| Title | : | John Muir: Nature's Visionary |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0792279549 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780792279549 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2000 |
John Muir: Nature's Visionary Reviews
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This is the best overall and insightful biography of John Muir that I've ever read. Ehrlich captures the soul and heart of Muir.
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I have loved reading John Muir's writings for a long time now--so this book has been a pure delight. Written by another lover of the natural world,
Gretel Ehrlich, the book is a dream of photography and words. Ehrlich is a powerful writer herself;
The Solace of Open Spaces is my favorite of her works.
This beautiful book was published by National Geographic, and the photography shows the quality one would expect from that publisher. Pages of photos and quotations are interspersed with the text of the story to make a touching tribute to this unique man. All I can do is list a few of the points that jumped off the page and into my heart:
1) The cruelty John and his brothers endured at the hand of their rigid father was startling; today Daniel Muir would be charged with abuse, but his stern religious fanaticism could not break John's spirit.
2) I had not realized the extent of the influence of Jeanne Smith Carr; she was the wife of a professor at the Univ. of Wisconsin when he enrolled there in 1860, and she remained a vital part of his life (introducing him to Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1871 AND setting up Muir's marriage in 1880!)
3) In 1867, when he left his family house for good, he wrote his address in his journal as "John Mujir, Earth-planet, Universe." That's where he truly lived.
4) He was often poor and near starvation in his pursuit of the life he chose--but he never complained or regretted his choice. His constant companions were the writings of Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman--and
Paradise Lost.
5) His Yosemite stay, 1869-1872, allowed him to become close to Elvira Hutchings, a kindred spirit in her love of nature. She was married, so nothing could come of this--but she seems to be the only woman who truly understood his love of Nature.
6) I knew Emerson had visited with Muir as arranged by Jeanne Carr--but I had not known how much the two immediately were drawn to each other. Emerson was 68 and Muir 33, but they were kin as Emerson had been with Thoreau. However, neither Emerson nor Thoreau lived so passionately IN nature as did Muir.
7) Muir first went to Alaska at the age of 41; he would return seven times, healing himself from the toll placed on him by civilization.
8) Yet he married "Louie" Strentzel in 1880, when he was 42 and she was 33. He was a loving, devoted husband and father--but she was wise enough to insist that he continue his walks into the wilderness. For seven years after 1881, he "stayed home" and tended the Strentzel fruit farm, making it very successful.
9) The great trip to Yosemite with Theodore Roosevelt in 1903--where they slept under the stars and in the snow and the seeds of the National Parks movement were planted.
10) Then, just two years later, Louie died in 1905, and until Muir's death in 1914, his efforts began to dwindle. The loss of Hetch Hetchy devastated him--even Roosevelt had abandoned Muir.
11) Yet he kept traveling, heading for South America in 1911 at 74 years old, and then on to Africa, expressly to see the baobab trees!
12) He died on Christmas Eve, 1914--the same year that Martha, the last passenger pigeon, died in a Cincinnati Zoo.
13) Ehrlich has these wonderful lines in her epilogue: "His God was everywhere, in everything...his sense of divinity was so deep and far-reaching as to encompass the living and nonliving--both flesh and rock. To John Muir, a sacred thread ran through all things."
And some of the most stunning photographs:
p. 113--John Muir and close friend John Burroughs in Yosemite in 1909--what a wonderful picture!
p. 181--John with Louie and their daughters Wanda and Helen.
p. 195--Muir with his grandson; I'd never seen this photograph, and it made me smile.
p. 208--My favorite picture of all. Muir went to Arizona to be with his fragile daughter Helen--and this picture captures the intensity he brought to any type of natural setting. I could look at those hands all day, as he takes notes in one of his journals.
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"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir
As the winter snow trails to the ground, I cozy up in my recliner with a comfy throw, turn on nature scenes on YouTube and head off on a forest journey with John Muir. Gretel Ehrlich’s book, John Muir: Nature’s Visionary is glory and peace in figurative and detailed language that is beyond compare. Her descriptions of nature are not mindless ramblings, but rather are so breathtakingly real, it’s as if I’m on treading the trails with Muir.
As I read, I feel his angst to get away from the city and responsibilities and get back into the wilds of crisp mountain life. I feel his release when finally arriving in the valleys and forest and breathing the fresh air. I hear the sounds and feel the wonder of nighttime, see the stars light up the unpolluted skies. I feel the triumph of conquering one of the many mountains Muir sets out to scale. Since the book is loaded with natural beauty displayed in still photos, I truly can see and envision it all within my imagination.
Ehrlich leads readers through the many battles Muir faces while fighting to protect forests, mountains, valleys, and natural treasures. His pioneering efforts continue today. Though much progress has been made in conservation efforts and awareness, sadly, pollutants and commercialization have multiplied.
