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158th out of 329 books
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351 voters
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Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City
On September 12, 1609, Henry Hudson first set eyes on the land that would become Manhattan. It's difficult for us to imagine what he saw, but for more than a decade, landscape ecologist Eric Sanderson has been working to do just that. Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City is the astounding result of those efforts, reconstructing, in words and images, the wild isla...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
May 1st 2009
by Abrams
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I read this for the spatial modeling & GIS methods used for the Mannahatta project. In that regard, I was rewarded w/ rich detail & well-made, beautifully mapped, intensely researched work recreating the historic landscapes, hydrography, topography, habitats, soil types, & species distributions of Manhattan island in 1609. He describes the processes step-by-step of the models he wrote & the layers he overlaid, making his methods very applicable not just for his Mannahatta project, but for othe...more
Interesting book about what Manhattan looked like in 1609, with gorgeous illustrations. I found it to be a fast read, even though the text is a bit dry.
I did find the last chapter, about what Manhattan might look like in 2409, a little bit strange. Sanderson suggests abandoning subways in favor of streetcars as a form of mass transit without explaining why he thinks subways need to go. He also suggests a more "mixed use" metropolitan area, with farms returning to speci...more
I did find the last chapter, about what Manhattan might look like in 2409, a little bit strange. Sanderson suggests abandoning subways in favor of streetcars as a form of mass transit without explaining why he thinks subways need to go. He also suggests a more "mixed use" metropolitan area, with farms returning to speci...more
Margaret Sankey
added it
Absolutely stunning and lavishly produced work on the geographic history of Manhattan Island, from before Dutch contact through the evolution of the urban metropolis, and the effects on the surrounding ecology--oyster beds, the Hudson River, marshland, old cemeteries, storm drains, the importation of European trees, the spiritual life of the Lenape, passenger pigeons and sandbars. I wish I had been able to see the museum exhibit developed from this--you know how much I love topographical maps.
Very well done. A little too much on flora and fauna for me but that's the author's mandate for such a project. Nice historic review of the first landings of Henry Hudson, et al; the world before them; and the changes hence. Still, sad to look at the exquisite renderings and ponder deeply what was, what is and the losses of the Native Americans. Highly recommended.
I'm not really clear why, on a search of 'Manahatta' this is the _9th_ book on the list (and "Chasing Harry Winston" is the first), but whatever goodreads...
This is a massive book - but with 150 pages of appendices and thick paper for the pages, not to mention an abundance of illustrations, it's also a quick read, and a beautiful book to enjoy.
This is a massive book - but with 150 pages of appendices and thick paper for the pages, not to mention an abundance of illustrations, it's also a quick read, and a beautiful book to enjoy.
After reading Two Years Before the Mast, I'd squint at the california coastline to block out buildings and highways, trying to imagine what life was like when San Diego was a dusty trader town and Los Angeles didn't have a crown of smog.
This book lets me do that with manhattan, but now I don't have to squint.
This book lets me do that with manhattan, but now I don't have to squint.
I reallyreally wanted to be able to give this 5 stars. I give 5 stars for the 10 years of painstaking research, the amazing digitalized images of NYC as it would have looked the day Henry Hudson arrived 400 years ago, the old maps, botanical prints, inspiration and message. But Sanderson's text is dry and pedantic, and seems to be addressed to 8 year-olds who need the explanation that landscape is not just a bunch of shrubs to a "landscape ecologist" with a PhD such as he.
In...more
In...more
A fascinating idea- what was Manhattan like in 1609, and what can possibly remain in the island of skyscrapers of its origins? You get some excellent photos and history of the Lenape, and some colonial-era landmarks buried beneath the asphalt that remain as street names. There's also a lot of study to figure out what the wildlife distribution would be, but after the first hundred pages, it begins to feel like filler.
Show us where the streams were; an appendix, really? I was expecting this m...more
Show us where the streams were; an appendix, really? I was expecting this m...more
The author did a great job in computer modeling based on the exhaustive catalog of flora (and some fauna) of the island. The generated pictures were interesting, and the insight into the natives' lives was enlightening. Overall, it felt like a coffee-table book to me.
