriad facets of the human experience to chronicle the role of walking. As can be expected, this is a complex topic, covering not only the details of geographic locale but the sociological and historical context of the subject as well. In this book, Solnit uses walking as both central theme and backdrop, using the topic as a stepping stone to meander onto her ruminations on diverse topics. Her discursions are thought provoking, enlightening and diverse. It is almost as if the author invites you to join her on a walk, sharing with you her insights on human condition. If not for the place, time and gender to which she is born, Solnit comes across as a "Peripatetic" - a wandering philosopher. At the end of the book, one has the feeling of coming home from an excursion wiser and more thoughtful.

Thoughtful and lyrical.......2005-10-28

In Wanderlust, author Rebecca Solnit looks at walking and its role in various historical and cultural contexts. The book isn't meant to be comprehensive, or study walking in all cultures and in all periods of time; as the author herself points out, the book is shaped as a kind of walk itself, a ramble through various topics that have interested her personally.

Wanderlust covers a good variety of areas - pilgrimages, Wordsworth, streetwalkers, labyrinths, disappearing pedestrian space, to name a few - and how the book succeeds is in getting you to think in new ways about the fundamental act of walking and to examine its varying function and significance in (mainly Western) society over the centuries. Solnit even meditates on how walking is linked to thought and memory and how we regard our lives as a spatial narrative, a journey with various milestones.

I thought the book was very interesting and well-written; the language was precise, and especially wonderful were moments where Solnit reflected on her own walks. The prose is both lyrical and absorbing, rich with anecdotes, character sketches, and evocations of place.

A Misnomer.......2003-10-18

"Wanderlust" is a German word meaning "joy of walking". Nowhere in the book could the joy of walking be found. Solnit creates a thin trail that connects walking with philosophy, politics, revolution, sexism, prostitution, and literature. Her disjointed rambles sidestep the topic with dull, uninteresting anecdotes that dissuaded this reader from turning the pages.

But there are pleasant intervals. The most interesting parts of the book are when Solnit writes of her walking experiences. Her first person narratives draw the reader into a lively cadence when she describes her inner-city walks in San Francisco, her pilgrimage to Chimayo and her people-watching jaunt along the Las Vegas Strip.

Book Description

A meandering ode to the simple act and accomplished art of taking a walk. Profound and humorous, companionable and curmudeonly, Walking, by America's first nature writer, is your personal and portable guide to the activity that, like no other, awakens the senses and the soul to the "absolute freedom and wildness" of nature.

Download Description

Nowadays almost all man's improvements, so called, as the building of houses and the cutting down of the forest and of all large trees, simply deform the landscape, and make it more and more tame and cheap. A people who would begin by burning the fences and let the forest stand!

Customer Reviews:

Walking.......2007-07-07

Required reading for freshmen entering SUNY Geneseo in preparation for an Adirondack Adventure. Bought this version after inadvertantly getting an abridged Walking.

In defense of wilderness.......2005-01-10

More than any book, this argues for experiencing nature and preserving wilderness. Thoreau himself saw that fewer passenger pigeons were visiting and even then was aware of threats. Though first spoken in lectures on 1851, and 1856-1857, and published in June 1862 Atlantic Monthly, a month after his death, it still speak to us in the 21st century. For example ".. what would become of us, if we walked only in a garden or a mall?", . "In wilderness is the preservation of the world." , "To preserve wild animals implies generally the creation of a forest for them to dwell in or resort to. So it is with man". So lace up your shoes, grab your binoculars, and go for a walk and join the tribe of squirrels!

It Takes You To Another Place.......2000-09-23

I bought this book after reading about Henry David Thoreau in my high school literature book. He writes about his love of nature and tries to show others how to enjoy it. This book brings out the beauty of all the surroundings that many people pass by every day. It also encouraged me to get out and live up my ocasional stroll around the neighborhood. I took this book to school and it even helped relieve me a little stress. I recommend this book to all nature lovers.

It helped to open my eyes to the world around me!.......1999-03-14

It is a perfect little book to carry with you for inspiration. It makes me want to take a walk... and the beautiful thing about this book is that it allows me to take a walk in my mind without ever leaving my office or room. I have and will continue to read it over and over.

