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Tree Spiker: From Earth First! to Lowbagging: My Struggles in Radical Environmental Action
Lauded by some, despised by others, Mike Roselle is one of the most controversial figures in the crusade to protect the environment. Mike has succeeded in stopping a lumber project by spiking trees, struggled with death threats and the car bombing of fellow activist Judi Bari, endured countless days in jail, infiltrated the Nevada Test Site to delay nuclear bomb detonation, helped put a gas mask on Mount Rushmore’s George Washington, and aided actor Woody Harelson in draping a banner up on the Golden Gate Bridge. He has spent over thirty years fighting back against big business, negligent management and the lawless actions of the government itself for the safety and preservation of our great earth. Tree From Earth First! to My Struggles in Radical Environmental Action is a fascinating autobiography from the front lines of a radical movement.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 16, 2024
A “SERIES OF CAMPFIRE TALES AND LATE-NIGHT BAR TALK” BOOK
Activist Mike Roselle wrote in the Acknowledgements section of this 2009 book, “No book could do justice to the brave women and men in whose company I have had the honor of serving. This book is not an attempt to fully document the movement with which I am so proud to be involved. Many important events and people go unmentioned for no particular reason other than lack of space and a faulty memory. Think of this work as more of a series of campfire tales and late-night bar talk. Someday the full story will be told, and it will undoubtedly be even weirder than the one you are about to read here.”
He recalls of a time with Greenpeace, “The purpose of actions such as the hike into ground zero was to confront some of the most serious environmental challenges of our time through the use of nonviolent direct action. We then provided dramatic images of these actions to the news media to grab the attention of people sitting in their couches, gobbling up otherwise approved programming. Since 9/11, environmental groups have been wary of such confrontations, choosing instead to appear more reasonable. But with the advent of global warming and the need to address the out-of-control burning of coal and other fossil fuels, this tactic is a mistake. It will certainly take actions like those of Greenpeace to motivate the public to apply more pressure on the government to seek real climate-change solutions.” (Pg. 6)
He recounts, “After bailing me out of county jail---for the third time---[my stepfather] was sure I was going to wind up in prison like so many of my other relatives. My parents decided if was time to move back to Louisville as soon as my oldest brother got out of L.A. County Jail. I had left Kentucky a redneck, but I was returning as a full-fledged dope-smoking, vegetarian Communist sympathizer.” (Pg. 12)
While meeting with others before the 1972 Democratic Convention, he muses, “If there was a heaven, this is what it should look like. The house was full of activists, all getting ready for the conventions and the big protest marches that were planned. The big issue was the war, but the Yippies were also concerned about gay rights, women’s liberation, and legalizing marijuana, which they smoked in large quantities throughout the day. And there were lots of women.” (Pg. 23)
After confrontations with the police, Allen Ginsberg “gave us a big lecture on how people like us had screwed up everything down here, and that we would get four more years of Nixon because of it. We continued to the top floor, where there was a celebration party for the demonstration’s organizers at the penthouse… We threw Abbie Hoffman into the pool and left.” (Pg. 31)
He reflects, “When the last troops were pulled out [of Vietnam] in June 1975, I was listening to news reports on the radio … Both the war and the movement to end it quickly and quietly faded into history… For the first time since I’d left home, I had no idea what I wanted to do.” (Pg. 32) Later, he adds, “By 1979, I had become a ski bum. Not a downhill ski bum, but a cross-country ski bum—an easier habit to support with my meager finances. A few times a year I would go down to the oil patch and sign on for a month or two. I also worked … in one of the many restaurants in Jackson. Most of the year was spent skiing, hiking or running rivers, and collecting unemployment checks.” (Pg. 37)
But he soon hooked up with a group of environmentalists in Cache Creek: “I was beginning to wonder about the people I was working with. I was used to working with anarchists and hippies, and I was the only hippie in the room. Or so I thought. While most of the people … fit the stereotype of a conservationist, Howie was different. He was part of a new breed of conservationist. These were Buckaroos… being a Buckaroo meant being an organizer in the fight to protect wilderness… Wilderness, for a Buckaroo, was the only reason for living, other than alcohol and sex. The former they consumed in large quantities, and the latter they discussed endlessly… There were female Buckaroos… no less tough than the men… One of the honcho Buckaroos was Dave Foreman. Howie, Bart and Dave were the most notorious of the bunch.” (Pg. 41-42)
