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lucidstyle's review against another edition
5.0
To think that natural experiences like those Robert Pyle had are becoming extinct due to current social trends away from, resultant disinterest in, and lack of historical concern toward nature is distressful and deeply worrisome. Pyle's voice in this book both shares his own childhood natural experiences as well as brings up fundamental points in humans' problems of management and maintenance of these natural areas. It is a lovely, personal telling and borders on heartbreaking.
Having lived in Colorado for three years of my childhood, I feel lucky to be able to personally relate to Pyle's wonderment at the beauty of eastern [early urban] Colorado, and of nature itself. In chapter ten (p. 156) he describes the "artful habitat dioramas" at the Denver Museum of Natural History, which I too visited as a child. I've never forgotten the Denver museum and its intricate displays featuring the variety and beauty of Colorado's ecosystems.
I found this book to be tremendously inspiring, making me take yet another, longer, closer look at and into my environment. How can I help to preserve the few remaining wildlands around me, supporting and strengthening the variety of life native or introduced to these areas, and what can I do to encourage interest and wonder in others toward the appreciation of their surrounding world? Now, my intention is to find out.
Having lived in Colorado for three years of my childhood, I feel lucky to be able to personally relate to Pyle's wonderment at the beauty of eastern [early urban] Colorado, and of nature itself. In chapter ten (p. 156) he describes the "artful habitat dioramas" at the Denver Museum of Natural History, which I too visited as a child. I've never forgotten the Denver museum and its intricate displays featuring the variety and beauty of Colorado's ecosystems.
I found this book to be tremendously inspiring, making me take yet another, longer, closer look at and into my environment. How can I help to preserve the few remaining wildlands around me, supporting and strengthening the variety of life native or introduced to these areas, and what can I do to encourage interest and wonder in others toward the appreciation of their surrounding world? Now, my intention is to find out.
sandyd's review
5.0
This is a hard book to summarize. I think the different chapters work better as free-standing essays. Some of them waxed so eloquent I was in tears, and others I had to struggle to finish because I got mired in the plants, ecological relationships, and butterfly species Pyle describes. If you have an interest in Denver and its history or water use in the west, you’ll also like this, but I imagine that isn’t a huge group of readers.
It is an autobiographical work that combines personal stories about growing up in Aurora, CO in the 50’s & 60’s with a look at the importance of “wasteland” – specifically, the High Line Canal. If you want to know more about how children interact with nature, you HAVE to read the chapter called “The Extinction of Experience” – it is one of the best things on this I’ve ever read. It deserves to be reprinted somewhere with a much larger audience. So check this out, order it on amazon, skim through the parts that don’t grab you and then read the rest when you need to read something profound about the importance of place, parks, vacant lots, water courses, children’s play, or bugs.
It is an autobiographical work that combines personal stories about growing up in Aurora, CO in the 50’s & 60’s with a look at the importance of “wasteland” – specifically, the High Line Canal. If you want to know more about how children interact with nature, you HAVE to read the chapter called “The Extinction of Experience” – it is one of the best things on this I’ve ever read. It deserves to be reprinted somewhere with a much larger audience. So check this out, order it on amazon, skim through the parts that don’t grab you and then read the rest when you need to read something profound about the importance of place, parks, vacant lots, water courses, children’s play, or bugs.
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