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My Green Manifesto: Down the Charles River in Pursuit of a New Environmentalism
In My Green Manifesto , David Gessner embarks on a rough-and-tumble journey down Boston’s Charles River, searching for the soul of a new environmentalism. With a tragically leaky canoe, a broken cell phone, a cooler of beer, and environmental planner Dan Driscoll in tow, Gessner grapples with the stereotype of the environmentalist as an overzealous, puritanical mess. But as Dan recounts his own story of transforming the famously polluted Charles into an urban haven for wildlife and wild people, the vision of a new sort of eco-champion begins to someone who falls in love with a forgotten space, and then fights like hell for it. Considering everything from Edward Abbey’s legacy to Jimmy Carter’s sweater, weaving his intellectual quest with real adventure, Gessner points toward a scrappy environmentalism that, despite all odds, just might change the world. “Heartfelt and informed” ( Boston Globe ), My Green Manifesto is a spirited call to arms by a major figure on the vanguard of a new environmentalism.
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
David Gessner
39 books121 followersDavid Gessner is the author of fourteen books that blend a love of nature, humor, memoir, and environmentalism, including the New York Times bestselling, All the Wild That Remains, Return of the Osprey, Sick of Nature and Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness.
Gessner is the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine, Ecotone. His own magazine publications include pieces in the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Sierra, Audubon, Orion, and many other magazines, and his prizes include a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award for Best Nature Essay for his essay “Learning to Surf.” He has also won the Association for Study of Literature and the Environment’s award for best book of creative writing, and the Reed Award for Best Book on the Southern Environment. In 2017 he hosted the National Geographic Explorer show, "The Call of the Wild."
He is married to the novelist Nina de Gramont, whose latest book is The Christie Affair.
“A master essayist.” –Booklist
“For nature-writing enthusiasts, Gessner needs no introduction. His books and essays have in many ways redefined what it means to write about the natural world, coaxing the genre from a staid, sometimes wonky practice to one that is lively and often raucous.”—Washington Post.
“David Gessner has been a font of creativity ever since the 1980s, when he published provocative political cartoons in that famous campus magazine, the Harvard Crimson. These days he’s a naturalist, a professor and a master of the art of telling humorous and thought-provoking narratives about unusual people in out-of-the way-places."
--The San Francisco Chronicle
Gessner is the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine, Ecotone. His own magazine publications include pieces in the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Sierra, Audubon, Orion, and many other magazines, and his prizes include a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award for Best Nature Essay for his essay “Learning to Surf.” He has also won the Association for Study of Literature and the Environment’s award for best book of creative writing, and the Reed Award for Best Book on the Southern Environment. In 2017 he hosted the National Geographic Explorer show, "The Call of the Wild."
He is married to the novelist Nina de Gramont, whose latest book is The Christie Affair.
“A master essayist.” –Booklist
“For nature-writing enthusiasts, Gessner needs no introduction. His books and essays have in many ways redefined what it means to write about the natural world, coaxing the genre from a staid, sometimes wonky practice to one that is lively and often raucous.”—Washington Post.
“David Gessner has been a font of creativity ever since the 1980s, when he published provocative political cartoons in that famous campus magazine, the Harvard Crimson. These days he’s a naturalist, a professor and a master of the art of telling humorous and thought-provoking narratives about unusual people in out-of-the way-places."
--The San Francisco Chronicle
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 13, 2024
David's overall point about injecting hope and action into environmentalism to overcome the paralysis of doom is a good and important one. However, he doesn't follow that up with anything concrete and after the first few chapters the voice in this starts to become irritating as he becomes the exact thing he criticized in early chapters: a romantic, Walden-obsessed, environmentalist mystic. I would have liked to learn more about Dan Driscoll's specific work and strategy to re-green urban areas and how we can apply these small wins to other cities in sustainable way rather than the waxing religious about drinking beers along the Charles near ospreys and thinking a campsite would be a good place to have sex with his wife.
September 30, 2014
Honestly, this book made me consider investing in a canoe or kayak.
As David Gessner paddles down the Charles River, he ponders what type of environmentalism is effective, and what type makes him feel uneasy. He hooked my attention when he notices that the current tactic of environmentalism is to nag everyone into feeling personally responsible for the "end of the world":
"You may find yourself wishing that, even if the doomsday predictions are entirely accurate, even if our fate is sealed, even if it is all true, even if this is the case could we just SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE?"
Instead, he concludes we shouldn't have such a panicked outlook- that tends to petrify and paralyze. We need to find joy in something, anything, in our home and fight FOR it....rather than AGAINST a certain type of living.
The style of writing was awesome for the first few chapters when he was all riled up. Then he kinda lost me for the better portion of the middle of the book when he tends to take on the "voice of the mystic" that he complained about at the beginning of the book. Overall, it's an alright book that makes you ask some questions.
As David Gessner paddles down the Charles River, he ponders what type of environmentalism is effective, and what type makes him feel uneasy. He hooked my attention when he notices that the current tactic of environmentalism is to nag everyone into feeling personally responsible for the "end of the world":
"You may find yourself wishing that, even if the doomsday predictions are entirely accurate, even if our fate is sealed, even if it is all true, even if this is the case could we just SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE?"
Instead, he concludes we shouldn't have such a panicked outlook- that tends to petrify and paralyze. We need to find joy in something, anything, in our home and fight FOR it....rather than AGAINST a certain type of living.
The style of writing was awesome for the first few chapters when he was all riled up. Then he kinda lost me for the better portion of the middle of the book when he tends to take on the "voice of the mystic" that he complained about at the beginning of the book. Overall, it's an alright book that makes you ask some questions.
March 19, 2022
This isn't a book--it's an essay stretched into book length, I assume because he needed income. I can't say I disagree with him, but I can't say I am particularly drawn to his so-called "manifesto" which, so far as I can tell consists of "Doom-and Gloom Environementalism Sucks!" "Place Matters!" and "Environmentalism Should Be Fun!"
The canoe trip is a couple of days on the Charles during which time he muses, mostly about how he hates doom-and-gloom environmentalism and how, hey, let's change the message to "Nature is fun, let's save fun things!" Sigh. The most adventuresome thing they do is try to take their canoe over a small dam, predictably cracking it so that it leaks the rest of the way. Entering a restaurant in muddy clothing was their other great rough-and-tumble experience.