He notes, “up until then I had done little or nothing other than ski, hike, climb, and get drunk since I’d pulled into town. Soon enough, I was accompanying Howie to public hearings … and meetings… I was always ready for the work to be done so we could find the nearest bar and the drinking could begin… In the bar is where Buckaroos were made. Here, I served my apprenticeship more or less successfully.” (Pg. 43)
He continues, “Soon they decided they couldn’t rely on the Sierra Club or the Wilderness Society … so it was time to form a new organization… After a while, they had filled two sheets of paper with bullet points and … the words, ‘No compromise’… The next issue was the name… Howie said that the group’s logo should be a green fist, because they would keep us from ever selling out. It was Foreman who uttered the words ‘Earth First’ after some other suggestions…. And that was about it. A drunken trip to Mexico, followed by a few hours of drunken brainstorming… and I was back in my home… looking for a job.” (Pg. 50-51)
Foreman told a group, “We are getting killed out here in the western states because we are seen as weak, effete, and wimpy… We need to be more visible, more confrontational, and … use civil disobedience. When they try to build these new roads, we should try to block them!’ … Foreman was right. A new wilderness movement was necessary. The old days when you could buttonhole a few machine politicians and convince them to sponsor a conservation bill against local opposition were over.” (Pg. 54) Soon, Roselle also formed the Rainforest Action and Information Network (Pg. 76).
After Earth First! took up the tactic of ‘tree spiking,’ he observes, “Tree spiking was certainly an escalation in tactics. Since the days of John Muir… conservationists have been trying to protect the ancient forests, and without much success. Conservationists have always been derided as tree huggers, druids, hippie backpackers, wealthy elites, of just city people who didn’t understand the country.” (Pg. 117)
He laments, “The sad fact was that our movement wasn’t going anywhere. Our attempts at nonviolent civil disobedience were met with serious felony charges, expensive civil lawsuits against protesters, and violence from both police and timber workers. Most worrisome was that we could not get the media to drive out to these remote logging sites to cover our protests. It was simply too far to go to get footage of people sitting in front of bulldozers… It was a local story and the local press was usually hostile.” (Pg. 123)
He notes, “the injury of George Alexander would make it impossible to support tree skiing in the future… We were facing a major PR disaster…” At a 1990 meeting, tree-spiking was renounced. “But violence was brewing… The timber war was at a boiling point. And Judi Bari and Daryl Cherney were soon to be victims of a car bomb.” (Pg. 126)
He reports, “Earth First! co-founder Dave Foreman resigned from the group in an angry letter to the New York Times, dismissing the California Earth First!ers as hippies, punks, and shoplifters. Foreman claimed that Earth First! had been taken over by socialists. Foreman’s resignation was hailed by the timber industry… who saw this as proof that Earth First! was too radical even for its founder. Foreman, meanwhile, was in the midst of his own battle with the FBI.” (Pg. 137)
After charges were dismissed against Roselle and other activists, he comments, “the earth First! law… had essentially been neutered. It … was never used again. Even when the protesters engaged in extended tree-sits, or when they dug up the road and rolled the heavy culverts down hillsides, or buried themselves in the road.” (Pg. 169) He notes that “the arrest of more than 150 activists… some … serving long jail sentences---or the raids by both law enforcement and timber industry goons could not deter the protesters. Neither could ... the negative news coverage. Things were clearly beginning to change… The timber industry was outraged… [But] Their time had simply come and gone. A small bunch of hippie activists led by a retired insurance salesman had beaten them.” (Pg. 171-172) He states, “We were no longer unusual or even radical. The public now supported the ‘radical’ positions of Earth First! They were against… the logging of old-growth forests, and supported the protection of endangered species.” (Pg. 174) He was even hired by Greenpeace in 1986 as ‘Direct Action Team Coordinator.’ (Pg. 181)
He summarizes, “I am a nonviolent extremist. I think the health of the environment should be the number one priority of every government in the world, but I am not a revolutionary… Respecting human rights means not hurting anyone… I reject any strategy that relies on property destruction… it ultimately polarizes the issue and alienates supporters.” (Pg. 206-207) Later, he adds, “While violence can create headlines, headlines alone cannot sustain a movement. Movements are built from the bottom up, with care and patience, and with openness and honesty---but most of all, with courage.” (Pg. 239)
This is a fascinating and insightful account, that will be “must reading” for anyone interested in environmental activism.
