Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run: A Call to Those Who Would Save the Earth

by David Brower, Steve Chapple

The controversial environmentalist reviews the highs and lows of fifty years of activism--including bans on DDT, dolphin-safe tuna, and preservation of the Grand Canyon--and offers a plan for a green twenty-first century. 25,000 first printing. $20,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Nature, Environment, Nonfiction, Adult, Biography, Science, Ecology

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

David Ross Brower was a prominent environmentalist and the founder of many environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club Foundation, the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth (1969), the League of Conservation Voters, Earth Island Institute (1982), North Cascades Conservation Council, and Fate of the Earth Conferences. From 1952 to 1969 he served as the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club, and served on its board three times: from 1941–1953; 1983–1988; and 1995-2000. As a younger man, he was a prominent mountaineer.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run

by David Brower

Truth and Beauty can still win battles

This short book is comprised of Brower's sage advice. It was written in 1995 a few years before his passing at 82 years old.

David Brower was an eminent conservationist from California who ran the Sierra Club for decades. Brower had an enormous impact on the wilderness movement in the U.S. in the mid 20th century. He was also a notable public speaker and known for his wit and dislike of the numerous industries which laid waste to the environment.

This book is a series of anecdotes and arguments in favor of setting aside and preserving large areas of undisturbed wilderness. It is also a memoir to some degree. He pays homage to many of the conservationists who came before him and his contemporaries like Rachel Carson.

Because Brower was an eloquent speaker, there are a lot of points he makes in the book that are convincing although he admits to being overly optimistic about the future of the planet. But what is the alternative as he liked to say.

So I enjoyed this book quite a bit. While you won't learn a lot of hard science facts like in a book by Rachel Carson or some other naturalist or scientist, it was a still a motivating read. He does highlight some of his famous stances that I agree with such as the environmental impact of dams. Brower hated dams and he spent much of his career opposing numerous hydro projects out West. He and the Sierra Club were successful in preventing the dam approval in some notable cases like Echo Park and remorseful for compromising and letting others get built like the Glen Canyon Dam.

Finally, I would be remiss to not mention this. A book that Brower references in these pages is "Encounters with an Archdruid", which is actually a book about Brower that was penned by John McPhee. You should read that one too, it is my favorite book on the environment.

4 to 4.5 stars

[Jim Garlits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, awful formatting

This wonderful book by the Archdruid is marred by the awful formatting. It is like a stack of newspapers left out in the rain. The person who allowed it to be uploaded to Amazon should be stripped and hosed down with ice water.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, when he was alive, David sat on the dividing line between amazing visionary and total nutcase. He has these absolutely crazy ideas about saving the environment that are so audacious that they made me laugh outloud. On the other hand, he was so full of hope and such a dedicated activist for the planet, that you gotta love him.

[Sherry Tamone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about 20 years ago and it's a book every person should read to remind us of how special our planet is. Browser was a home grown environmentalists and in his view an earth with 500 million people is a sustainable planet. Over that we need to work very hard not to destroy all that is available. Rereading this book renews my goal to live more simply

[skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like having a long random rambling conversation with David Brower. I enjoyed it because I've never read / heard him in his own words, and he is one of the founders of modern environmentalism. He has many great pithy quotes. But they were buried in a lot of disconnected and random discussions. Probably more a fault of the editor / co-author though. Definitely worth a read for people interested in still having an earth around in 50 or so years.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Don't forget Rule Number 6 [don't take yourself too seriously.] And have a good time saving the world, or you're just going to depress yourself." - D.B.

David Brower's 1995 novel (part memoir, part essay collection) reflects on his time with the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth. While I beg to differ on a few points (feminists DO have a sense of humor, thank you) the novel serves as a good reminder as to why protecting wilderness is worthwhile - and vital.

[Peter Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed not just this book, but the way this Author (David Brower) approached his love of nature and Mother Earth. While I too have always been a person who cares for the Earth, to include its animals and plants, I have fortunately never been one of those dooms day believers who feel we "humans" will destroy the Earth. After reading this book by Mr. Brower, I now understand that was how he felt too. Mr. Brower was a rare nature conservationist, in that he did what he did to protect nature for its purity, he did not do what he did for the selfish Human species. In short I feel Mr. Brower would agree that perhaps someday we will destroy ourselves and even stunt the Earth, but to think we can destroy the Earth is simply naive, for it will comeback to what nature dictates for it. This is exactly why he wrote Rule #6, "Don't forget Rule Number 6 [don't take yourself too seriously.] And have a good time saving the world, or you're just going to depress yourself."

Here are some more of Mr. Brower's quotes from this book that I particularly enjoyed:
-“I particularly enjoy, asking scientist, which of their firm beliefs of today they think are most likely to be laughed at in 25 years."
-“Climbers with poor judgment, can expect to be weeded out early."
-“In nature, making the wind blow can be a mistake. I know, because I tried it.” This one quote was followed by a story of how he killed butterflies, while helping them crack out of their cocoon. The lesson learned is that sometimes we think we’re helping nature, when, in fact, nature already has a plan to help itself, a plan that is much better than any human will ever understand.