Average customer rating:

Cruel Free Beauty
"From The Horse's Mouth" The Truth About Walking Horse Abuse
Excellent Reading for Walker owners and horse lovers
Finally the Truth!
What thousands of walking horses would say . . .

From the Horse's Mouth
Eugene Davis
Manufacturer: Rhoman Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Easy-Gaited Horses: Gentle, humane methods for training and riding gaited pleasure horses

ASIN: 0972143807

Book Description

This educational and moving novel exposes the awful truth behind the multi-million dollar Tennessee Walking Horse industry. Through the lives of two innocent horses we discover the painful fate of many. We follow the development of their breed from its beginning to the present. Equine nobility, innocence, and truth grapple with human cruelty, greed, and duplicity. It is an epic battle that continues after the final pages are turned, entrusting the reader with the knowledge of blatant atrocities which cannot be ignored.

Customer Reviews:

Cruel Free Beauty.......2005-04-02

Anyone who reads this book and is not motivated to change the Walking Horse training methods has no soul. The horrors that Walking Horses are put through in the name of beauty are absolutely and without a doubt the most cruel and unhumane practices on the face of the earth. If people would just appreciate the horses' natural ability and gait it would be a much more enjoyable association.

"From The Horse's Mouth" The Truth About Walking Horse Abuse.......2004-10-22

Every horse lover should read this book. It is so heartbreakingly true it will bring you to tears many times as you read. Someday this abuse has to be stopped. I love the way the book is written, with the horses telling the story. A very powerful book.Thank you, Mr Davis for writing this book. So many people choose not to see what is happening to these beautiful and naturally unique horses.

Excellent Reading for Walker owners and horse lovers.......2004-09-22

My family is just getting into the Walking Horse industry, and I felt this book was a good way to find out some of the history of the breed.

I was very upset of find out that these animals are treated in such a manner. It almost makes me embarressed to say that I want to be a owner and breeder of these fine animals.

All I can say, is that now that I know what is actually happening, I can try to do all I can to promote sound horses and help in the fight to get this to come to end someday.

More people need to read this book, and maybe someday there will be enough of a push to make all this torture end.

Finally the Truth!.......2004-01-18

I showed pleasure Tennessee Walking horses for years and a padded horse on one occasion. I saw most all of the things mentioned in this book done to these wonderful horses, with perhaps one exception. Although I never sored any of my own personal horses, due to the fact I love them too much and a blue ribbon isn't that important to me, I was shown how to do it and encouraged to do it and did show horses which were sore (although I was not their owner but was riding them for their owner). I cared to much about my animals to sore them and was very interested in reading this book when I found out about it. It is pretty painful to read but it is very honest in describing what does happen to these wonderful horses. Unfortunately today the plantation pleasure horses are going through as much as the padded horses, only minus the pads. If only they could talk and Mr. Davis has done a really nice job giving them their due. I hope this book will enlighten many, but at the same time will not turn anyone away from this breed because it is a wonderful breed to own, ride and show; and all these things can be done successfully without abusing the horses. Funny how the characters in this book really remind me of some of the exact big time walking horse trainers and showmen I know of.

What thousands of walking horses would say . . ........2002-09-27

I have owned Tennessee walking horses for years, but I never understood exactly what they went through in the industry's notion of "show training." Now I do. I felt like I came to know the young horse. I read the book in one sitting and then passed it on to another horse owner. It is hard to put down, and even harder to get over the anger it engenders. But it is not all hard reading. It captures the feelings of the show barn and the trainers and owners. Others have told me that this book speaks the truth.

Walking the Wetlands: A Hiker's Guide to Common Plants and Animals of Marshes, Bogs, and Swamps (Wiley Nature Editions)

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Walking the Wetlands: A Hiker's Guide to Common Plants and Animals of Marshes, Bogs, and Swamps (Wiley Nature Editions)
Janet Lyons , Sandra Jordan , and Ron Schneider
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Wetlands | Ecosystems | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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The Book of Swamp and Bog: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of the Eastern Freshwater Wetlands

ASIN: 0471620874

Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book) (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book)

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Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book) (A Wormsloe Foundation Nature Book)
Hugh Nourse , and Carol Nourse
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Walking | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0820328413

Product Description

Wildflower lovers across Georgia know Hugh and Carol Nourse through their popular slide lectures. Countless other enthusiasts have seen their glorious wildflower photographs in books and magazines. Here the Nourses draw on years of travel around the state to share their favorite places for seeing wildflowers. Of the many walks the Nourses have taken, these are the ones they return to most often because of the density or the unusual nature of the floral display. All twenty of these wildflower walks are on public land; everything you need to know about how to find them and what to do once you're there is included.