Activist Mike Roselle wrote in the Acknowledgements section of this 2009 book, “No book could do justice to the brave women and men in whose company I have had the honor of serving. This book is not an attempt to fully document the movement with which I am so proud to be involved. Many important events and people go unmentioned for no particular reason other than lack of space and a faulty memory. Think of this work as more of a series of campfire tales and late-night bar talk. Someday the full story will be told, and it will undoubtedly be even weirder than the one you are about to read here.”
He recalls of a time with Greenpeace, “The purpose of actions such as the hike into ground zero was to confront some of the most serious environmental challenges of our time through the use of nonviolent direct action. We then provided dramatic images of these actions to the news media to grab the attention of people sitting in their couches, gobbling up otherwise approved programming. Since 9/11, environmental groups have been wary of such confrontations, choosing instead to appear more reasonable. But with the advent of global warming and the need to address the out-of-control burning of coal and other fossil fuels, this tactic is a mistake. It will certainly take actions like those of Greenpeace to motivate the public to apply more pressure on the government to seek real climate-change solutions.” (Pg. 6)
He recounts, “After bailing me out of county jail---for the third time---[my stepfather] was sure I was going to wind up in prison like so many of my other relatives. My parents decided if was time to move back to Louisville as soon as my oldest brother got out of L.A. County Jail. I had left Kentucky a redneck, but I was returning as a full-fledged dope-smoking, vegetarian Communist sympathizer.” (Pg. 12)
While meeting with others before the 1972 Democratic Convention, he muses, “If there was a heaven, this is what it should look like. The house was full of activists, all getting ready for the conventions and the big protest marches that were planned. The big issue was the war, but the Yippies were also concerned about gay rights, women’s liberation, and legalizing marijuana, which they smoked in large quantities throughout the day. And there were lots of women.” (Pg. 23)
After confrontations with the police, Allen Ginsberg “gave us a big lecture on how people like us had screwed up everything down here, and that we would get four more years of Nixon because of it. We continued to the top floor, where there was a celebration party for the demonstration’s organizers at the penthouse… We threw Abbie Hoffman into the pool and left.” (Pg. 31)
He reflects, “When the last troops were pulled out [of Vietnam] in June 1975, I was listening to news reports on the radio … Both the war and the movement to end it quickly and quietly faded into history… For the first time since I’d left home, I had no idea what I wanted to do.” (Pg. 32) Later, he adds, “By 1979, I had become a ski bum. Not a downhill ski bum, but a cross-country ski bum—an easier habit to support with my meager finances. A few times a year I would go down to the oil patch and sign on for a month or two. I also worked … in one of the many restaurants in Jackson. Most of the year was spent skiing, hiking or running rivers, and collecting unemployment checks.” (Pg. 37)
But he soon hooked up with a group of environmentalists in Cache Creek: “I was beginning to wonder about the people I was working with. I was used to working with anarchists and hippies, and I was the only hippie in the room. Or so I thought. While most of the people … fit the stereotype of a conservationist, Howie was different. He was part of a new breed of conservationist. These were Buckaroos… being a Buckaroo meant being an organizer in the fight to protect wilderness… Wilderness, for a Buckaroo, was the only reason for living, other than alcohol and sex. The former they consumed in large quantities, and the latter they discussed endlessly… There were female Buckaroos… no less tough than the men… One of the honcho Buckaroos was Dave Foreman. Howie, Bart and Dave were the most notorious of the bunch.” (Pg. 41-42)
He notes, “up until then I had done little or nothing other than ski, hike, climb, and get drunk since I’d pulled into town. Soon enough, I was accompanying Howie to public hearings … and meetings… I was always ready for the work to be done so we could find the nearest bar and the drinking could begin… In the bar is where Buckaroos were made. Here, I served my apprenticeship more or less successfully.” (Pg. 43)