Mr Brower talked about his service in WWII. IMO his service puts him at higher level of respect for he is a man that has seen it all and in the end makes choices that continue to be of self sacrifice; once for America and freedom and now for what can only be bigger then that; Earth.

Mr. Brower details great idea's, such as his idea of a CPR Corp that would hire people to help the Earth; much like it was done with Franklin Roosevelt. But with today’s technology it could be even bigger and better.

I really like how he put strong emphasis into how the wilderness is our mother, or more or less in his words, wilderness is where we find ourselves, it’s our history, it’s our “ultimate encyclopedia, holding the answers to questions that we have not yet learned how to ask”. In my own words, perhaps the wilderness (or mother earth as some call it) is actually God; I.e. The creator of humans.

For a man who climbed mountains in the 1930s, how can you not respect what he has to say about today’s climber. He says, and I agree, that a lot of climbers today don’t climb the mountain for what it’s supposed to be for, it’s supposed to be for the enjoyment of the outdoors and the adventure of the climb. Today’s climber have no clue as to what real climbing is, today’s climber, for example, sometimes put in bolts with a battery powered portable drill as they repel, then they use the bolts to make the ascent. Brower goes on to say this demeans mountaineering, and I one hundred percent agree with that analogy.

If you haven’t read, “the third planet operating constructions" by Mr Brower then you’re in for a treat.

In the end, I really like Mr. Brower, I like how he likes nature, I like how he wants to take care of nature, and I like that, he is sincere. But using his own words about other sincere people, I sincerely think he is wrong on some of his views, but that is OK for me as no one is perfect.

[Corey Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few books on environmentalism lately, but this one in particular fills a gap that many of the others had left unfilled. The environmental movement has always had ethos and logos on its side, and many of the environmental books I've read lately (having been mostly written by scientists) leaned heavily on this more pragmatic and scientific approach to getting the point across. But the pathos of it all is equally (if not more) important in this fight. It's not enough to make people understand. You have to make them care. Brower delivers less on the science and more on the heavy emotions at play in this fight. This book is not an explanation of what we're doing wrong and how it will affect us, but a passionate call to action. One that is still just as critically important today as when it was written decades ago.

[Chris Meads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book about David Brower who was one of the greatest environmentalists of our time. He tells it like it is when trying to keep the wildness of our lands.

The reason why I gave it a 2 instead of a 4 or 5 i because of the many typos and the typeset--some pages were half printed on and then continued to the next page. Also the ink was faint throughout and hard to read at times.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisitely written memoir of Brower's environmental work including anecdotes of both his successes and failures. He introduces readers to many others in the environmental movement giving them a wide grasp of its history.

[MsBrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book that makes a person want to jump out of bed and save the earth. Brower is one of the founding fathers of the environmental movement (up on top with Aldo Leopold and John Muir). In this book Brower reflects on his successes and failures as an environmentalist. He also offers solutions as to how our society can help the earth. This is an easy read and a worthy one. If you’re an environmentalist, looking for some inspiration, check this out.

[Scott Bischke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I read this long ago, a bit tough not to give it a 5 when I see a dozen bookmarks of pages with bits of wisdom I wanted to recall. An example:
---
To often in what we do, we fail to consider the two most important things: the cost to the future, and the cost to the Earth. We can be very clever, we humans, but sometimes not so smart.
---pg 16---

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitle: a call to save the earth, gives the best description. As an early environmental leader, the successes and failures of the movement are written to give a guide to what must be done. It is very well written and easier to read and understand than many environmental messages.

[Lauren van Vliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like a Chicken Soup for the Environmental Soul. It heals and invigorates those who may not have known they needed it.

I will come back to Brower's teachings again and again...I should've bought the hard cover!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did learn from this presentation. I did not like how some of the information was handled. I thought the book could have been written more eloquently. Mr. Brower had a lot to offer, but I found the book to be crude and unrefined.

[Shara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful, entertaining, engaging and inspiring!

[Kevin M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowledgeable, funny, and well versed. Sometimes, I got lost in the narrative, but he pulled me back again. It took some time to coax the read out of me, but when I did, I was satisfied.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history from the founder of the Sierra Club. Instructive to learn about the early roots of one of the world's greatest environmental luminaries.

[David Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't know this guy, now's the time. He is the most important environmental thinker/doer of the last 3/4 of the 20th century.

[James Hiebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and enjoyable read for those who know the cited literature and events. This book is a great way to soak up some sage advice from renowned environmentalist, David Brower. The writing style is very conversational and reads as if you're having a fireside chat with your grandfather. Additionally, Brower's dry wit peppers the book with many of the same types of jokes that one would expect from the writings of Edward Abbey and other eco-peers of that era. I couldn't stop reading and polished it off in two days.