Five walks are presented from each of Georgia's four geographic regions: Cumberland Plateau/Ridge and Valley (northwestern Georgia); Blue Ridge (northeastern Georgia); Piedmont (Georgia foothills and fall line); and Coastal Plain (all of Georgia below the fall line). For each walk, a scenic photo gives a hint of the locale's overall character. In addition, five of the wildflowers encountered on the walk are profiled with a photograph and a detailed description. All of the wildflowers on these walks are native to Georgia. A few are rare and endangered.

Coverage of each walk includes directions and a trail map plus information about:

- flowering season

- peak flowering period

- flower habitats

- walk length and difficulty

- restroom availability

- applicable fees

Common plant names are used in the main text; the index lists both common and scientific names.

Average customer rating:

Dinosaurs at their highest level!

Passes the Kid Test

The Best Book On Dinosaurs Ever!

Best book on dinosaurs???

I want to lodge a complaint.

Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Nonfiction | Dinosaurs | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Dinosaurs | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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Walking with Prehistoric Beasts

Chased By Sea Monsters

National Geographic Dinosaurs

Walking With Cavemen

The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life

ASIN: 0789451875

Amazon.com Reviews

The companion volume to the BBC/Discovery Channel series, Walking with Dinosaurs reads like a cross between a National Geographic article and the script from one of Disney's True Life Adventures films. Scenes from the daily lives of various animals illuminate the changes in flora and fauna that occurred during the Mesozoic era.

The fossil record offers some clues about dinosaur behavior. Tracks preserved in sandstone indicate that some of the huge Diplodocus-type dinosaurs traveled in herds with the larger individuals on the outside and the smaller, more vulnerable animals in the center. The courtship behavior of Tyrannosaurus, the social hierarchy within the Diplodocus herd, etc., described in the book are pure speculation. But Haines models his descriptions on animals that occupy similar niches today: Tapejara, a fish-eating pterosaur, nests in remote colonies, like a migratory seabird. However, the suggestion that an old Tyrannosaurus suffered from gout is based on a hotly debated interpretation of the markings on bones of the "Sue" fossil in Chicago's Field Museum.

The striking visuals for the program involved a combination of animatronic figures, puppets, and computer animation. The images work well as illustrations. The formally posed animals in many old paintings had a taxidermic stiffness; these creatures are shown in motion, often in slightly awkward poses, which heightens the illusion that Walking with Dinosaurs is a book of nature photographs.

The result is a highly readable introduction to current theories about dinosaurs that amateur scientists of all ages can enjoy. --Charles Solomon

Book Description

As real as it gets!

Based on one of the most ambitious television ventures ever undertaken, Walking With Dinosaurs: A Natural History takes you back to a time when super-beasts ruled the world. This full-color, hardcover edition captures the awesome nature of the Discovery Channel program in 288 action-packed pages. Through expertly-written text and state-of-the-art computer graphics, this book vividly depicts the age of the dinosaur.

More than 225 million years ago, in the middle of the Triassic period, dinosaurs began to roam the Earth. But 170 million years later they had disappeared. How and why this happened continue to be among the world's greatest mysteries.

The dinosaur era was one of the most amazing periods in the Earth's history. It saw, for example, the emergence of the first flowering plants and birds and the creation of the continents. But perhaps its most exciting characteristic was the dominance of the Earth by these most spectacular of creatures...the dinosaurs.

Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History re-creates the age of these super-beasts, vividly depicting the landscape in which they lived and the brutal lifestyle they endured. From the smallest dinosaurs (such as Coelophysis, an early carnivore) to the giants (including the fearsome carnivore Tyrannosaurus Rex and the gentle herbivore Diplodocus), the lives of these awe-inspiring creatures are dramatically brought to life in words and pictures.

