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66th out of 385 books
—
203 voters
The Good Rain: Across Time & Terrain in the Pacific Northwest
by
Timothy Egan
A fantastic book! Timothy Egan describes his journeys in the Pacific Northwest through visits to salmon fisheries, redwood forests and the manicured English gardens of Vancouver. Here is a blend of history, anthropology and politics.
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
December 3rd 1991
by Vintage
(first published 1990)
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Personally I found this book created the seminal event that influenced the remaining course of my life; both as a lifelong resident of Washington State, and particularly as an Aquatic Scientist. My work has caused me to travel many parts of Washington State that Timothy Egan mentions in this book, so in many ways Egan and I are kindred spirits. Between this work and the book: "King of the Fish" by David R. Montgomery, I gained insight into the workings of man that I'd never know without this inf...more
This is Timothy Egan's homage to the Northwest. I bought the book at an author's reading for his new book The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America. When Egan signed it for me, he said that I might find it dated. It was published in 1990 and is somewhat dated--the Seahawks are still playing in the Kingdome, Astoria has not yet attained cuteness (based on being mostly a tourist town) and although he talks about the wind in the Gorge in reference to the windsurfers, the windmil...more
what a great romp through the history of the northwest. i really enjoy this book with its anecdotes and descriptions.
Astoria, at the mouth of the columbia, was british during the war of 1812, the confederates roamed off shore during the civil war and the japanese fired upon it during wwII. it was founded by john jacob astor of manhattan a fur emporer from new york.
douglas fir named after david douglas, a young scottish botanist who spent a year in the cascades and discovered plants and trees tha...more
Astoria, at the mouth of the columbia, was british during the war of 1812, the confederates roamed off shore during the civil war and the japanese fired upon it during wwII. it was founded by john jacob astor of manhattan a fur emporer from new york.
douglas fir named after david douglas, a young scottish botanist who spent a year in the cascades and discovered plants and trees tha...more
Some quality historical context of the Pacific Northwest, a fair amount of BS, and a whole lot of angst, this book provides good insight into some of the challenges associated with modernity and the ruthlessness of the religious zealots who pioneered the area. But in order to get through this book, you have to first get past the serious angst and overt dislike of just about everyone who is not 100% native American. The author either had serious self-conflict when he wrote this or his attempt at...more
Didn't like this nearly as much as Lasso the Wind. The writing was clearly not as refined, and the whole thing, true to its subject, was altogether a bit dreary. The Pacific Northwest is full of natural beauty, and man has come in and ruined it. This is the message here, and while it's hardly like Egan is exaggerating, or that people don't need to hear it, it sort of got old. That, and the abundance of history sort of just made this not the book for me. Disappointing, because Egan is such a terr...more
Oct 09, 2012
Kim
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kim by:
Theobroma
Shelves:
adventure,
crime,
environmental,
educational,
historical,
horror,
non-fiction,
usa,
male-author,
1990s
This book is one of the most depressing books I've read in a long time. In this book Egan set out to follow in the footsteps of Theodore Winthrop, a 19th century American writer and traveller, who wrote a deailed book about his travels around the Pacific Northwest of the North American continent. Egan talks about the differences he found 137 years after Winthrop wrote his book.
And as I said at the start it's very depressing. The sheer amount of damage and devestation caused by man is horrendous....more
And as I said at the start it's very depressing. The sheer amount of damage and devestation caused by man is horrendous....more
Three stars doesn't do this book justice. It should get 5 for the second half, and -1 for the worst parts.
