Scan barcode
lexistwick's review against another edition
Really enjoyed the topic and found the introduction and coyotes parts especially interesting, but my mother in law then read it and told me the overview and the double chapters on horses were feeling long and lost me, despite how cool it is that horses originated on the north american continent
cosmiccaveman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
jburnford's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Exceptional history writing and a vast coverage of Great Plains ecology and history.
imbricata's review against another edition
5.0
This book gave an overview of the major large animals that lives or used to live on the Great Plains of America. Includes chapters on the Pronghorn antelope, wolves, bison, coyotes, wild horses and grizzly bears. Discusses their losses and the depressing factors that led to their losses. The author does not shy away from discussing the politically motivated policies that caused them, and I appreciate that.
I had no idea that the Plains were once so interesting, full of unique flora and fauna, and not just a huge flat field that it appears to me now when I drive through rows and rows of identical corn rows for hundreds of miles. I particularly enjoyed reading about the author’s own experiences with his “pet” wolf-hybrid and their wildness that was not bred out.
Interesting facts – no one could wipe out coyotes, no matter how hard they tried. In fact, efforts to eradicate coyotes pushed them to have higher populations and move them into all areas of the country. Another interesting fact is that horses were apparently native to the Americas before they vanished from the continent, but continued on in Asia and Europe. This explains why they adapted so wonderfully to the Plains after being re-introduced by the Spanish in the colonization periods.
I read “To You We Shall Return” by Joseph M Marshall III earlier this year and found a lot of crossover between the facts regarding plains animals in this book with the indigenous myths of Marshall’s book. I’d recommend reading them both for two different aspects of the same topic.
I had no idea that the Plains were once so interesting, full of unique flora and fauna, and not just a huge flat field that it appears to me now when I drive through rows and rows of identical corn rows for hundreds of miles. I particularly enjoyed reading about the author’s own experiences with his “pet” wolf-hybrid and their wildness that was not bred out.
Interesting facts – no one could wipe out coyotes, no matter how hard they tried. In fact, efforts to eradicate coyotes pushed them to have higher populations and move them into all areas of the country. Another interesting fact is that horses were apparently native to the Americas before they vanished from the continent, but continued on in Asia and Europe. This explains why they adapted so wonderfully to the Plains after being re-introduced by the Spanish in the colonization periods.
I read “To You We Shall Return” by Joseph M Marshall III earlier this year and found a lot of crossover between the facts regarding plains animals in this book with the indigenous myths of Marshall’s book. I’d recommend reading them both for two different aspects of the same topic.
anghusss's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
aggielexi's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
1.5
It's a 1.5, skip the audio version
This is on me, I should have realized Dan Flores's also wrote Coyote America, another book where the premise was great but fell flat in delivery.
I've listened to Michael Kramer (Narrator) in the past, (Never Split the Difference), and enjoyed that, but the narration of this was ROUGH. Maybe if I had read the book instead of listened it would have been more enjoyable. But this was hard to get through.
Also if you have read Coyote America, you can kind of know what to expect. Some historical facts, some opinions, and some jumping around in thoughts that make it a little difficult to follow. And if you've read Coyote America, just skip the Coyote chapter, it's the same story.
This is on me, I should have realized Dan Flores's also wrote Coyote America, another book where the premise was great but fell flat in delivery.
I've listened to Michael Kramer (Narrator) in the past, (Never Split the Difference), and enjoyed that, but the narration of this was ROUGH. Maybe if I had read the book instead of listened it would have been more enjoyable. But this was hard to get through.
Also if you have read Coyote America, you can kind of know what to expect. Some historical facts, some opinions, and some jumping around in thoughts that make it a little difficult to follow. And if you've read Coyote America, just skip the Coyote chapter, it's the same story.
idrumgood's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this look into the late 19th and early 20th century Great Plains. I appreciate that each chapter is devoted to a particular animal, and the final one being about conservation efforts. The book finished at 74% because there was so much bibliography!!!