He continues, “Soon they decided they couldn’t rely on the Sierra Club or the Wilderness Society … so it was time to form a new organization… After a while, they had filled two sheets of paper with bullet points and … the words, ‘No compromise’… The next issue was the name… Howie said that the group’s logo should be a green fist, because they would keep us from ever selling out. It was Foreman who uttered the words ‘Earth First’ after some other suggestions…. And that was about it. A drunken trip to Mexico, followed by a few hours of drunken brainstorming… and I was back in my home… looking for a job.” (Pg. 50-51)
Foreman told a group, “We are getting killed out here in the western states because we are seen as weak, effete, and wimpy… We need to be more visible, more confrontational, and … use civil disobedience. When they try to build these new roads, we should try to block them!’ … Foreman was right. A new wilderness movement was necessary. The old days when you could buttonhole a few machine politicians and convince them to sponsor a conservation bill against local opposition were over.” (Pg. 54) Soon, Roselle also formed the Rainforest Action and Information Network (Pg. 76).
After Earth First! took up the tactic of ‘tree spiking,’ he observes, “Tree spiking was certainly an escalation in tactics. Since the days of John Muir… conservationists have been trying to protect the ancient forests, and without much success. Conservationists have always been derided as tree huggers, druids, hippie backpackers, wealthy elites, of just city people who didn’t understand the country.” (Pg. 117)
He laments, “The sad fact was that our movement wasn’t going anywhere. Our attempts at nonviolent civil disobedience were met with serious felony charges, expensive civil lawsuits against protesters, and violence from both police and timber workers. Most worrisome was that we could not get the media to drive out to these remote logging sites to cover our protests. It was simply too far to go to get footage of people sitting in front of bulldozers… It was a local story and the local press was usually hostile.” (Pg. 123)
He notes, “the injury of George Alexander would make it impossible to support tree skiing in the future… We were facing a major PR disaster…” At a 1990 meeting, tree-spiking was renounced. “But violence was brewing… The timber war was at a boiling point. And Judi Bari and Daryl Cherney were soon to be victims of a car bomb.” (Pg. 126)
He reports, “Earth First! co-founder Dave Foreman resigned from the group in an angry letter to the New York Times, dismissing the California Earth First!ers as hippies, punks, and shoplifters. Foreman claimed that Earth First! had been taken over by socialists. Foreman’s resignation was hailed by the timber industry… who saw this as proof that Earth First! was too radical even for its founder. Foreman, meanwhile, was in the midst of his own battle with the FBI.” (Pg. 137)
After charges were dismissed against Roselle and other activists, he comments, “the earth First! law… had essentially been neutered. It … was never used again. Even when the protesters engaged in extended tree-sits, or when they dug up the road and rolled the heavy culverts down hillsides, or buried themselves in the road.” (Pg. 169) He notes that “the arrest of more than 150 activists… some … serving long jail sentences---or the raids by both law enforcement and timber industry goons could not deter the protesters. Neither could ... the negative news coverage. Things were clearly beginning to change… The timber industry was outraged… [But] Their time had simply come and gone. A small bunch of hippie activists led by a retired insurance salesman had beaten them.” (Pg. 171-172) He states, “We were no longer unusual or even radical. The public now supported the ‘radical’ positions of Earth First! They were against… the logging of old-growth forests, and supported the protection of endangered species.” (Pg. 174) He was even hired by Greenpeace in 1986 as ‘Direct Action Team Coordinator.’ (Pg. 181)
He summarizes, “I am a nonviolent extremist. I think the health of the environment should be the number one priority of every government in the world, but I am not a revolutionary… Respecting human rights means not hurting anyone… I reject any strategy that relies on property destruction… it ultimately polarizes the issue and alienates supporters.” (Pg. 206-207) Later, he adds, “While violence can create headlines, headlines alone cannot sustain a movement. Movements are built from the bottom up, with care and patience, and with openness and honesty---but most of all, with courage.” (Pg. 239)
This is a fascinating and insightful account, that will be “must reading” for anyone interested in environmental activism.