When it's good, this is a beautiful, moving and informative description of the Pacific Northwest. Egan can be wonderful at describing the beauty of the region and the emotions it induces in people, and at the stupidity and sheer unbridled greed that has led to some of the worst problems we have today. But he can also over-reach, both in terms of just over-egging his writing and exaggerating...more
When it's good, this is a beautiful, moving and informative description of the Pacific Northwest. Egan can be wonderful at describing the beauty of the region and the emotions it induces in people, and at the stupidity and sheer unbridled greed that has led to some of the worst problems we have today. But he can also over-reach, both in terms of just over-egging his writing and exaggerating...more
1 like · like · see review
Each chapter explore a particular spot in the Northwest: the murky Olympic Peninsula, the churning mouth of the Columbia, the fertile Yakima valley farmlands, the colonial vestiges of Victoria, B.C. Egan probes geography, natural history, human history and culture in the roving reporter approach (he was a NY TImes Northwest correspondent for years). The book is dense, leisurely, and rich; the best introduction I've found to the various places of the Pacific Northwest. I'll re-read certain chapte...more
Just remembered I read this book a really long time ago and loved it. It's one of few non-fiction I read. I read it on a friend's suggestion. He suggested it because I was interested in contemporary (then) science regarding ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. As one, then, who didn't read much, this one kept me interested. Egan writes well, and he was or yet is a journalist for the N.Y. Times. Another of his I didn't read was a title called Breaking Blue. Same pal suggested it as well.
Atop Mt. Rainier Egan checked the map to see which
glacier would best feed his grandfather's ashes down into
streams where the man had loved to fish. A minor glacier
called Winthrop looked best, and that's where the ashes went.
But subsequent research led to writings of one Theodore
Winthrop, who spent three months exploring the Northwest in
1853. Egan retraced Winthrop's route, sometimes by canoe,
and we get fascinating comparisons between what the two men
saw--same places, very different times,...more
glacier would best feed his grandfather's ashes down into
streams where the man had loved to fish. A minor glacier
called Winthrop looked best, and that's where the ashes went.
But subsequent research led to writings of one Theodore
Winthrop, who spent three months exploring the Northwest in
1853. Egan retraced Winthrop's route, sometimes by canoe,
and we get fascinating comparisons between what the two men
saw--same places, very different times,...more
Jul 02, 2008
Tova
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who loves the Pacific Northwest, history, gets wound up about resource mismanagement
I am a native Oregonian and move through life radiating a lot of Oregon love. But loving Oregon means embracing the ongoing conflict between civilization and nature.
Timothy Egan's book does an excellent job sharing both the grandeur of the Pacific Northwest and the man-made disaster. As Egan travelled around the region, exploring the history of Native Americans, white settlers and the land, I was dumbstruck by the shear number of salmon and trees obliterated by over-logging, over-fishing and da...more
Timothy Egan's book does an excellent job sharing both the grandeur of the Pacific Northwest and the man-made disaster. As Egan travelled around the region, exploring the history of Native Americans, white settlers and the land, I was dumbstruck by the shear number of salmon and trees obliterated by over-logging, over-fishing and da...more
Jun 06, 2008
Justin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pacific Northwesterners, Natural and Native American History Buffs, Greens
Recommended to Justin by:
I found it at Third Place in Lake Forest Park, WA
Egan begins his book hiking up into the mountains of Washington to drop his grandfather's ashes into the glacial source of most of its rivers. Seeking out old writings on the American Northwest, Egan mimics the travels of famous and not-so-famous explorers and mountaineers, providing historical, geographical and sociological insight on his way. By the end, I wanted to drink microbrews and Yakima Valley wine, eat Ranier Cherries, apples and Chinook Salmon, and stop the timber industry from encroa...more
I wish I had read this back in '90, when it was published. It's a wonderful part travelogue and part history of the beautiful Northwest, a place my husband and chose to move to in 1989. Egan's writing, spiced with Theodore Winthrope's is clearly tantalizing. I found myself reading and rereading descriptive phrases that transformed me. This area had many problems getting to where it is today and growing up is still hard to do, but it's come a long way and other parts of the country are finally be...more
Even though Egan wrote this book over 20 years ago, it was not very dated and explored issues (clear cutting of ancient forests, depletion of salmon stocks, damming the rivers of the Northwest, among other topics) that are relevant today. The book was well-written and thoroughly researched, and I learned many things I didn't know about this place where I've lived for almost half of my life. Highly recommended.
NY Times correspondent read Winthrop's book "The Canoe and the Paddle" written in the early 1800's about his impressions of the seeing the Northwest for the first time. Egan follows his travels down Puget Sound and up the Columbia filling in the history that led to current (1990's) environmental issues. He interviews people to make his points about dams, foresting, and other man made attempts to control the landscape. Fascinating information. A bit depressing at times.
