{"currencyCode":"USD","itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":9.72,"ASIN":"0618127518","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":8.49,"ASIN":"0899972853","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":10.46,"ASIN":"1930238371","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"0618127518::iotyXNktC0%2Fz6oJsnJc7thTKGIfyITK68Nv392MKigEt9CA6GfKX6zeCjtKB%2Fqs6tcnglbzGT825UGvRLTXvQ8zYJGhSveVKv2yeb14VDr8%3D,0899972853::NDTZh5JpqsxyJiDJI6F8nj9WhR6aYvMBM9w0aWKy5dZyE%2Fc4DoQkHaJ8oN0rg5TjLR3AK0shfuW5gztIthtv3sXgqdXuHxGxW4YIkU%2FDknI%3D,1930238371::tBwk%2Fn5e%2FrhyYbLQktBSkh2%2FWolJPKURuKWT3XH1525K15EleiVDN2cj8A8%2Brlb9IqQJ6kVUIGwR44NRigf1Rnt%2FC7ShTbo2hwmxh0ivAa8Uf%2BndKw2zcg%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"shippingDetails":{"xz":"same","yz":"same","xy":"same","xyz":"same"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"addToWishlist":["Add to Wish List","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"]}}
Best Books of the Month
Want to know our Editors' picks for the best books of the month? Browse Best Books of the Month, featuring our favorite new books in more than a dozen categories.
"Reading that is often magnificent, thrilling, exciting, breathtaking, and awe-inspiring." (Kirkus Reviews)
"This admiringly edited volume is especially welcome... Here is a substantial selection including may of his greatest passages." (The Nation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
John Muir (1838-1914) was one of the most influential conservationists and nature writers in American history. He was instrumental in the creation and passage of the National Parks Act, and founder of the Sierra Club, acting as its president until his death. Muir was a spirit so free that all he did to prepare for an expedition was to "throw some tea and bread into an old sack and jump the back fence."
I am often asked for a recommendation of what among Muir's writings, or writings about him, one should first read. After spending more than 30 years appreciating both his writings and most of the books about Muir that have been published during that time, and after ten years editing the John Muir Exhibit online, I can only turn to the same book that originally enthalled me with John Muir: The Wilderness World of John Muir, edited by Edwin Way Teale.
This book was edited by someone who was himself an able naturalist and nature-writer, and therefore someone who could understand Muir in a way that most academics, whether professors of literature or historians, cannot. Edwin Way Teale (1899-1980), has been ranked as a nature writer with been ranked with Henry David Thoreau, John Burroughs, as well as John Muir himself. His honors include being elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, receiving the John Burroughs Award in 1943, and the Pulitzer Prize in 1966. He was the author of 32 books. Teale's sympathy for Muir's message is shown in the book's Dedication page, which is "Dedicated to The Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, The National Parks Association, and all those who are fighting the good fight to preserve what John Muir sought to save."
This book serves as both an anthology of the very best of Muir's writings, and also a biography, compellingly provided by Teale.
The biographical value of this work is often under-stated, even by the publisher. The book is typically viewed as an anthology, and indeed it is, primarily; but it also contains a wealth of biographical information, far more than the typical anthology.Read more ›
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
excerpted from Muir's The Mountains of California, is one chapter I've read many times. He climbs to the top of a Doug Fir so that he can experience a 100' tree swaying 30° back and forth "rocking and swirling in wild ecstasy" I take this book backpacking (there's no ultralight version yet...) in the Sierra most times and there's always something to read that fits the setting. EWT's intro is very sweet as are the
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Wished that I had known him. I could see & feel the peace he found in the parks. Even with today's gear, just to listen to his appreciation of simple living without Northface, is just amazing. My favorite is the Ouslet bird. How could he climb the Sierra, Mt. Capitan without the pitons used today? Just an amazing person who can live on simple bread and feel that the real cathedrals are in the Yosemite hills.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
I really enjoyed this book as it was focused on plants and animals. My favorite chapters were "The Water Ouzel" (a bird) and "Stickeen" (a dog). However, the whole book was interesting and enjoyable, including chapters about different people he met along the way ("The Robber" and "The Blacksmith"). This book is titled as "a selection from his collected work." I enjoyed his writing so much that I will look for a complete volume of his works so I don't miss out on any other great stories.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
I admire how John Muir raises the wilderness experience to a spiritual and philosophical level. It was something I could identify with from my own adventures in the wild. If you feel that your church (place of worship) occurs when you are in touch with nature, then you will appreciate John's perspectives. Even though I enjoy and respect all of our wild places, I must admit that John Muir went deeper into the woods than I have ever ventured. We are fortunate that he spent some of his precious time writing about his wilderness world so it could be shared with everyone wise enough to read it. Sadly, if John Muir was alive today, he would be appalled at the way the natural areas of the world are under siege. I hope we can save enough natural areas in big enough tracts so anyone able to and willing to venture to a wild place can experience it firsthand. If you enjoy reading stories about people passionate about the wilderness and outdoor recreation opportunities, you may also enjoy reading Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
I wanted to learn more about John Muir and this was a great primer on his life. It is a compilation of short stories taken from his other books about his childhood, coming to America and eventually developing a love for the untrammeled mountains in the 1800's before too much development took place. It is not a comprehensive book, but as I said a wonderful start to understanding the things that shaped John Muirs perception and philosophy towards the land. I would highly recommend this book.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
This selection of writings by John Muir is a real treat. His life commitment to all things natural is nicely represented and well worth reading. He clearly saw things differently than most others and his word pictures bring a different, enhanced picture in your minds eye. He must have been amazing person and a wonder to know. Anyone who enjoys nature and outdoor life will enjoy and value this book.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
This is a quality compilation of Muir's books, carefully edited so the reader gets the best parts - the meat & potatoes, so to speak. I'm in awe of just how deeply intelligent and poetic Mr. Muir was and the depth of which the reader gets to know him here. I've come to view this book as a John Muir essential.
Comment
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes No
Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again