January 20, 2010
I'm partial to partisan memoirs and autobiographies from people who were there doing the work, the protests, the struggles, and actually involved. There's an academic and ideological disdain for texts written by participants with a politics the establishment doesn't like, but I think that's where we can learn what was really going on.
That said, this isn't much of a memoir, though he takes us back to high school and the path through the late sixties and seventies that brought him into working on behalf of the planet. This is about those campaigns trying to stop the destruction of the environment.
Mike Roselle has been involved with defending the earth for over thirty years. He was a founder or co-founder of Earth First!, Rainforest Action Network, and the Ruckus society. He has run actions with Greenpeace and others: trying to stop a nuclear test, put a halt to illegal logging in Oregon or Idaho, stop the importation of mahagony, and much more. Through it all, he remains a humorous guy who clearly loves life. The personal bits are brief, however, as this is about inspiration. I love reading about past actions, the large and small victories, and the venality of those in power. Mike's contention is that you can't compromise away nature and nonviolent direct action --not just protests, but putting your body in the way--is the most important aspect of any campaign to save an area or even the planet.
His analysis of anarchists after the anti-WTO actions of 1999 is way off and I don't subscribe to the dictate of nonviolence in every instance, but I don't think that's important here. After all, Mike has probably done more to defend the planet than most and I appreciate it.
Thanks, Mike.
That said, this isn't much of a memoir, though he takes us back to high school and the path through the late sixties and seventies that brought him into working on behalf of the planet. This is about those campaigns trying to stop the destruction of the environment.
Mike Roselle has been involved with defending the earth for over thirty years. He was a founder or co-founder of Earth First!, Rainforest Action Network, and the Ruckus society. He has run actions with Greenpeace and others: trying to stop a nuclear test, put a halt to illegal logging in Oregon or Idaho, stop the importation of mahagony, and much more. Through it all, he remains a humorous guy who clearly loves life. The personal bits are brief, however, as this is about inspiration. I love reading about past actions, the large and small victories, and the venality of those in power. Mike's contention is that you can't compromise away nature and nonviolent direct action --not just protests, but putting your body in the way--is the most important aspect of any campaign to save an area or even the planet.
His analysis of anarchists after the anti-WTO actions of 1999 is way off and I don't subscribe to the dictate of nonviolence in every instance, but I don't think that's important here. After all, Mike has probably done more to defend the planet than most and I appreciate it.
Thanks, Mike.
May 11, 2010
I consider myself an environmentalist and know people who know Mike Roselle. I enjoyed this book and found it a fast paced interesting read. I'd hoped for a bit more detail on what happened in some campaigns but, considering that Mike is writing about allies who are still alive and working on some of the same issues, he was probably wise not to spend too much time analyzing what went wrong.
While my style is much more "main stream" than his, I understand that activists like Roselle are essential if we want to save remnants of the natural world. Josh Mahan helped Roselle create a successful memoir. I was able to step into Mike Roselle's shoes and really see his point of view.
I hope Roselle will consider writing a more detailed followup when the time is right.
While my style is much more "main stream" than his, I understand that activists like Roselle are essential if we want to save remnants of the natural world. Josh Mahan helped Roselle create a successful memoir. I was able to step into Mike Roselle's shoes and really see his point of view.
I hope Roselle will consider writing a more detailed followup when the time is right.