What did they eat? How did they mate? How did they survive attack? Complete with up-to-the-minute scientific debate on such controversial issues as whether dinosaurs were warm- or cold-blooded and whether they hunted alone or in packs, and illustrated with stunning visual images in which classic natural history photography is combined with state-of-the-art computer graphics, Walking With Dinosaurs: A Natural History is as real as it gets!

Customer Reviews:

Dinosaurs at their highest level!.......2005-08-26

This book is the best dinosaur book I've ever read! It has lots of cool photos(which are as real as dinosaurs get)and the information is stunningly useful and cool. Also, there is plenty of blood, for you gore lovers, and all sorts of fighting, mating, eating, moving, and roaring among every dinosaur, be it carnivore or herbivore. I should add that the carnivores are as nasty as they should be, and the herbivores are as tough as they should be. If you like dinosaur stuff, then this book is for you. I highly recommend it to anybody 12 or older. It's a cool book, and it has more cool prehistoric animals along with dinos, too. In the sea, air, and on the land.

Passes the Kid Test.......2004-12-31

My almost-10-year-old grandson, a self-declared future paleontologist with a large collection of dinosaur books and a wide knowledge of dinosaurs, thought this was the best Christmas present I gave him. What further recommendation would anyone need?

The Best Book On Dinosaurs Ever!.......2004-10-17

Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History is the best book om dinosaurs I've ever read. The "photographs" of the different dinosaurs and the nice little side-boxes with lot's of infomation make it great! The fact files are well-done, too. The six different chapters are wonderfull. First of all there's New Blood, then Time of the Titans, then A Cruel Sea, then Beneath a Giant's Wings, Spirits of the Silent Forest and last of all Death of a Dynasty. One point, though, there IS allot of killing babies. That's what prevents me from giving it 5 stars. Anycase, well worth buying. Oh, by the way, I also have Walking with Beasts: A Prehistoric Safari, Land of Lost Monsters: The Prehistoric Battle for the Planet and Chased by Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Predators of the Deep. They are all great! Get em' now!!! I also must say get the film, too.

Best book on dinosaurs???.......2004-10-14

I really like these 'Walking with...' books, and it should be easy to understand why. With hundreds of photo-realistic pictures, an exellent and easy-to-follow storyline and billions upon billions of facts, Walking with Dinosaurs could be the best book on dinosaurs I've ever read. I like the little side-boxes which tells you about different little things like fossil places, ect. I also like the detailed fact files it gives on each different dinosaur. The pcitures or nice, too. The storyline is well thought-out and logical, and fun. I have the video, Walking with Dinosaurs, and it goes well with it. One thing I thought it wasn't quite as good as the film because it doesn't have them actually in action. I also meant to say that the stories are just based on the film's stories, but it doesn't matter that much. Thanks.

I want to lodge a complaint........2004-07-08

As all pieces of BBC documentary, this one is superb. It's already slightly outdated (the Velociraptors are not feathered)but that was to be expected due the steady pace with which our general paleontological knowledge is advancing. However, I want to lodge a complaint. It has to do with Chapter 4, where the "hero", the giant Brazilian pterosaur _Ahanguera_ is named _Ornithocheirus_ - a genus name given probably by American and European paleontologists that have been working with fossil material smuggled against Brazilian law from the clay deposits of the Santana formation. Now, considering the fact that Brazilian scientists have been working against all odds, lack of funds, and of personnel, to unearth fossil remains from Santana at the same place they are being ramsacked by smugglers caring little about science and lots about making easy money, wouldn't it be considerate and in the best general interests of paleontology to enhance their work by giving notice to their work by using the fine Amerindian names (_Ahanguera_ being an Indian devil, a name much more evocative than _Ornithocheirus_)they have found for Brazilian pterosaurs? Just asking, Okay?

P.S. A heavy consigniment of smuggled fossils from the Santana formation that was aprehended in Rio de Janeiro in the hands of a German smuggler was finally restored in October 2004 to a new museum palenontological museum in Ceará that will exhibit them.