I'm not sure what was more annoying, his belittling of his friend's wife who offered to help with daily supplies (she became their "sherpa") who he wanted to kill because she failed to bring coffee to the first rendezvous, the "dangerously raw meat" they had for dinner (it's called rare by un-affected writers), or his self-serving apologies every time any language veered into poetic mushiness. All would have been fine in a five-page essay, but wore thin over the course of a book.
However, his on-going anger at Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger's book, Break Through, seems contrived at best. I suspect they really do have philosophical differences, but it would be helpful if it amounted to something more than a few snide shots and and some meandering thoughts tacked on here and there to try to tie this whole thing together.
Of course, the re-greening of the Charles River, spearheaded by his friend Dan Driscoll, is a wonderful story, and worthy of a well-drafted essay. That being said, maybe because Greta Thunberg came along and smashed the pedestrian manifestos of middle-aged nature writers, or maybe because it's over a decade old and feels dated, I'd say check it out of the library if you really want to read it, but be prepared to be rather underwhelmed.
If it had been an essay I would have given it three stars as there is a kernel of interesting thought here and the story of the Charles bears telling. The over-long and dangerously tepid writing, combined with a barely recognizable "manifesto" drag it down a notch.
The canoe trip is a couple of days on the Charles during which time he muses, mostly about how he hates doom-and-gloom environmentalism and how, hey, let's change the message to "Nature is fun, let's save fun things!" Sigh. The most adventuresome thing they do is try to take their canoe over a small dam, predictably cracking it so that it leaks the rest of the way. Entering a restaurant in muddy clothing was their other great rough-and-tumble experience.
I'm not sure what was more annoying, his belittling of his friend's wife who offered to help with daily supplies (she became their "sherpa") who he wanted to kill because she failed to bring coffee to the first rendezvous, the "dangerously raw meat" they had for dinner (it's called rare by un-affected writers), or his self-serving apologies every time any language veered into poetic mushiness. All would have been fine in a five-page essay, but wore thin over the course of a book.
However, his on-going anger at Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger's book, Break Through, seems contrived at best. I suspect they really do have philosophical differences, but it would be helpful if it amounted to something more than a few snide shots and and some meandering thoughts tacked on here and there to try to tie this whole thing together.
Of course, the re-greening of the Charles River, spearheaded by his friend Dan Driscoll, is a wonderful story, and worthy of a well-drafted essay. That being said, maybe because Greta Thunberg came along and smashed the pedestrian manifestos of middle-aged nature writers, or maybe because it's over a decade old and feels dated, I'd say check it out of the library if you really want to read it, but be prepared to be rather underwhelmed.
If it had been an essay I would have given it three stars as there is a kernel of interesting thought here and the story of the Charles bears telling. The over-long and dangerously tepid writing, combined with a barely recognizable "manifesto" drag it down a notch.
June 8, 2020
One month after finished reading this book and finally have some notes:
There were three parts to this book: a river trip on an urban river, that ends up in the Boston Harbor, a coming to his own philosophy about environmentalism, how it should be approached, and the literature criticism of an environmental book.
The primary way the book moves forward is the river trip. Gessner and Dan Driscoll (a friend from the Frisbee days), paddle down the Charles River that ends in the Boston Harbor. Driscoll has made it his life work to improve the river. It started in the 1990s, new in the department and they said look at this river. Driscoll then says, hey, let’s green the river. Put in green pathways, connected, plant native plants, improve it. Soon he became known as “the River man.” It has been a long road but he has been persistent and constant for nearly twenty years. And now it is a good success for most of the river, of course more can be done. During their trip they do pass through very urban areas. Places where they have to haul the canoe a short distance the nature in urban become incongruous. When at the end of the day, you can hop over to a pub, have dinner and a few drinks, it is spectacular.
There is also a conversation about a book Gessner reads while taking this trip, Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. He argues with the authors on their viewpoints of environmentalism. This book helps Gessner to define his own approach and what may be something more people would be open towards, such as finding a spot in the natural world and fall in love with it.
There were three parts to this book: a river trip on an urban river, that ends up in the Boston Harbor, a coming to his own philosophy about environmentalism, how it should be approached, and the literature criticism of an environmental book.
The primary way the book moves forward is the river trip. Gessner and Dan Driscoll (a friend from the Frisbee days), paddle down the Charles River that ends in the Boston Harbor. Driscoll has made it his life work to improve the river. It started in the 1990s, new in the department and they said look at this river. Driscoll then says, hey, let’s green the river. Put in green pathways, connected, plant native plants, improve it. Soon he became known as “the River man.” It has been a long road but he has been persistent and constant for nearly twenty years. And now it is a good success for most of the river, of course more can be done. During their trip they do pass through very urban areas. Places where they have to haul the canoe a short distance the nature in urban become incongruous. When at the end of the day, you can hop over to a pub, have dinner and a few drinks, it is spectacular.
There is also a conversation about a book Gessner reads while taking this trip, Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. He argues with the authors on their viewpoints of environmentalism. This book helps Gessner to define his own approach and what may be something more people would be open towards, such as finding a spot in the natural world and fall in love with it.
November 6, 2020
I haven't found myself nodding my head and feeling so seen while reading a book for a looong time. I think I highlighted about half of the words in this book, and I wish I'd found it about 8 years ago when I started spending more time thinking about the outdoors and caring more about them.
It was also a great escape for me to read over 4 days, from Election day 2020 to when the results were (nearly) all in. Thanks for the escape, Gessner!
Here's the main gist of the book: First, most environmentalists these days are super annoying because they either a) guilt people about their lifestyle, b) make giving a shit really moralistic & holier-than-thou, or c) shout at them at the top of their lungs that the WORLD IS ENDING and we're living in a crisis (which we are). People have a million things going on in their lives, so using guilt and shame to get other people to care about the wild and the climate crisis isn't getting us anywhere. It's just freaking people out. And it's giving environmentalists a bad look. Gessner also nails people that exempt themselves from guilt because they only wear Patagonia clothing and love buying the latest 'sustainable' consumer items. (Looking at you, 'sustainable' Instagram accounts I follow.)