December 21, 2024
Overall a well written book with some good stories and strong message that really comes through in the last chapter. I do think it could have been shorter since some of the stories are unnecessary or just ramble on, and I also don’t entirely agree with some of his economic/political views. Regardless, Roselle’s work is pretty amazing and I’m glad that there are people out there who dedicate their lives to this stuff
December 15, 2025
fascinating and Inspiring
People have been fighting to save the planet for generations. This memoir shows one person’s battle to save the forests, and the planet, that he loves. It’s also an important excellent blueprint for how to continue the fight today. Written with warmth, humor and absolute honesty. I couldn’t put it down.
People have been fighting to save the planet for generations. This memoir shows one person’s battle to save the forests, and the planet, that he loves. It’s also an important excellent blueprint for how to continue the fight today. Written with warmth, humor and absolute honesty. I couldn’t put it down.
August 23, 2020
Enjoyed the heck out of this, natural follow on Abbey's rollicking Monkey Wrench Gang.
February 10, 2010
This book is a mini-autobiography of an environmental activist who was one of the people behind Earth First!.
It's always hard to judge someone from their autobiography, but the author avoids a lot of the problems that cause environmental activists (and activists of all types) to be largely ineffective: he focuses solely on non-violent activities; he is willing to stick with the cause he believes in even when it's inconvenient; he stays away from showy but insignificant actions in favor of more focused actions that can actually get things done.
The book covers a large range of time, but most of the text covers a few large actions. Some of them, such as the attempt to stop Pacific Lumber's logging of ancient redwoods in Northern California, were things that I was previously of, and it was interesting to get the perspective from someone that was actually involved in planning. Other actions were things I had never heard of, and it was interesting to see the variety of things that the author worked on.
The book itself is not very long and easy to read. It clearly shows the author's viewpoint, but rarely descends into preachiness. Recommended if you're interested in getting some insight into a dedicated environmental activist.
It's always hard to judge someone from their autobiography, but the author avoids a lot of the problems that cause environmental activists (and activists of all types) to be largely ineffective: he focuses solely on non-violent activities; he is willing to stick with the cause he believes in even when it's inconvenient; he stays away from showy but insignificant actions in favor of more focused actions that can actually get things done.
The book covers a large range of time, but most of the text covers a few large actions. Some of them, such as the attempt to stop Pacific Lumber's logging of ancient redwoods in Northern California, were things that I was previously of, and it was interesting to get the perspective from someone that was actually involved in planning. Other actions were things I had never heard of, and it was interesting to see the variety of things that the author worked on.
The book itself is not very long and easy to read. It clearly shows the author's viewpoint, but rarely descends into preachiness. Recommended if you're interested in getting some insight into a dedicated environmental activist.
December 1, 2013
If you want a crash course on the contemporary radical environmental movement, this book will give it to you. Josh Mahan (the credited ghost writer) does an excellent job in each chapter switching the tone to capture the zeitgeist of the organization discussed. We see Roselle move from co-founding Earth First! to co-founding the Rainforest Action Network and the Ruckus Society. If you are familiar with the history of U.S. environmentalism, you won't learn much. If you are not familiar with this history and are looking for a fast, engaging, introduction, this book is for you. It is full of fun inspiring action stories, the ones an Earth First! elder might tell you over the campfire.
What this book isn't:
* Beautifully written
* Poetic
* Full of movement strategy lessons
What was most interesting to me:
Kentucky! I recently moved to Louisville. The start of Roselle's narrative is growing up in Louisville during the civil rights movement. I'm still learning the history of my local community, so having the origins of a movement that formed such a big part of my life linked by my new home state and racial justice issues (the direction I think radical environmentalism needs to go in now) was really exciting.
What this book isn't:
* Beautifully written
* Poetic
* Full of movement strategy lessons
What was most interesting to me:
Kentucky! I recently moved to Louisville. The start of Roselle's narrative is growing up in Louisville during the civil rights movement. I'm still learning the history of my local community, so having the origins of a movement that formed such a big part of my life linked by my new home state and racial justice issues (the direction I think radical environmentalism needs to go in now) was really exciting.