The John Muir Trail: Through the Californian Sierra Nevada (Cicerone Guide)

Average customer rating:

good for planning a 3 week hike, but....
Great for planning a JMT trip

The John Muir Trail: Through the Californian Sierra Nevada (Cicerone Guide)
Alan Castle
Manufacturer: Cicerone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Vinyl Bound

Walking | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1852843969

Customer Reviews:

good for planning a 3 week hike, but...........2007-08-23

Just finished the JMT. The book was useful for planning my trek since the book is organized into a 22 day hike and I planned our hike for 20 days, so I would recommend it for that purpose. Having it on the hike itself wasn't very rewarding. The distance and altitude change intervals were somewhat useful, although the numbers don't necessarily mesh with the Harrison topo maps. What was disappointing was the lack of detail about campsite locations. The author basically indicates where they camped, but provides little information about where other campsites are located or their quality. Not a problem if you follow his itinerary, but if you're like us (and most of the other JMT hikers) it doesn't help when it's late in the day and you're trying to figure out how much further you need to go to get to a decent campsite. I basically stopped referring to the book after the first week and relied on the other guide I had which had much more detailed information on the trail and camping. I would have burned the Cicerone guide except we couldn't have fires most of the way and one of my friends wanted to carry it for reading material. The maps it contains were fairly worthless, so you'll definitely want topos. The author also comes across a bit snobbish at times, which certainly allowed my friends and I to poke fun at him and added to our entertainment. Logistical informtation on getting to the trailhead and dropping a vehicle at the end of the trail is also incomplete. YARTS only serves Merced to Mammoth, so getting from Whitney Portal to Mammoth requires a hitch, getting a local to shuttle you, or paying high dollars for a commercial shuttle. Bottom line is this is a decent book for planning a 3 week trek on the JMT, but it's not worth the weight to carry it. The Winsett guide was much more valuable on the trail, although it also has it's flaws.

Great for planning a JMT trip.......2006-02-07

I purchased this book last summer as part of a planning effort for hiking the trail in September. Even though I was quite familiar with the Sierra, I had no idea on how to plan the trip out as far as legs and campsites. I found this book to be invaluable as far as proposing a reasonable itinerary and giving the person a good idea of what to expect on each leg and where to find campsites. Castle first gives an overview of what should be done before the trip, and then breaks it out into a very doable 21-day itinerary (with 2 layover days) that range from 10-15 miles per day. He gives you a quick-hit overview of elevation gains and mileage and then a more detailed description of the day's hike. Also, he does a good job of planning the days so that you start with a climb and end with a descent. The one unfortunate is that the book is a bit heavy, though compact in size to actually carry with you -- the person I hiked with did carry it though and we enjoyed reading it along the trail as well as at night. I suppose one might xerox the pages you found necessary. By the way, I also had the Winnett book and found that far less helpful, and less organized as far as actually planning the trip. This is an awesome trip, and I strongly recommend both the book as well as doing the JMT -- it is a life-changing experience!

Guide to Adirondack Trails: Southern Region (Forest Preserve, Vol. 7) (The Forest Preserve Series, Vol 7)

Average customer rating:

Another great one

Guide to Adirondack Trails: Southern Region (Forest Preserve, Vol. 7) (The Forest Preserve Series, Vol 7)
Linda Laing
Manufacturer: Adirondack Mountain Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Walking | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Forests | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0935272658

Book Description

Adirondack Trails: Southern Region
GSR

Gives detailed descriptions for all hikeable trails in the southern section of the Park bounded roughly by NY 8 to the north and Lake George to the east. Includes the Silver Lake Wilderness. Edited by Linda Laing with Jack Freeman and Neal Burdick. 2nd ed. 251 pages, 4 7/8" x 6 3/8". Softcover (includes folding map).

Customer Reviews:

Another great one.......2006-08-28

This is another of the ADK Mountain Club's six great trail guides to the Adirondack Mountains, covering the Lake George Region. Despite the fact that the book is 13 years old, the trails really haven't changed much.

Every year there are of course newly fallen trees and rocks, but most are removed or pruned in time for seasonal hiking--providing no reason whatever to rewrite the trail descriptions, once again rated for duration and difficulty and listed with careful directions to the trail heads.

