A Thinking Person's Guide To America's National Parks

by Robert E. Manning (Editor), Rolf Diamant (Editor), Nora J. Mitchell (Editor)

On the centennial of the National Park Service, this richly illustrated book offers invaluable advice on exploring America’s national park system.   The book delves into issues affecting an array of the iconic western national parks like Yellowstone; the urban parks such as Golden Gate National Recreation Area; historic sites including the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Gettysburg National Military Park; and cultural areas like Mesa Verde National Park that are among America’s over 400 national parks.               Twenty-three essays from contributing authors with deep personal and professional connections to the national parks serve as expert guides to places in the park system   300 Color Illustrations

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Essays, The United States Of America, Nature

300 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2016

Reviews

[Tom Rayfiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really opened my eyes. It's easy to dismiss our national parks as "mere" vacation destinations but, as the title makes clear, there is so much more to them than natural beauty. Essays dealing with how administrators cope with ecological change, with indigenous peoples' relations to sacred sites, to our own nation's history (a fascinating look at Civil War battlefields and slavery) make one realize what an extraordinary range of protected areas the parks encompass. The result is an intellectual as well as scenic map. And the pictures! My wife and I spent an evening leafing through this volume fantasizing about where we would visit next. An excellent gift for anyone about to hit the road, or for those who wish to explore the thought behind one of our country's most idealistic and admirable creations. A heartening read.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short thought pieces and essays on the American national park system, including recreation areas, monuments, historic sites, etc. Contributors include several research scientists, cultural anthropologists, and historians, etc.

The essays are grouped to speak to different aspects of the park system: the community efforts, cultural preservation, as well as ongoing education and scientific research occurring within the parks.

Recommended for those who want to learn more than the glossy guidebooks will tell you.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of America's National Parks. The photos were wonderful. Good perspective on where the National Parks are heading, and how they are working with other organizations to preserve land and monuments for all of us to enjoy.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this before & during a trip through some National Parks in Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. The book includes some I visited on this trip as well as those I'd been to during a prior trip to the southwest. While I generally found the material interesting, I felt it got too technical at some points for the lay reader. Also, captions were sometimes wrong in the Kindle edition. A good, but not amazing read.

[Thomasin Propson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fine group of essays on the history of, current works, and hopes for our Parks. Four stars, then for ‘value.’

But not what I was hoping for (for my reading pleasure) with this library request, which was more large page photography and descriptions of park by park. I’ll check out a travel guide and a National Geo to get those, I guess.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish reading this--I just couldn't get into it. The essays that I did read didn't seem to offer much insight, and often just included laundry lists of sights to see.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at all the different kinds of National Park we have and the purpose behind them. Some have been selected due to their scenic beauty, some for their historic significance, and many other reasons. The staff does more than take care of these wonderful places. This is an informative book about our National Parks system and some examples of places to visit.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for a History of the National Parks class at EWU. It is an excellent book of short essays on different topics concerning the national parks system. I highly recommend this to anyone who cares to expand their understanding of national parks and why they are so important to ALL our lives!

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their are quite a few books being written during this, the centennial year of the National Park Service. Many are books that highlight the history of the service and its past successes. This particular book is a great primer on what the modern park service is actually doing today. I was surprised how in many ways the park service has a much greater reach, especially in community development on the local level, than I had previously realized. It was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the modern national park service.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at National Park Service. I learned so much more than I thought I new and I worked for them for many years. I loved the way it was organized and enjoyed the choices of parks they chose to highlight. I need to go back and revisit these parks.