A Passion For Nature: The Life Of John Muir (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
Three stars. I picked this up because I had heard so much about John Muir during the Ken Burns PBS series on the National Parks. His influence on the creation of the National Parks was inspirational and I wanted to know more about him. But the book was only OK at doing that. I was somewhat disappointed in it. I felt it started badly, describing Muir’s early life in Dunbar, Scotland. There were small inaccuracies in this section (“British Railway Company” should be “North British” for example), but the tone was what I didn’t like. It seemed to be describing Scotland as some kind of occupied nation, and the whole feel of the author was as if he was looking down on the people he was describing. The book improved when Muir came to the USA, at age 11. It gives detailed descriptions of his early life and his movement into the workforce, then his movement to California and explorations of Yosemite, which then dominated his life. I just felt that ether there was too much detail or there wasn’t enough flow, but either way, the book didn’t read as well as some biographies. I think it would be best as a reference book to be dipped into, rather than read all at once. John Muir lived a ridiculous life. I mean, really. His 1,000 mile walk to the Gulf during Reconstruction, gallivanting all over the world, helping spearhead the development of the conservation movement. This man truly was a larger than life character. It is honestly tough at times to keep in mind that I am reading a work of non-fiction!Not much to say other than I am impressed my Worster's ability to put together a cohesive narrative when there is so much info out there about Muir.Basically, if you want a one-stop shop to get a better grasp on the life of John Muir, you could do a lot worse than this.
What do You think about A Passion For Nature: The Life Of John Muir (2008)?
Outstanding biography of a fascinating individual who demonstrated what a true love of nature is.
—Shalalala98