March 7, 2016
I picked this book up at a big discount at a major retailer when I saw it in their used clearance section. Mostly I wanted to read it because I'm working on a short story that has an environmental radical as the main character, and was hoping to get some research in to make the character more fully fleshed out. It turns out that the book wasn't all that useful in that vein, as Mike Roselle actually tends to stay away from the more radical / anarchist end of things than I had expected from the title. That said, it actually ended up being a pretty interesting read, as I don't know too much other than what I've seen or heard in passing about those heading up the environmental movement. Some interesting history here, and some great anecdotes - as well as some good clarification of the rationality of many of those who are leading the charge to ensure our environment is taken care of and respected. I'd recommend this to anyone who's interested in learning more about the actual goings-on of the movement, beyond the sensationalist stories that are the ones that make the nightly news.
August 9, 2012
If you are looking for a nuanced, difficult to digest analytical discussion of recent and current approaches to environmental politics and action and the underlying ecological thought that informs that movement, then look elsewhere; Tree Spiker is not the book for you. This was not a jargon laced, put me to sleep treatise, but instead was a fun read that with some interesting stories about the environmental movement in the U.S.
Mike Roselle and Josh Mahan weave stories into more than a memoir, into something more like an elder sitting you down over a few nights and talking with you. Tales of successes and mistakes, anecdotes that made me laugh aloud, and sage advice are brought together in an easy to read narrative.
From adventures with an ill fitting gas mask intended for George Washington on Mount Rushmore to confrontations with Mahogany Pirates, Tree Spiker will keep you entertained while giving you some pointers on how we all can fight to save the Earth.
Mike Roselle and Josh Mahan weave stories into more than a memoir, into something more like an elder sitting you down over a few nights and talking with you. Tales of successes and mistakes, anecdotes that made me laugh aloud, and sage advice are brought together in an easy to read narrative.
From adventures with an ill fitting gas mask intended for George Washington on Mount Rushmore to confrontations with Mahogany Pirates, Tree Spiker will keep you entertained while giving you some pointers on how we all can fight to save the Earth.
May 27, 2010
The author describes his book as essentially a collection of stories one might tell while gathered around the campfire with some friends. And much in line with this description, the book does generally follow after such a fashion.
I enjoyed the book for the outrageous stories it told and for the ways in which my perception of the environment and those who fight for it have changed. I was, however, aware of the less-than-stellar writing and editing while reading this book. To be conscious of this face detracted from my overall experience.
I enjoyed the book for the outrageous stories it told and for the ways in which my perception of the environment and those who fight for it have changed. I was, however, aware of the less-than-stellar writing and editing while reading this book. To be conscious of this face detracted from my overall experience.
December 12, 2009
As wildly uneven as it is entertaining, sobering and scary- this inside look at the radical environmentalists really made me want to chain myself to something. Preferably in the rain.
Recommended, especially if you are (like I was) apt to characterize the Earth First! folk as reactionary terrorist jerks. This is another side of their story, and it deserves a fair hearing.
Recommended, especially if you are (like I was) apt to characterize the Earth First! folk as reactionary terrorist jerks. This is another side of their story, and it deserves a fair hearing.
September 9, 2009
Though the prose won't stand the test of time, this book provides a fascinating look into radical environmentalism. Roselle has a great story to tell. And I'm now following him on Facebook as he fights to end mountaintop removal mining. Definitely worth a read.
March 31, 2010
Interesting for the first-hand account, but Roselle doesn't exactly come off as a feminist here and he's not, pardon, the most brilliant reflector on events. Roselle makes very clear that despite his call for radical action, he doesn't advocate violent actions and favors civil disobedience.
October 26, 2009
C Even with a ghost writer, this book failed to capture my attention. Rambling, all over the place, even confusing…still, Roselle has some interesting tales to tell.
September 11, 2012
I had higher hopes for this one. It is not a cohesive work. Still has interesting points and I certainly give the author credit for his commitment to the cause.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews