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61st out of 349 books
—
382 voters
American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau (Library of America #182)
As America and the world grapple with the consequences of global environmental change, writer and activist Bill McKibben offers this unprecedented, provocative, and timely anthology, gathering the best and most significant American environmental writing from the last two centuries.
Classics of the environmental imagination—the essays of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and...more
Classics of the environmental imagination—the essays of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and...more
Hardcover, 1047 pages
Published
April 17th 2008
by Library of America
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Took me over a year, but I finally finished reading this tome, squeezing in a few pages here and there between other books, and it was well, well worth it. McKibben has assembled a fantastic list of writers, from those I'd read (Thoreau, Muir, Carson, Dillard, Pollan) to those I've been meaning to read (Aldo Leopold, Jane Jacobs, Edward Abbey) to those I'd never heard of (Barry Lopez, David Abram) and all the way to the completely unexpected (P.T. Barnum, R. Crumb, Philip K Dick). There were so...more
Wonderful essay in American Earth, Jack Turner's "The Song of the White Pelican" quotes Dogen:
"That the self advances and confirms the ten thousand things is called delusion;
That the ten thousand things advance and confirm the self is called enlightenment."
Turner says that the Japanese word translated as 'enlightenment' can also be translated as intimacy, and he goes to describe the elusive sounds of white pelicans soaring amongst thunderheads in Yellowstone.
He writes, "I believe the clacking i...more
"That the self advances and confirms the ten thousand things is called delusion;
That the ten thousand things advance and confirm the self is called enlightenment."
Turner says that the Japanese word translated as 'enlightenment' can also be translated as intimacy, and he goes to describe the elusive sounds of white pelicans soaring amongst thunderheads in Yellowstone.
He writes, "I believe the clacking i...more
Excellent 1,000 plus page collection of the best environmental writing, compiled by one of the finest and most prolific current environmental writers. This volume includes well known writers like Abbey, Leopold, and Kingsolver, as well as lesser known authors such as Robert Marshall, Jane Jacobs, and Rebecca Solnit. It includes the works of at least half a dozen poets, a couple ex-presidents, a former Supreme Court justice, a former governor, songwriters, photographers, and a cartoonist. I reall...more
Fantastic! I can't say I've actually read it from front to back, because the short time allowed from the library to actually read it is insufficient. But, one of the best compilations of this sort I've read or even seen. It's all there! Definately a permanent collection book.
In these pages, you will find a veritable who's who of nature writers, and a dim sum of their writing. Sometimes the nibble may prove too small for you to really have a taste of how they see the world, or it may prove enough for you to decide if you want to explore the author or their sampled work further. Even so, the reader of the whole anthology will come away with a good sense of the conservation and preservation debates in the various shades or labels without getting bogged down in those la...more
The book jacket calls this anthology of environmental writing "unprecedented". My initial reaction was skepticism (there have been many anthologies of nature writing after all), but as I read I realized that the breadth of source material in this anthology really is remarkable. McKibben differentiates between nature writing and environmental writing, which is the focus of this book and which he defines as writing about "the collision between people and the rest of the world." Topics include city...more
I'm really starting to feel bothered about the fact that "important" essays about nature usually dwell on how bad we're fucking it up, and not so much on just how awesome it is. I know that the first point is important, especially if the second one is going to stay true, but some of the pieces in this collection are real downers. More Mary Oliver, please! The collection is useful, though.
Nothing like having to read an anthology from cover-to-cover in preparation for a course only to be told the class is being taken out of the catalogue. Upside is that I was turned onto a few lesser-known names in environmentalism atop revisiting some favorites (and gain appreciation for some I’d undervalued previously). McKibben knows his stuff and is very judicious in his selections.
Have not read the entire thing, actually, but very many excerpts for my Environmental Literature class. This is powerful stuff, and all relevant to the Environmental concerns of today. It's a great way to get to know the history of Environmental Writing, from Thoreau to the present (just like the title says).
