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A review by beatniksafari
Encounters with the Archdruid: Narratives about a Conservationist and Three of His Natural Enemies by John McPhee
4.0
I read this book for my upcoming Environmental Science course in Colorado. I have long been an admirer of John McPhee's work. He combines a clear, incisive writing style with an ability to express multiple perspectives on an issue.
In this book, McPhee explores the conflict between making use of natural resources (metal, coastal land, and water) and preserving natural environments. He pits David Brower, former head of the Sierra Club and environmental advocate (the archdruid of the title) against a geologist working for a mining company, a real estate developer, and the head of the Department of Reclamation in a series of encounters in natural places. Rather than setting up the encounters as good guy versus bad guys, McPhee allows the people to speak for themselves, and presents the facts of the situation without added judgments. As a result, the reader comes to appreciate the complexities of the issues faced.
Although first published nearly forty years, this book has relevance today as the debates rage on (the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico illustrating one recent example).
In this book, McPhee explores the conflict between making use of natural resources (metal, coastal land, and water) and preserving natural environments. He pits David Brower, former head of the Sierra Club and environmental advocate (the archdruid of the title) against a geologist working for a mining company, a real estate developer, and the head of the Department of Reclamation in a series of encounters in natural places. Rather than setting up the encounters as good guy versus bad guys, McPhee allows the people to speak for themselves, and presents the facts of the situation without added judgments. As a result, the reader comes to appreciate the complexities of the issues faced.
Although first published nearly forty years, this book has relevance today as the debates rage on (the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico illustrating one recent example).