If you have ever wondered what the US looked like before the settlers arrived this a book for you! The way Sanderson was able to recreate that landscape is incredible. It is also on heavy paper with wonderful maps. Did I read every word? Well no but I loved every picture...
Mason
added it
Weighing-in at 3.8 pounds, this doorstop sits on the high-end of the "curl-up with a good book" scale. Fortunately, the workout was worth it. Whether you are interested in ecology or just want to know a little more about a favorite place, this is a book for you.
Stephen
is currently reading it
Interesting for those who've spent some time in the city. Thought-provoking for folks like myself who think about our interactions with nature, and especially as we live together in the close quarters of urban environments.
Wes
is currently reading it
A tour-de-force; vision of past and future; astonishing maps and eye-popping photographs.Reminds me of Whitehead's Boston, A Topographic History but on a much larger, less parochial scale as befits its subject.
Mostly pictures, really interesting ones. This is a landscape ecologist's attempt to reconstruct what Manhattan island was like before Europeans arrived. He estimates that the island was occupied by humans for about 10,000 years before Hudson, but they had a much lighter footprint that the current inhabitants. Fascinating. I am starting to thing of myself as an island person.
Actually, having gone through most of it, I think it is worth looking though for the pictures, but the text is...more
Actually, having gone through most of it, I think it is worth looking though for the pictures, but the text is...more
Sanderson has created intriguing computer generated images of Manhattan. He also skims across a host of topics from the geology to history and archeology of the island, which I found interesting.
Fantastic! So important to know where we've been to better understand where we now are and where we are/can go. I want to see more of the GIS data being made publicly accessible.
Seriously cool look at Manhattan in 1609 vs now. The maps overlaid were my favorite bits. Like, when I went to see How to Succeed, I was on the former land of JJ Astor. Neat.
This book is the result of a tour-de-force in historical scholarship and ecological modeling. It is well-illustrated with ordinance maps, paintings, computer-generated topographic studies, probable species lists, and many other unique visual aids. Read it. Study it.
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
marked it as maybe-read-sometime
Recommends it for:
people who like maps and/or geology
Shelves:
history
Seems to have a lot of great maps and other primary sources.
Fascinating Reading - Very Well Done!!! Loved It!!
Diane
rated it
Recommends it for:
Norma & Garry Milton, Brian McCarthy
Shelves:
history,
non-fiction
A beautiful book to just look at - maps, pictures, computer generated views of New York in 1609, the year Henry Hudson sailed up the river. I was intrigued with the project to re-create Manhattan of 1609 and enjoyed reading about finding maps, tracing bird sightings, reading old accounts of hunting, etc. The book seems to be part of a tribute to the 400 year anniversary of the discovery of Manhattan and the parts that are paean to the city are pretty boring. But, the pictures and charts are mo...more
An amazing study of what Manhattan was like prior to European colonization. You'll never walk around the city in the same way again.
This was an incredible undertaking, to recreate a detailed map of the natural world on Manhattan at the time the Dutch arrived. The book was fun to look through, but too dry to read word-for-word. I recommend taking a look at the website: http://themannahattaproject.org/ and clicking on explore to interact with the map as well.
A marvelously inventive reconstruction of Manhattan Island on the eve of Henry Hudson's voyage up the river that bears his name in 1609. Using the latest techniques of digital cartography and the science of ecology, Sanderson lays out in graphic detail what the island was like 400 years ago. An added plus is his optimistic vision of a sustainable future that we can create in this place of abundance.
This wasn't quite what I expected--not just OMG there were beavers living in Midtown! It's science-oriented, but not too over the head of a lay person with a humanities degree like me. The tone was erudite, yet friendly. I also found the speculations about the future of Manhattan intriguing.
This has a British War Map of Manhattan Island dating from 1782-1783!
If you care about the history of Manhattan at all you must read this book. Splendid maps and illustrations.
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Finally finished!! Again I am so smart now.
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