Fantastic overview of American environmental writing. I really enjoyed it, but it is very long and certainly couldn't be considered a fast read. There's a mixture of fiction and nonfiction excerpts and essays, and while I didn't enjoy absolutely every piece in the book, the overall effect is really good.
This is a WONDERFULLY thoughtful environmental compilation. I love Thoreau, which is why I chose this book. I am skipping around since this book is 974 pages of text before the index, chronology, and forwards! I skipped George Catlin and P.T. Barnum; but recommend everyone give "The Last Passenger Pigeon" by Gene Stratton-Porter a chance.
I LOVE the excerpt from Blessed Unrest. It's fabulous! Check it out: http://www.blessedunrest.com/
I LOVE the excerpt from Blessed Unrest. It's fabulous! Check it out: http://www.blessedunrest.com/
Excellent collection of American environmental writing. My full review: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/1...
Good nibbling. Loved all the readings, and so satisfying. I'd consider buying this book to read it more throughly. It'd be great for a backpacking trip if it weren't so huge. Good for car camping though.
A wonderful collection; especially helpful as an environmental studies student. Great selection of classic environmental writing, as well as some more contemporary works. Always keep it handy.
Oct 21, 2011
Christie
marked it as to-read
I must buy this. Read through some of it this weekend and it was so great I was ignoring the social situation I was in. It's pretty much 345% Christie.
A very comprehensive anthology. Contains some great material from activists and artists that usually falls outside of the academic pool.
Impressive collection. Extensive span of time and topic.
The sampling here proves to be a good jumping-off-point for further reading.
The sampling here proves to be a good jumping-off-point for further reading.
love, love, love it!
Is there anything more American than compiling an anthology of eco-literature that manages to be light on the literature and heavy on the paper wasting? Do yourself, your wallet,and the environment a favor - borrow or buy used the books compiled in this anthology in the original.
An excellent collection of authors ranging from Henry David Thoreau to R. Crumb, each commenting on the howling (and reduced) landscape of the American Earth.
Foreword by Al Gore.
Very well Illustrated, with examples from A.B Durand, Ansel Adams, Vint Lawrence, Crumb & many other photo documents.
I am very fond of this book and recommend it to anyone interested in a condensed yet thorough survey of environmental writng.
Foreword by Al Gore.
Very well Illustrated, with examples from A.B Durand, Ansel Adams, Vint Lawrence, Crumb & many other photo documents.
I am very fond of this book and recommend it to anyone interested in a condensed yet thorough survey of environmental writng.
Fantastic book--worth every single word. Re-reading now.
This book is full of American environmental writing from Thoreau to present day writers - two centuries worth of inspiring writing. Many familiar names and several I had never heard of. This is a great reference book as well as a history of the environmental movement in the United States.
A wealth of information.
A wealth of information.
Plenty of good stuff here. Too much, almost. I checked it out of my local public library and will do so again another time.
Pretty awesome collection of basically tons of environmental writing.
I've just delved into the introduction of this massive anthology, and in contrast to my first thought to pick and choose which selections I read, I think I'll be reading the entire thing. I'll just have to recheck this and try to read fast.
I enjoyed this book but probably would have gotten more out of it if read over a longer period of time instead of the time alloted by the library! Full of things to make you think and a good introduction to many writers who were new to me.
great short stories annie dillard, aldo leopold, paul ehrlich, garrett hardin, wendell berry, and stephanie mills. covers a lot of topics concerned with environmentalism.
Tons of great environmental excerpts, essays, poems and even songs. This book made my reading list considerably longer.
Took me a looong time to finally get through all the essays - but so worth it!
Research to write a wedding ceremony for the Rocky Mountains
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Bill McKibben is the author of Eaarth, The End of Nature, Deep Economy, Enough, Fight Global Warming Now, The Bill McKibben Reader, and numerous other books. He is the founder of the environmental organizations Step It Up and 350.org, and was among the first to warn of the dangers of global warming. In 2010 The Boston Globe called him "probably the nation's leading environmentalist," and Time maga...more
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Your review makes me want to read the bo...more
Jul 25, 2008 11:27am