This is a monumental work by any standard. Gathered between its covers are words of activists and impassioned writers—essays by Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, John Burroughs; the poetry of Walt Whitman; searing revelations by Rachel Carson; newly uncovered narratives of pioneering campaigns for wilderness conservation; selections from major public addresses and legal opinions. The long list of voices weighing in on ecological/environmental themes also includes Frederick Law Olmstead, Theodore Roosevelt, John Steinbeck, E.B. White, Jane Jacobs, Wendell Berry, Jonathan Schell, Ellen Meloy, Al Gore and Barbara Kingsolver.
A couple of months back we recommended for your reading The Bill McKibben Reader. That ought to have whet your appetite for a real feast. American Earth, which includes an 80-page color portfolio of illustrations, is a unique resource that belongs in the library of anyone (which should include everyone) who wants to be part of the solution to the threats to our planet’s health. Even more, the solid information it provides and education it imparts ensure a long life for this volume. It is best read in small doses, though, to allow for proper “absorption” and reflection.
Spread the word (from Thoreau): “Even trees do not die without a groan.” A celebration of the best literature of American environmentalism, American Earth is a must-have and must-read. It will make you think in ways perhaps you have never thought before, and transform your behavior and outlook in surprising ways.
Click here to purchase American Earth on amazon.com.
This article appears in May 26 2008.
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