Second gist of the book: the best thing you can do for the outdoors is form a solid relationship with it where you live, fall in love with it, and then fight like hell for it. If everyone, everywhere, just stood up for their backyard, it'd be a world of difference.
In no particular order, here are things I LOVED about this book:
- Gessner doesn't write about nature in hushed tones, treating a river like some spiritual temple that we all must revere and talk about like it's baby Jesus. Sometimes he just talks about how rad birds are, or that it's nice to get out of your house and see animals. Dude doesn't make the outdoors elitist at all. Super refreshing since most writers would have you think they're having personal breakthroughs and spiritual experiences every time they step on their front lawn and see a worm.
- He actually writes about seeing trash in the outdoors (specifically a hooker's boot), which most writers edit out of their writing to make a place feel more 'wild' than it really is. Which come to think about it, says a lot about how other writers place 'the wild' on this big pedestal, when really, the outdoor, wildish places we have locally — they're what we have, and we should write about them realistically. It's a disservice to pretend like they're something they're not, especially when it makes people feel like their local outdoor spots aren't as special if they have litter (spoiler: litter is everywhere). I've had to come to terms with that personally, and pretending like trash isn't everywhere is super annoying.
- I appreciate how much he railed against innovative entrepreneurs that think they are going to save the world. I mean, I personally think we need to pull out all the stops and use everything and everyone we've got to address the climate crisis and the sixth extinction, and that entrepreneurs are a big piece of that puzzle, but it was refreshing for an environmentalist to not treat them like gods.
- Most people pretend like they're not animals. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but if our definition of ourselves isn't realistic, it really affects how we treat our home planet.
- My favorite part of this book is how much he talks shit about environmentalists that use shame and guilt to try to get people to care about sustainability. When everything in our world is on fire, everyone has big fish to fry and a million people shouting at them. Getting all moralistic, holier-than-thou, how-dare-you-not-care-about-what-I-care-about, ugh, David Gessner is calling out EXACTLY what really bums me out with the environmental movement.
- We need a new environmental movement that celebrates everyday people enjoying everyday places.
- We need more stories about people that gave a shit about their home and stood up for it. The environmental movement doesn't have a WHOLE lot of lore behind it. We've got Muir writing about how spiritual the outdoors can be, Ed Abbey being a cantankerous (and racist and xenophobic) dude advocating for the wild and monkeywrenching government-sponsored development, we've got Rachel Carson noticing how DDT is affecting the environment and kicking off the environmental movement with a book. But we need more modern heroes. We need stories about people who fought and lost, who fought and won. We need more stories of badass people to look up to and collaborate with.
- Being outside will bring you joy. It'll make your life better. And a small offshoot of that joy is that you'll want to protect the outdoors. But even if you don't end up advocating for the outdoors, it's still good to just be getting outside and creating more joy in the world, period.
- Telling people they need to live with less is shameful and similar to people preaching abstinence; it's unrealistic, preachy, and not going to convince other people how they should live their life.
- David Gessner drank a lot of beers, smoked cigars, and talked a fair amount about pot and mushrooms in the outdoors, which I appreciate because so many writers pretend the outdoors is a sacred place where these should have no place. Rad.
- Making people hopeless about the environment doesn't inspire them to stand up for it. Stop doing that.
- A lot of people write about saving the wild like its socialist propaganda. That doesn't have to be the case. We can write about saving the wild because being in the wild is just plain fun. That's ok too.
Overall, David Gessner is a breath of fresh air for pointing out how do-goodery and moralistic the environmental movement can be, why that's super lame, and offers a fresh perspective that I feel is under-represented in the environmental movement. Take the guilt and gatekeeping and shame out of advocating for the outdoors and help make getting people outside a part of their daily life. Help people fall in love with their backyard, and when it comes down to it, organize and fight like hell with them to protect it.
It was also a great escape for me to read over 4 days, from Election day 2020 to when the results were (nearly) all in. Thanks for the escape, Gessner!
Here's the main gist of the book: First, most environmentalists these days are super annoying because they either a) guilt people about their lifestyle, b) make giving a shit really moralistic & holier-than-thou, or c) shout at them at the top of their lungs that the WORLD IS ENDING and we're living in a crisis (which we are). People have a million things going on in their lives, so using guilt and shame to get other people to care about the wild and the climate crisis isn't getting us anywhere. It's just freaking people out. And it's giving environmentalists a bad look. Gessner also nails people that exempt themselves from guilt because they only wear Patagonia clothing and love buying the latest 'sustainable' consumer items. (Looking at you, 'sustainable' Instagram accounts I follow.)
Second gist of the book: the best thing you can do for the outdoors is form a solid relationship with it where you live, fall in love with it, and then fight like hell for it. If everyone, everywhere, just stood up for their backyard, it'd be a world of difference.
In no particular order, here are things I LOVED about this book:
- Gessner doesn't write about nature in hushed tones, treating a river like some spiritual temple that we all must revere and talk about like it's baby Jesus. Sometimes he just talks about how rad birds are, or that it's nice to get out of your house and see animals. Dude doesn't make the outdoors elitist at all. Super refreshing since most writers would have you think they're having personal breakthroughs and spiritual experiences every time they step on their front lawn and see a worm.
- He actually writes about seeing trash in the outdoors (specifically a hooker's boot), which most writers edit out of their writing to make a place feel more 'wild' than it really is. Which come to think about it, says a lot about how other writers place 'the wild' on this big pedestal, when really, the outdoor, wildish places we have locally — they're what we have, and we should write about them realistically. It's a disservice to pretend like they're something they're not, especially when it makes people feel like their local outdoor spots aren't as special if they have litter (spoiler: litter is everywhere). I've had to come to terms with that personally, and pretending like trash isn't everywhere is super annoying.
- I appreciate how much he railed against innovative entrepreneurs that think they are going to save the world. I mean, I personally think we need to pull out all the stops and use everything and everyone we've got to address the climate crisis and the sixth extinction, and that entrepreneurs are a big piece of that puzzle, but it was refreshing for an environmentalist to not treat them like gods.
