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310 reviews for:
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
Kevin Fedarko
4.35 AVERAGE
310 reviews for:
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
Kevin Fedarko
4.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Part adventure story of speed rafting the Grand Canyon during a historic flood, part natural history of how the Grand Canyon was formed, and part conservation/development story of how the massive engineering effort of dams can go wrong.
This book was a total page-turner, and I loved meeting familiar outdoor names from Earth First!, Sierra Club, and other orgs. There were so many interesting things I learned in this book: the entire subculture of rafting in the Grand Canyon, that the Sierra Club would have endorsed 2 dams *in* the Grand Canyon unless David Brower didn't singlehandedly talk them out of it at a Board Meeting, how dam spillways actually work & how they can fail, and so many rad characters, it's hard to keep count.
If you're at all interested in the Grand Canyon, in outdoor adventure, or in natural history books, this one is a must-read. I hope I find other outdoor books as good as this one — because it sets a high bar.
This book was a total page-turner, and I loved meeting familiar outdoor names from Earth First!, Sierra Club, and other orgs. There were so many interesting things I learned in this book: the entire subculture of rafting in the Grand Canyon, that the Sierra Club would have endorsed 2 dams *in* the Grand Canyon unless David Brower didn't singlehandedly talk them out of it at a Board Meeting, how dam spillways actually work & how they can fail, and so many rad characters, it's hard to keep count.
If you're at all interested in the Grand Canyon, in outdoor adventure, or in natural history books, this one is a must-read. I hope I find other outdoor books as good as this one — because it sets a high bar.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
Fantastic story about the fastest run down the Grand Canyon; the beauty of the Grand Canyon; the rafting industry and how that was started; Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell; the environmental movement surrounding the Grand Canyon; and all the stories that intertwine throughout it all. I would love to have another year of snowfall in the Rockies that allow Lake Powell to fill completely. Truly enjoyed this book and the stories!
This was on audiobook, so the review may be different in a traditional text. This story is really a character study with the central character being the Colorado River. Like the river, the book sometimes meanders and is dry. However, it is a spellbinding tale definitely worth reading.
Who are these other reviewers that all enjoyed this book so much? I just could not get into it. The writing is not at all engaging and basically it made me not care one bit about this 'epic' event.
What a great book about an amazing adventure!
I sometimes struggle with nonfiction, but this was not dry or boring, it read like an adventure novel. I think it helped that I have been on a Grand Canyon rafting trip, and desperately want to go back, so I was inclined to like this, but even saying that, I would recommend this book.
I sometimes struggle with nonfiction, but this was not dry or boring, it read like an adventure novel. I think it helped that I have been on a Grand Canyon rafting trip, and desperately want to go back, so I was inclined to like this, but even saying that, I would recommend this book.