Walking with Bears: One Man's Relationship with Three Generations of Wild Bears

Average customer rating:

Who says that bears aren't human?
A GREAT BOOK FOR BLACK BEAR LOVERS
Fascinating!
Anyone Working With Black Bears Should Read This Book!
Just Amazing

Walking with Bears: One Man's Relationship with Three Generations of Wild Bears
Terry DeBruyn
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Nature Writing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1558216421

Book Description

Some people prefer to walk in the woods alone. Terry DeBruyn walks with bears. Set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this is the account of an extraordinary human-ursine story. Biologist DeBruyn believes that the only way to protect wild species is to determine precisely what they do all day.

To find out, DeBruyn pioneered a G.P.S. monitoring stystem for radio-collared bears, but he soon realized the only way to truly understand the animal is to enter her world. Not so easy when the subject is a 250-pound North American black bear with cubs. Black bears are enormously powerful animals, though very shy of humans. So, first, DeBruyn must convince an individual bear to stick around long enough to learn she has nothing to fear. When he finally accomplishes this, the rewards are immense. Carmen and her daughter Netti, and later, Netti's daughter June are ambassadors who grant us a glimpse into bear life. DeBruyn is their interpreter. He is a priviledged guest, watching intimate family scenes: nursing, grooming, and wrestling amond den mates. He learns as much about he moods and emotional life of bears as about their dietary requirements. Walking wtih Bears is an endearing tale of interspecies friendship. It will forever change the way we view one of the most fascinating and feared of all wild animals.

Customer Reviews:

Who says that bears aren't human?.......2004-11-24

This is an excellent read that I highly recommend to any animal lover or for the individual who has ever had doubts that any animal lacks human feelings and responses.

Not only is it a great scientific read about the biology and habits of bears, but also takes the whole experience to a higher level. Terry D. BeBruyn takes you out in the forests of Michigan and lets you experience life through three different generations of bears. It is a touching read where one will experience good and bad days and the whole concept of being adopted into a non-human family. It will make you laugh and cry as you experience life through a bear's eyes.

A GREAT BOOK FOR BLACK BEAR LOVERS.......2003-08-12

WALKING WITH BEARS IS A GREAT STORY OF ONE MANS LOVE FOR THE BLACK BEAR. TERRY DEBRUYN MAKES YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE WITH HIM IN THE WOODS AS HE WALKS WITH THE BEARS. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. I HOPE ONE DAY I CAN BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BEARS AROUND MY HOME AS THE AUTHOR DID. I RECOMMEND ANYONE WHO LOVES BEARS SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!

Fascinating!.......2001-06-22

If you're at all interested in the natural world around us, and concerned about how much we take for granted in this day and age, this is a sobering and fascinating look at black bears. The author tracks the lives of a family of bears (mainly 3 generations worth) over the course of a year to discuss their behaviors and their seasonal variation. Almost as a by product of this you learn a lot about bears, and the actions and motivations of potentially dangerous wild animals as a whole. I feel a lot safer being outdoors having read some of the explanations for the motivations of aggressive behavior, especially towards humans. I would say more about the book itself but I think it is best left as a surprise. Suffice it to say if you've wondered about bears or the upbringing of offspring in animals, this is a superb book. It's my first book on bears so there may be some others out there which others would suggest first, but I don't see how one could go wrong with this one.

Anyone Working With Black Bears Should Read This Book!.......2000-12-20

I have purchased 3 copies of this book for bear biologist firends. Debruyn gives a wonderful look into the private lives of black bears. I found myself comparing what he discovered with what I see working with black bears in west Texas. The book is written by someone who is dedicated to their research. There is a wealth of information on biology and ecology of black bears that is presented in a wonderful read. I read it cover to cover, then read it again.

Bonnie R. McKinney West Texas Black Bear Study

Just Amazing.......2000-06-05

I can only say that this is one amazing book. Buy it and read it. It's a rare treat.

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Henry David Thoreau for young children
Henry loves this book
Magical!
Another great book BUT... *WHY* did you change the book's SIZE?
Whistle While You Work

Henry Works
D.B. Johnson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0618420037

Book Description

Without Henry, wildflowers would go unwatered in dry weather and rivers would have no crossing stones. Without him, who would bring news of coming storms? Henry works, but no one seems to notice. "You're not doing anything today," his friend says. "Come fishing with me." "Not today," says Henry as he digs up a healing plant for a neighbor. Though he never gets paid, Henry works for more than money. In this fourth book about Henry David Thoreau, D. B. Johnson's quiet story flows through morning's mist to evening's glow, when, at last, Henry's most important work is revealed!