- Most people pretend like they're not animals. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but if our definition of ourselves isn't realistic, it really affects how we treat our home planet.
- My favorite part of this book is how much he talks shit about environmentalists that use shame and guilt to try to get people to care about sustainability. When everything in our world is on fire, everyone has big fish to fry and a million people shouting at them. Getting all moralistic, holier-than-thou, how-dare-you-not-care-about-what-I-care-about, ugh, David Gessner is calling out EXACTLY what really bums me out with the environmental movement.
- We need a new environmental movement that celebrates everyday people enjoying everyday places.
- We need more stories about people that gave a shit about their home and stood up for it. The environmental movement doesn't have a WHOLE lot of lore behind it. We've got Muir writing about how spiritual the outdoors can be, Ed Abbey being a cantankerous (and racist and xenophobic) dude advocating for the wild and monkeywrenching government-sponsored development, we've got Rachel Carson noticing how DDT is affecting the environment and kicking off the environmental movement with a book. But we need more modern heroes. We need stories about people who fought and lost, who fought and won. We need more stories of badass people to look up to and collaborate with.
- Being outside will bring you joy. It'll make your life better. And a small offshoot of that joy is that you'll want to protect the outdoors. But even if you don't end up advocating for the outdoors, it's still good to just be getting outside and creating more joy in the world, period.
- Telling people they need to live with less is shameful and similar to people preaching abstinence; it's unrealistic, preachy, and not going to convince other people how they should live their life.
- David Gessner drank a lot of beers, smoked cigars, and talked a fair amount about pot and mushrooms in the outdoors, which I appreciate because so many writers pretend the outdoors is a sacred place where these should have no place. Rad.
- Making people hopeless about the environment doesn't inspire them to stand up for it. Stop doing that.
- A lot of people write about saving the wild like its socialist propaganda. That doesn't have to be the case. We can write about saving the wild because being in the wild is just plain fun. That's ok too.
Overall, David Gessner is a breath of fresh air for pointing out how do-goodery and moralistic the environmental movement can be, why that's super lame, and offers a fresh perspective that I feel is under-represented in the environmental movement. Take the guilt and gatekeeping and shame out of advocating for the outdoors and help make getting people outside a part of their daily life. Help people fall in love with their backyard, and when it comes down to it, organize and fight like hell with them to protect it.
January 19, 2019
I am a sucker for any book on paddling rivers. A few weeks ago (this was in 2012) when I was on the campus bookstore at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, this book jumped off the shelves and into my hands. David Gessner teaches in the Creative Writing at the university. In this book, he explores what it means to be an environmentalist as he and Dan Driscoll, a longtime friend and former Ultimate Frisbee teammate, paddle the Charles River through eastern Massachusetts. Dan works for the state and his project has been cleaning up the Charles River so people can enjoy it again. His efforts have earned him the nickname “River Dan.” The Charles River isn’t very long. Its source is only 26 miles from Boston (but there is a lot of winding before it gets to the city). Like most rivers, it has been dammed and used as a way to get rid of waste. But in the past few decades, the river has become cleaner and much of the property along side it has become available and is now a part of a green belt that allows people and animals to flourish even in a heavily populated area.
Gessner is troubled with the way the message of the environmental movement is often filled with doom and gloom and the need for immediate action. He suggests that for most people such an attitude won’t lead to action but resignation. Instead of pushing for the impossible, Gessner suggests a different strategy. Before someone burns out on the impossibility of saving the earth, have them connect with nature and experience its beauty and awe. You fall in love with a “place,” then you will want to fight for it. That’s why projects like Dan’s work on the Charles is so important for there are many people who are able to make a connection with nature along a river that dissects an urban landscape.
Gessner starts out alone on the first day. Dan had work to do so after stopping for coffee and donuts, he drops his friend off in a kayak at the headwaters of the river. The solo paddle gives Gessner a chance to share with his reader a conversation in his head about the environmental crisis. It is in these personal thoughts as well as the later discussions between David and Dan that the story unfolds. Along the way, other characters are brought into the conversation. Gessner is reading Break Through, by Ten Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. These two environmentalists are critiquing the movement, yet Gessner finds their solutions lacking and in a way their book serves as an antithesis to his own thoughts. Other environmentalists are brought into the conversation include John Hay, who Gessner knew in his later years on Cape Cod when he was studying osprey, and Ken Sleigh, who inspired Edward Abbey’s character “Seldom Seen Smith” in the Monkey Wrench Gang and who Gressner had met in the La Sal Mountains above Moab, Utah. In addition to conversations with those he knew, Gressner also carries on a conversation with those who had blazed the way such as John Muir, Rachel Carson and Henry David Thoreau. He also draws insight from Bill McKibben, Wallace Stegner and Wendell Berry. Toward the end of the book, he tries to avoid mentioning Thoreau, feeling that he is overused, but is unable to stop the conversation as Thoreau is so important to how he experiences the natural world.
Of course, as in any good river trip, Gessner can pull away from what’s going on in his head to appreciate the flight of a great blue heron or the sighting of another bird or animal. The trip ends, ironically, in the Boston basin on the fourth of July, with fireworks.
I enjoyed this book, not just because of the interesting debate Gessner carried on in his head, but because he now lives where I was raised. Occasionally, his mind will wander back to his new home. I have paddled the same creeks behind Masonboro Island and have camped there on the deserted beaches. And I also have a daughter about the same age and am interested in helping her experience the joy that comes from being outdoors. Although Gessner isn’t writing from a religious perspective, I couldn’t help but think of the Christian concept of stewardship, especially as it is interpreted from a Calvinistic theology. The world belongs to God. God gives us the responsibility to care for it. However, we’re not to care for it as a way to earn God’s approval, but out of a joy and thanksgiving of having experienced what God has done and is doing for us. In a similar vein, Gessner envisions a new wave of environmentalist arising out of the experience of joy and love of creation. Such joy gives us excitement as we “sacrifice toward creating something much larger than ourselves.” There is hope in such a message.
I recommend this book.