If you love the Northwest, you should read this book. Egan's first book is a thorough look at the landscape, the people, and the history of the region. Even though it has been twenty years since it was published, it is still incredibly relevant. Egan is an environmentalist and an outdoorsman and a lot of the book is about water and trees. He talks about how the landscape has shaped the people and how the people have shaped the landscape.
I learned a lot about my home and Egan has inspired me to e...more
I learned a lot about my home and Egan has inspired me to e...more
Timothy Egan is not a great writer. His accounts of the outdoors can be a bit dull and wandering. His stories about the natives were interesting enough to keep me reading, however. If this were not my first exposure to some of this information I'm sure I would have put it down a couple of chapters in.
A wonderful survey of Washington State history and issues. Wonderfully readable style full of what seems unique and well informed perspective on issues and areas. Anyone who loves the Northwest will find plenty of new reason for a deep commitment to the place and a better understanding of its uniqueness.
This was a fantastic source of insight into the biogeography and history of the Northwest. From BC to Idaho, and down to the Cali Border. History from pre-history to 1990 when it was published. Its always interesting to read a book that makes predictions about a region and to see what has happened...
As a new comer to the Pacific Northwest, it was really wonderful to learn more about how this area was discovered and settled. It also gave a history about the timber and fishing industries and how hard people have had to work to maintain the amazing wildlife and natural areas out here.
Egan's first book dips into the social, political and natural history of the Pacific Northwest. He has more of an acid tongue than in his other books, but that is an enhancement and it makes for a fascinating read. Highly recommended. P.S. Look for his columns of the NY Times.
Very captivating sketch of the Pacific Northwest rain forest. Well written, well researched book about nature that is not the kind of thing I thought would hold my interest. Egan has done some other work along the same lines, all non-fiction. His stuff is worth searching for.
Timothy Egan is a very consciencious writer. He wants the facts to be correct and I appreciate that. He's also a very good speaker, so if you have a chance to go to a reading, do it. Often writers are not good speakers, but he is. I'm eage to read his latest book, The Big Burn.
Twenty years old now, this book is dated - but it's aged well. Like the Winthrop book that Egan uses as his framing device, I suspect this book will become a valuable snapshot of the Pacific Northwest of the late 20th Century, chronicling the end of the old logging-and-fishing-based economy and the rise of a creative, sustainability-based economy. Not all the prophecies of Egan's book have come true - but there's some stuff here that's timeless, and really beautiful.
My favorite book about the Pacific Northwest. I learned so much when I read it, but it also kept me interested as a story of a place. I will now read anything Timothy Egan writes. (His NYTimes blog is also one of my favorites)
Some of the best written imagery I've ever read, that surprisingly kept me interested throughout its length given the context of the gloomy Pacific Northwest. Environmentalism is at the core of this book, weaving in historical events through a tone of awe and amazement that is infectious to the reader.
This is one of my favorite books of all time. If you are from, or live in, the Pacific Northwest, don't miss this lovely history of ours. I can't say when I read this book because I have read it about 30 times :)
This book was my first foray into what I would call a traveller's dialogue. First hand account of someone's journey through a place I also know and love. A true gem! Egan's writing is crystal clear.
This book had a lot of really interesting information about the Pacific Northwest that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was however too heavy handed with environmental issues. I found myself skimming these parts.
More slow-paced than my typical read, so it took me a while to get through, but I really enjoyed it. I really didn't know much about the depressing history of the beautiful northwest.
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Timothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize winning author who resides in Seattle, Washington. He currently contributes opinion columns to The New York Times as the paper's Pacific Northwest correspondent.
In addition to his work with The New York Times, he has written six books, including The Good Rain, Breaking Blue, and Lasso the Wind.
Most recently he wrote "The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that...more
More about Timothy Egan...
In addition to his work with The New York Times, he has written six books, including The Good Rain, Breaking Blue, and Lasso the Wind.
Most recently he wrote "The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that...more
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“Sometimes the wind along the Pacific shore blows so hard it steals your breath before you can inhale it.”
—
9 people liked it
“The larger question for the Northwest, where the cities are barely a hundred years old but contain three-fourths of the population, is whether the wild land can provide work for those who need it as their source of income without being ruined for those who need it as their source of sanity.”
—
2 people liked it
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Oct 16, 2011 08:21pm