Nature is a gift to humans, and we are responsible to care well for it. Nature’s purpose is not to cater to our unhealthy, greedy, and industrialized whims, but we are here to enjoy its beauty, to breath its health and liberty, to bask in its array of diversity, to learn lessons we humans can’t seem to grasp on our own.
These are the lessons learned from Ehrlich’s book about John Muir. So, if you’re looking for a teaser into John Muir’s life, one loaded with narrative that can best be described as “poetic peace,” this is a book I’d highly recommend.
Next up, I can’t wait to read The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich. -
This book has some of the most stunning nature photography I've ever seen.
My favorite John Muir quote: "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found was really going in." -
Gretel Ehrlich’s John Muir: Nature’s Visionary is a fascinating account of a premiere environmentalist in America’s history. This biography traced Muir’s life from his birth and upbringing in Scotland, conflicts with his family, and decision to venture out on his own in the wilderness. The environmentalist’s adventure took him on a thousand-mile walk to the Gulf of Mexico, experiences in the Sierra Nevada, and on explorations in Alaska.
Ehrlich showed that Muir endured child beatings, near death experiences, bouts of malaria, and near starvation during his life. Most of these trials came in the wildness where he often slept in the snow, was without a coat, and worked at odd jobs. But Muir’s love of nature propelled him in the wildness to be with trees like the giant sequoias, mountains, lakes, valleys, rocks, and the flora and fauna of these regions. He made notes, sketched images, and made observations about glaciers.
Muir’s vision eventually bore fruit, and because of his activism on October 1, 1890, a bill in the United States senate made Yosemite a national park. More success followed when national parks were set aside for 55 wildlife preserves and 150 national forests. His twilight years saw him as an accomplished writer, advocate for parks, and undertaking travels to Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia.
Muir lived in the Martinez ranch with his wife Louie and daughters. Eventually he suffered setbacks in his evangelistic mission of preserving more open spaces when big business won, and Hetch Hetchy was dammed. By this time he was suffering from a respiratory illness which got worse and killed him. -
After plowing through the 12-hour Ken Burns documentary on America's National Parks, I was interested in reading more about John Muir. I chose this book because the documentary included several bits of an interview with the author. And it had lovely photography.
The book was lyrical, but biased and incomplete. In taking up Muir's side on every issue, whether political or personal, without offering credence to his critics or opponents, Ehrlich actually destroys empathy for Muir by portraying him as self-righteous and arrogant, attendant only to his own needs and opinions. I'm pretty sure that's not accurate.
The writing style was a bit grandiose. I guess you could say the same of Muir's style; but he was writing about the majesty of nature, while Ehrlich is attempting a biography.
Maybe I should have known better; maybe I was expecting a legitimate biography from what is actually a coffee table book. And as coffee table books go, this one's pretty good. But I'll probably go ahead and find another book about Muir so I can get to know him a little more truly. -
When I iron, I either listen to audiobooks or watch documentaries found on Netflix. One day, I watch the famous ‘National Parks: America’s Best Idea’, by Ken Burns.
This is a great documentary. In it, Burns talk at length about John Muir. I was so intrigued that I shared about my new discovery with my husband. Next thing, he checked out 2 books from our library on John Muir.
I chose to read this one, published by National Geographic.
It’s a gorgeous book, with great pictures and excerpts from Muir’s journals and poems.
I was fascinated by the life of this great man, by his inner freedom and his deep love for nature in its wildest aspect, and his constant fight to protect it.
This is a very inspiring book. I highly recommend it. I shared about it with a French student, living in California, and he bought it right away. he loves it too.
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Emma @ Words And Peace -
Put out by National Geographic, this book has the added beauty of the best photography. I have had an interest in the life and work of John Muir since seeing a documentary on the national parks system many years ago. Ehrlich gives us a good overview of the life and work of this great man. It's not too deep in any one place but it gives us enough as readers to do the work of finding out more, and makes us want to read the prose of Muir himself. It's peppered with quotes from Muir alongside magnificent photographs from National Geographics volumnous archives. All in all a high quality work.
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I wanted to read a biography of John Muir before we visited the Muir woods in CA. What a crazy life he led! I LOVED that he had so much love and respect for nature, and he continued to stand up and fight for what he thought was right until the end of his life. There were some really great quotes from him (which I should have written down before I turned it back into the library!), and the photographs in the book are so beautiful.
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a beautiful book that tells about Muir's life, love of nature and efforts to preserve America's natural beauty. includes dozens of gorgeous color photos of places Muir visited, many of areas in and around Yosemite, as well as original black and white photos of Muir, his family, and friends, and sketches/letters/journal entries of his.
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A slight but beautifully written overview on the life of the great John Muir, embellished with some gorgeous photography.
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Fascinating how someone with an abusive upbringing could grow to have such an appreciation for nature.
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A good biography of John Muir with lots of great photographs by the staff of National Geographic.
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Beautiful.