Gessner is troubled with the way the message of the environmental movement is often filled with doom and gloom and the need for immediate action. He suggests that for most people such an attitude won’t lead to action but resignation. Instead of pushing for the impossible, Gessner suggests a different strategy. Before someone burns out on the impossibility of saving the earth, have them connect with nature and experience its beauty and awe. You fall in love with a “place,” then you will want to fight for it. That’s why projects like Dan’s work on the Charles is so important for there are many people who are able to make a connection with nature along a river that dissects an urban landscape.
Gessner starts out alone on the first day. Dan had work to do so after stopping for coffee and donuts, he drops his friend off in a kayak at the headwaters of the river. The solo paddle gives Gessner a chance to share with his reader a conversation in his head about the environmental crisis. It is in these personal thoughts as well as the later discussions between David and Dan that the story unfolds. Along the way, other characters are brought into the conversation. Gessner is reading Break Through, by Ten Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. These two environmentalists are critiquing the movement, yet Gessner finds their solutions lacking and in a way their book serves as an antithesis to his own thoughts. Other environmentalists are brought into the conversation include John Hay, who Gessner knew in his later years on Cape Cod when he was studying osprey, and Ken Sleigh, who inspired Edward Abbey’s character “Seldom Seen Smith” in the Monkey Wrench Gang and who Gressner had met in the La Sal Mountains above Moab, Utah. In addition to conversations with those he knew, Gressner also carries on a conversation with those who had blazed the way such as John Muir, Rachel Carson and Henry David Thoreau. He also draws insight from Bill McKibben, Wallace Stegner and Wendell Berry. Toward the end of the book, he tries to avoid mentioning Thoreau, feeling that he is overused, but is unable to stop the conversation as Thoreau is so important to how he experiences the natural world.
Of course, as in any good river trip, Gessner can pull away from what’s going on in his head to appreciate the flight of a great blue heron or the sighting of another bird or animal. The trip ends, ironically, in the Boston basin on the fourth of July, with fireworks.
I enjoyed this book, not just because of the interesting debate Gessner carried on in his head, but because he now lives where I was raised. Occasionally, his mind will wander back to his new home. I have paddled the same creeks behind Masonboro Island and have camped there on the deserted beaches. And I also have a daughter about the same age and am interested in helping her experience the joy that comes from being outdoors. Although Gessner isn’t writing from a religious perspective, I couldn’t help but think of the Christian concept of stewardship, especially as it is interpreted from a Calvinistic theology. The world belongs to God. God gives us the responsibility to care for it. However, we’re not to care for it as a way to earn God’s approval, but out of a joy and thanksgiving of having experienced what God has done and is doing for us. In a similar vein, Gessner envisions a new wave of environmentalist arising out of the experience of joy and love of creation. Such joy gives us excitement as we “sacrifice toward creating something much larger than ourselves.” There is hope in such a message.
I recommend this book.
February 12, 2018
Its hard not to appreciate the honest determination to seek a new narrative of environmental thinking that is based on positivity. Gessner achieves this at a 7 on a scale of 1-10. He is absolutely correct in that environmentalism and a notion towards fighting for saving what is leftover, starts at the local level and begins with love of place and things. However, I didn't turn the last page of this book thinking that we can save ourselves and our planet.
Gessner's book hovers around Thoreau while critiquing a book he is read about finding a new environmental philosophy. He does a very good job interweaving Thoreau's idea of wildness into where humankind stands in Nature. This book is a good start to thinking about finding a new narrative without disregarding the past.
Gessner's book hovers around Thoreau while critiquing a book he is read about finding a new environmental philosophy. He does a very good job interweaving Thoreau's idea of wildness into where humankind stands in Nature. This book is a good start to thinking about finding a new narrative without disregarding the past.
November 12, 2022
Beautiful imagery and inspiring ideas written by someone who seems capable of sitting down and having a beer with just about anyone. I really appreciated the tone of this book and how unique it is to so much other environmental writing. It felt much more like a journey - not an epic or spiritual journey, but like your dad or uncle or cousin came home and told you about their camping trip - than a manifesto. Nonetheless, that story, entertaining in itself, promotes some attainable environmental actions for the individual.
4 stars instead of 5 because it did become repetitive in some areas.
4 stars instead of 5 because it did become repetitive in some areas.
November 28, 2018
An interesting proposal for effecting local environmental change in the face of overwhelming global catastrophe. The author canoed down the Charles River in Massachusetts (at times with an environmentalist friend), which led to musings that resulted in his "green manifesto." The account of the canoe trip is a bit less than satisfying, and the manifesto is a little inchoate in the end. A good read, but not a great one.
April 9, 2019
“When I look back on my green manifesto, I see it as a kind of young adult or children's book. It is naive and goofy and overly romantic, but isn't that where we need to start from if we have any shot of connecting to the world?” (p220)
"My role, as I see it, is to try to pull the pole out of the collective environmental ass.” (p25)
I'm not quite sure how to categorize My Green Manifesto, but I quickly fell for it. It's hard to find 'green' oriented literature that isn't miserable, let alone optimistic and funny. Gessner tells the story of his canoe ride down the Charles, while discussing his ideologies regarding the state of modern environmentalism and entwining this with related stories of adventure and conservation. Listing the material he covers would read like a hodge-podge, but he ties it together naturally. For a moment Gessner is camping, then recounting the life of his adventuring companion, Dan Driscoll, who is responsible for the recent 'greening' of the Charles, then it's about Gessner's life on Cape Cod, then it's bird watching, then the history of the EPA. You will be impressed by the flow of such vast material.
I really liked Gessner's rhetoric on GLOBAL WARMING (always written in capitols), in which he slams environmentalists who push the doomsday narrative, not because the are wrong, but because their direction is ineffective. Instead, Gessner reminds us that people only change their behavior when they care. People must love the world to care for it. To love the whole, first love a part, and even if it's a polluted river with littered shores, there's still plenty to love.