Customer Reviews:

Henry David Thoreau for young children.......2006-09-24

D.B. Johnson's "Henry" series are stories based on Henry David Thoreau's writings. In the back of each book, is a short biography and the quote from "Walden" that inspired the children's book. "Henry Works" is on the 2005 "NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People" Book List. A must for every classroom. Can't wait for the next book.

Henry loves this book.......2005-10-07

My four-year-old son Henry picked this book out on his own. I was a little put off by the cubism, but I'm glad I bought it for him. He loves this story and the artwork gradually grew on me.

Magical!.......2005-08-09

Johnson captures the spirit of Thoreau and the transcendentalists on every page. It's inspiring to travel through a day with Henry, helping the creatures of the town in numerous small but important ways. The illustrations are brilliant as well. I have to say, as a fan, that I loved it more than my active, silly, slapstick-loving four-year-old daughter. She liked hunting for subtle aspects of the artwork, though ("Can you find the fox?"). And I have a feeling she'll grow into it. If not, it moves to my bookcase!

Another great book BUT... *WHY* did you change the book's SIZE?.......2005-08-08

I am a huge fan of both the artwork and themes that this series of books by DB Johnson explores (the notions of enjoyment vs pure efficiency, of civil disobedience, of the power of the imagination, of less is more, and so many other important lessons). HOWEVER, I have a pet peeve: as a loyal collector of the series, it is REALLY ANNOYING that this latest book is a totally different page size so that it does not sit on a shelf in line with the other books in the series-- in fact, the size is SO different that I've had to put this latest book on its spine so that it will fit on the same shelf as the others! Your editorial team is asleep on the job!

Whistle While You Work.......2005-07-06

This is the fourth in D.B. Johnson's brilliant series that combines post-impressionist art and 19th century American transcendental philosophy. The idea itself is imaginative, and Johnson once again pursues it with humor, historical accuracy, and astonishing illustrations-among the best I have seen in books for kids.

The protagonist is Henry Bear, a secure individualist (with a strong communal spirit) who emulates the teachings of his famous namesake--Henry David Thoreau. When he chances upon Henry digging up a comfrey root by the pond, his buddy Channing invites him to go fishing, but Henry demurs: "'Not today...I'm walking to work.' Henry puts the comfrey root in his hat and walks down the path." Henry, as we know from previous books, likes to take his time and soak up the nature he sees everywhere around him. He climbs a tall hill and observes the clouds' promise of rain, then waters some milkweed flowers, and picks up some pine. At Mrs. Hosmer's (who, once again, looks a lot like a bearish Whistler's mother) Henry leaves some pine by her window, and in town he gives the postmaster some comfrey for his sore foot. The postmaster asks him, "Since you're not working, can you take this letter to Emerson?" Henry keeps doing his favors, big and small, as he walks to Mr. Emerson's, Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne, and Mrs. Alcott's. (D. B. Johnson's literary allusions keep the book interesting for adults without interrupting the flow for kids). Henry keeps walking through the forest and the mill river, picking berries, helping neighbors, and insisting that he isn't working. SPOILER AHEAD: Finally, the puzzled Channing asked him what his work is. Like Thoreau, Henry is a writer, and, also like Thoreau his work begins when he recounts the day's events on paper: "'Today,' he writes, `I took a walk in the woods.'" A very good one-page biography of Thoreau closes the book.

The excellent narrative is only part of the book's appeal. D. B. Johnson's ink and colored pencil illustrations play with perspective, showing multiple angles at the same time. His beautifully colored drawings have elements of cubism and the nature studies of Rousseau and Gauguin. One can also see hints of Cezanne and "folk artists" such as Grandma Moses. As with his story, however, his unique and technically sophisticated style doesn't interfere with understanding and enjoying the plot. If anything, the style is not as overtly cubist as in "Henry Hikes to Fitchburg," and he accompanies the stylized drawings with small, simple, black and white pictures of Henry. Though not as dazzling as `Fitchburg,' "Henry Works" can probably reach a younger age range. Another piece de resistance from Johnson; this is one of those great books that children and adults alike will treasure.

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