Review by Booklist Review
Two nature-schooled writers share their perceptions of the wild. Jones, a naturalist and a teacher, fell in love with the little-known Sandhills of Nebraska, the "largest area of grass-stabilized dunes in the Western Hemisphere." Now an expert on the natural and human history of this unusual and highly vulnerable terrain, Jones chronicles an unexpected wealth and diversity of life, from the Sandhill cranes, a species so ancient they once flew over dinosaurs, to grasshoppers and the nearly extinct prairie chicken, renowned for its courtship dance. Interwoven with plant and animal tales are stories from the oral tradition of the Pawnee and the Lakota, and accounts of violent confrontations between Plains Indians and the U.S. government. Ultimately, Jones' meditative yet informative essays reveal how the decimation of both Native American life and the prairie has greatly diminished our humanity and our spirit. McNamee, the outspoken and agile author of many works, including Gila: The Life and Death of an American River (1994), is even more attuned to the politics of nature. He presents arresting essays on lightning, rivers ("Flowing water keeps us sane"), hawks, the pleasures of solitude and walking, and mountains, a passion that inspired him to edit The Mountain World (2000). He also writes boldly crafted essays about the American desert and the legacy of Los Alamos and the atom bomb, and in a dynamic and surprising history of Las Vegas, he critiques our penchant for gambling and entertainment, discloses the true malevolence of Howard Hughes, and makes some alarming but entirely reasonable predictions about China. At every turn, he subtly reminds readers that we should never lose sight of the fact that in spite of humanity's ability to severely damage the environment, the human species is truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. --Donna Seaman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Reading this book is as pleasant an experience as actually viewing the tall, gently waving prairie grasses and pastoral scenes that Jones (Colorado Nature Almanac, 1998) describes. Each of the 20 chapters here is devoted to a single topic or theme, such as Landmarks, Grass, Pine Lake, Tallgrass Desert, Dune Dancers, East Meets West, and Transition. All are described in fond and gentle detail, and even though there are no photos, the images are as clear as if there were. Often, the author recounts Native American legends, which he has garnered from visits and interviews and which are tied to the relevant theme, location, or local thought. An extensive bibliographic essay provides advice and sources for further reading. This book belongs in every Nebraska library, as well as in most public and academic environmental essay collections.DNancy Moeckel, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