"My role, as I see it, is to try to pull the pole out of the collective environmental ass.” (p25)
I'm not quite sure how to categorize My Green Manifesto, but I quickly fell for it. It's hard to find 'green' oriented literature that isn't miserable, let alone optimistic and funny. Gessner tells the story of his canoe ride down the Charles, while discussing his ideologies regarding the state of modern environmentalism and entwining this with related stories of adventure and conservation. Listing the material he covers would read like a hodge-podge, but he ties it together naturally. For a moment Gessner is camping, then recounting the life of his adventuring companion, Dan Driscoll, who is responsible for the recent 'greening' of the Charles, then it's about Gessner's life on Cape Cod, then it's bird watching, then the history of the EPA. You will be impressed by the flow of such vast material.
I really liked Gessner's rhetoric on GLOBAL WARMING (always written in capitols), in which he slams environmentalists who push the doomsday narrative, not because the are wrong, but because their direction is ineffective. Instead, Gessner reminds us that people only change their behavior when they care. People must love the world to care for it. To love the whole, first love a part, and even if it's a polluted river with littered shores, there's still plenty to love.
July 31, 2019
A little preachy, but then this is unashamedly and openly a manifesto. I personally prefer my travel/adventure books to have more irreverence and maybe humour - but a worthy message: environmentalism begins in our own back yard. And of course there's the river and the kayak and the paddling of the same. Better when one does it, than when one is reading about doing it, in my opinion.
November 20, 2022
A refreshing look on environmentalism. A story of starting in your own backyard in order to find and expand a love of nature. Specifically how canoeing down the Charles River and seeing different sides of Massachusetts can teach you about what you really care about.
January 8, 2025
The author reflects on how environmentalism should shift away from doom and gloom towards a more local focus as he kayaks down the Charles River. Feel like this would have been more compelling as an essay than as a full-length book.
April 2, 2015
I nearly squeaked out loud when I read Rachel Carson’s and Edward Abbey’s names for the first time. And then Gessner goes on to mention them again several more times throughout the story. I felt even more connected because I thought Yes, I know them! I read their work! David and I are on the same page here! That truly helped me get invested.
Similar to A Walk in the Woods, there was a great deal of both action and narration with research and reflection. All the chapters and sections within the chapters were short enough that I never felt tied to one aspect of the story. Getting bored of David talking about birds? Here’s a section of Dan talking about what he did to get the river cleaned up. Sick of all the environmentalism talk from other activists? Here’s Dan and David having a beer and enjoying the sunset. Every few pages I got another little piece of the story, and that kept all the action driving.
I found the little section on being a hypocrite but still trying to do something is better than nothing at all relatable. Yes, one big thing isn’t going to save the planet, but a bunch of little things do do something and that made me feel like I could do something, too.
A theme that’s been in a lot of the works I've read, and is present here as well, is sharing nature with people. Solitude in the wilderness is great, but what’s the point if you can’t share that solitude with someone close to you? The more people who know and care about someplace, the more likely that place will be preserved and enjoyed.
Gessner’s honesty is much appreciated. A couple times he just comes right out and says, “I didn’t want to rant at you in this book, but I’ve already failed… I want to shake you up, grab you by the lapels, take you to the woodshed, all that.” By not beating around the bush or trying to pretty up his words on environmentalism, I’ll actually pay attention and take what he is saying to heart. When he mentions some of the other activists and writers who do bullshit their words, I felt put off. Like how dare they not be honest with me and just say, “Hey, recycle and don’t dump stuff in the river and take a walk instead of driving when you can?” I like that stuff. But full on END OF THE WORLD! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! is just a turn off.
Hooray for The West Wing reference! That show is the best show ever!
But seriously, as annoying and ridiculous as some of the environmentalists and their ideas are (as Gessner himself admits he feels about them), all the outside materials and past writings and such included are nice to see. With each little bend in the river or bridge they pass under, Gessner has some related story to tell about someone else. And that’s so cool!
The one thing I didn’t altogether enjoy about Desert Solitaire was it was pretty much all Abbey talking. And he did include some research and background info, but there were no outside ideas about the desert other than Abbey’s thoughts about giant parking lots and no cars allowed to drive through the park.
Here, we get past friends, acquaintances and colleagues all getting their opinions in because of Gessner including them. Now the reader can reconsider his or her own views on saving the world one stream at a time and decide which ideas they agree with and which they don’t. Multiple sides opens up more discussions which can really get things going.
Plus, there are stories to go along these outside sources. The guy who formed the group that saved the osprey by making the insecticide illegal was entertaining as hell and showed just what environmentalists can do. And it all began by enjoying bird watching. The same goes with Dan’s stories. They’re funny and wacky and compelling, but again they show how big things have small beginnings—even saving the world.
In the end, the one thing I took away from this book is this: Do something. Small, big, amateur, taking down The Man, it doesn’t matter. Any little help is better than no help at all.
Similar to A Walk in the Woods, there was a great deal of both action and narration with research and reflection. All the chapters and sections within the chapters were short enough that I never felt tied to one aspect of the story. Getting bored of David talking about birds? Here’s a section of Dan talking about what he did to get the river cleaned up. Sick of all the environmentalism talk from other activists? Here’s Dan and David having a beer and enjoying the sunset. Every few pages I got another little piece of the story, and that kept all the action driving.
I found the little section on being a hypocrite but still trying to do something is better than nothing at all relatable. Yes, one big thing isn’t going to save the planet, but a bunch of little things do do something and that made me feel like I could do something, too.
A theme that’s been in a lot of the works I've read, and is present here as well, is sharing nature with people. Solitude in the wilderness is great, but what’s the point if you can’t share that solitude with someone close to you? The more people who know and care about someplace, the more likely that place will be preserved and enjoyed.
Gessner’s honesty is much appreciated. A couple times he just comes right out and says, “I didn’t want to rant at you in this book, but I’ve already failed… I want to shake you up, grab you by the lapels, take you to the woodshed, all that.” By not beating around the bush or trying to pretty up his words on environmentalism, I’ll actually pay attention and take what he is saying to heart. When he mentions some of the other activists and writers who do bullshit their words, I felt put off. Like how dare they not be honest with me and just say, “Hey, recycle and don’t dump stuff in the river and take a walk instead of driving when you can?” I like that stuff. But full on END OF THE WORLD! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! is just a turn off.
Hooray for The West Wing reference! That show is the best show ever!
But seriously, as annoying and ridiculous as some of the environmentalists and their ideas are (as Gessner himself admits he feels about them), all the outside materials and past writings and such included are nice to see. With each little bend in the river or bridge they pass under, Gessner has some related story to tell about someone else. And that’s so cool!
The one thing I didn’t altogether enjoy about Desert Solitaire was it was pretty much all Abbey talking. And he did include some research and background info, but there were no outside ideas about the desert other than Abbey’s thoughts about giant parking lots and no cars allowed to drive through the park.
Here, we get past friends, acquaintances and colleagues all getting their opinions in because of Gessner including them. Now the reader can reconsider his or her own views on saving the world one stream at a time and decide which ideas they agree with and which they don’t. Multiple sides opens up more discussions which can really get things going.
Plus, there are stories to go along these outside sources. The guy who formed the group that saved the osprey by making the insecticide illegal was entertaining as hell and showed just what environmentalists can do. And it all began by enjoying bird watching. The same goes with Dan’s stories. They’re funny and wacky and compelling, but again they show how big things have small beginnings—even saving the world.
In the end, the one thing I took away from this book is this: Do something. Small, big, amateur, taking down The Man, it doesn’t matter. Any little help is better than no help at all.
July 28, 2016
I purchased and read this book because I attended a lecture at which the author and his subject (Dan Driscoll of the Mass. Depth. Of Conservation and Recreation) spoke about the river journey described in the book and about Driscoll's efforts to improve access to the Charles River for Boston area residents.
The book is actually three things: a narrative of a 3-day paddle down the Charles by Dan and David; description and discussion of Dan's efforts to improve the Charles River, its banks, and the access to it; and discussion of David Gessner's "Green Manifesto," the philosophy and experience behind it, and its relationship to environmental thinking by other (mostly more prominent) writers and thinkers.
My attraction to the book was initially to the story of paddling down the Charles. Living in a town along the Charles myself, and having paddled on it a few times, I was eager to read about their adventure. This was particularly because they camped one night in Dedham, where I live. I was intrigued by their choice of campsite, and of their evening sojourn to the Irish Alehouse, a Dedham institution for decades (but now the place is something else).
It was easy to become engaged in the second element of the story, namely Dan Driscoll's work. Gerstner makes him seem like a tireless champion of the river, and a clever DCR employee who learned how to utilize the MDC/DCR bureaucracy to make a difference. I have seen, used and enjoyed some of the infrastructure improvements created or assisted by Dan, that thousands of Boston area residents and visitors now benefit from. Dan comes across as modest, determined, stubborn but effective, and a down-to-earth worker who has both influence and support.
The third element gets a bit deep (maybe deeper than the rather shallow Charles itself, to stretch an analogy). Gerstner weaves considerable philosophy, history, and literature through his examination of what it takes to save the world or any small part of it. Ultimately, he comes to a point I can totally accept and support, namely to do something, almost anything, in your own neighborhood rather than to sit aside and let the earth suffer. Along the way, he spends a bit more time than I liked exploring other modern writers whose views he did or (mostly) did not agree with. The writer he uses the most to point a way along the path, so to speak, is Henry David Thoreau. And as with any good writer of such a narrative, we learn a good deal about Gerstner's own environmentalism, work, and family.
In the end, I enjoyed the book more for the paddling story and the Dan Driscoll story, and not so much the philosophical meanderings. But I can certainly salute his conclusion, and hope I can find a small task I can do in my local area, too.
The book is actually three things: a narrative of a 3-day paddle down the Charles by Dan and David; description and discussion of Dan's efforts to improve the Charles River, its banks, and the access to it; and discussion of David Gessner's "Green Manifesto," the philosophy and experience behind it, and its relationship to environmental thinking by other (mostly more prominent) writers and thinkers.
My attraction to the book was initially to the story of paddling down the Charles. Living in a town along the Charles myself, and having paddled on it a few times, I was eager to read about their adventure. This was particularly because they camped one night in Dedham, where I live. I was intrigued by their choice of campsite, and of their evening sojourn to the Irish Alehouse, a Dedham institution for decades (but now the place is something else).
It was easy to become engaged in the second element of the story, namely Dan Driscoll's work. Gerstner makes him seem like a tireless champion of the river, and a clever DCR employee who learned how to utilize the MDC/DCR bureaucracy to make a difference. I have seen, used and enjoyed some of the infrastructure improvements created or assisted by Dan, that thousands of Boston area residents and visitors now benefit from. Dan comes across as modest, determined, stubborn but effective, and a down-to-earth worker who has both influence and support.
The third element gets a bit deep (maybe deeper than the rather shallow Charles itself, to stretch an analogy). Gerstner weaves considerable philosophy, history, and literature through his examination of what it takes to save the world or any small part of it. Ultimately, he comes to a point I can totally accept and support, namely to do something, almost anything, in your own neighborhood rather than to sit aside and let the earth suffer. Along the way, he spends a bit more time than I liked exploring other modern writers whose views he did or (mostly) did not agree with. The writer he uses the most to point a way along the path, so to speak, is Henry David Thoreau. And as with any good writer of such a narrative, we learn a good deal about Gerstner's own environmentalism, work, and family.
In the end, I enjoyed the book more for the paddling story and the Dan Driscoll story, and not so much the philosophical meanderings. But I can certainly salute his conclusion, and hope I can find a small task I can do in my local area, too.
September 3, 2011
There are few books that, as you turn the pages, you find yourself energized by the attitude of the author. At least, among the books I've read. Most of the those have dealt with nature, as does this book. And, I believe Gessner is on to something with his desire to inspire people to reclaim their own wildness, small or large, and spur them on to a greater, possibly unachievable, goal.
What I believe I enjoyed most about this book is that Gessner allows us to admit to being hypocritical when it comes to environmentalism, provided that it doesn't destroy what we're attempting to do which is live in a better world; enjoying a better life. It is difficult, as he says, to avoid the sturm and drang of environmental cliche where we must all cower in fear of upsetting the balance of nature. However, we have the ability to recover and recreate our own natural wildness and that we should aspire to this tiny greatness at every opportunity.
Gessner quotes Thoreau, Darwin, Wallace Stegner, and Wendell Berry quite liberally and shows us that those of us who have jobs, families, second jobs, etc. really are able to "pick a fight" and reclaim our world. We only have to be willing to engage in that fight.
I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that this book changed my life. I hope that it continues to change it. I hope it changes the lives of the people around me because of that. I hope it inspires everyone who reads it.
What I believe I enjoyed most about this book is that Gessner allows us to admit to being hypocritical when it comes to environmentalism, provided that it doesn't destroy what we're attempting to do which is live in a better world; enjoying a better life. It is difficult, as he says, to avoid the sturm and drang of environmental cliche where we must all cower in fear of upsetting the balance of nature. However, we have the ability to recover and recreate our own natural wildness and that we should aspire to this tiny greatness at every opportunity.
Gessner quotes Thoreau, Darwin, Wallace Stegner, and Wendell Berry quite liberally and shows us that those of us who have jobs, families, second jobs, etc. really are able to "pick a fight" and reclaim our world. We only have to be willing to engage in that fight.
I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that this book changed my life. I hope that it continues to change it. I hope it changes the lives of the people around me because of that. I hope it inspires everyone who reads it.
January 18, 2016
An entertaining polemic, at times funny, coarse, irreverent and self-effacing. Liberally quoting Thoreau and Ed Abbey, I don't know how much he really added to the following Abbey quote:
“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”
― Edward Abbey
“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”
― Edward Abbey
January 18, 2012
Fitting that canoeing down a river serves as the backdrop to his manifesto, the author's thoughts ramble along and cover a lot of territory in this book. What I enjoyed most about his perspective is the notion that we do not have to be pure, sinless, eco-warriors to be environmentally friendly. We'd drive ourselves crazy trying to be perfectly green, but we can do *something* -which is better than nothing. The author talks about getting back into nature, finding some little piece of wildness that we fall in love with. I like that. And I agree. Fighting for something you know and love is a lot easier than trying to "Save The World!"
October 3, 2011
I have read and reread this little book with its' story of "discovering" the Charles River in MA from its source to Cambridge. A delightful and informative story of two men who love this area and what they do about cleaning it up.---one follows through by doing the grunt work and the other by telling the story. You may become one of David's advocates for the environment and maybe get out there and really see your wildness. Now I am reading David's book about the Osprey---he's a writer with enthusiasm.
September 4, 2012
The canoe trip down the Charles River from Hopkinton to Cambridge is basically the backdrop and metaphor for an extended argument with Nordhaus and Shellenberger about the future of environmentalism. Gessner's ideas are inspiring and he does get you to think about our place in nature, what "the wild" means, and what environmentalism means.
Having enjoyed Gessner's previous books, I'd hoped for more description of life in and along the Charles. Also, having grown up along the Charles, I was amazed to find no mention whatsoever of Rita Barron and her lifelong work to clean up the Charles.
Having enjoyed Gessner's previous books, I'd hoped for more description of life in and along the Charles. Also, having grown up along the Charles, I was amazed to find no mention whatsoever of Rita Barron and her lifelong work to clean up the Charles.
November 15, 2013
david gessner is to my mind the (one of if not the) preeminent environmental writers today. in this book he cuts through the cant with a swaggering aplomb. a true heir to ol' henry david himself, he argues/advocates an immersion into one's local patch. a groundedness in locality as an anodyne to the hopelessness he sees in current (albeit true) gloom and doom nature/environmentalist writing. this is what makes this book essential.
finally, a pure joyfulness and love for the natural world is what gessner so greatly (and earthily) gives us in this book.
birds.
highly recommended.
finally, a pure joyfulness and love for the natural world is what gessner so greatly (and earthily) gives us in this book.
birds.
highly recommended.
December 26, 2013
The problem with books with the word manifesto in the title is that it is a signal that the author feels free to write about anything. Framed by a row down the Charles Gessner talks about his view of the New Environmentalism.
Some of this is good advice about getting closer to nature:
"Explore it, prowl it, walk it, swim it, smell it... Get to know it at night, in all seasons and in all weathers."
Some of this is good advice about getting closer to nature:
"Explore it, prowl it, walk it, swim it, smell it... Get to know it at night, in all seasons and in all weathers."
February 18, 2012
Overhyped. The construct of the river journey is both gimmicky and over-exploited, and his extended rant against Shellenberger and Nordhouse borders on the obsessive. I'm not sure if Gessner thinks of himself as a modern day Twain, but this book feels styled after 19th century American comedies. Enough osprey talk to bore even a dedicated birder. Still probably remains an important book in contemporary environmental philosophy, though.
May 12, 2012
A good read, although neither as iconoclastic as I expected from this author nor as content-rich as I had hoped for. Certainly a book that New Englanders should read, to deepen understanding of our environmental place and legacy. Also a good book to use to get students thinking about how to create environmental histories through firsthand experience. Gessner's voice is engaging and his vision well-directed.
July 30, 2012
This was a fun and serious look at the current state of environmentalism framed in a canoe trip down the Charles River. I really enjoyed how Gessner drew in various sources--Rachel Carson, HD Thoreau, and others to reflect on how we got to where we are in terms of the environment and language about the environment. It make me happy to read about the wildlife along the mostly urban Charles and how it's been restored and "wildness" has come to the city.
October 13, 2013
I am currently reading this book, for two reasons - I have always loved the Charles River and recall boating on it with my family. And secondly I grew up with the author's father and also read A Damp Dark Place by this author, about Cape Cod.
David's writing is like a down to earth conversation with a friend, knowledgeable, funny and at times, irreverent.
If you love New England, like I do, pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.
David's writing is like a down to earth conversation with a friend, knowledgeable, funny and at times, irreverent.
If you love New England, like I do, pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.
October 28, 2011
This book gets into your head. Once you read it, you'll be itching to get out and explore, to get dirt under your fingernails and mud on your boots. Gessner demands that you look up, open your eyes, and see the world around you for all of its messy wildness.
September 23, 2011
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April 29, 2013304.2 G392 2011
June 24, 2014
Interesting profile of Dan Driscoll and back story on his 20-year effort to extend the nature walk from Watertown Square to the Moody Street Dam.
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