Rating: 
Summary: This isn't just history; this is important art.
Review: This book is so richly textured, I read it in small sections, so I could savor the paragraphs a little at a time. Mr Egan's style of writing is vivid and beautiful, without being overly wordy. A lot of the history in this book, I already knew, but discovered anew; and some I did not know, and am thrilled to learn. My grandparents were immigrants to Seattle in 1906 from Poland, and I feel such a sense of belonging here, that it is wonderful to view the Northwest with someone else's eyes. I count myself as a fan of Mr Egan. I am recommending this book to many friends and family, as it was recommended to me.
Rating:
Summary: This isn't just history; this is important art.
Review: This book is so richly textured, I read it in small sections, so I could savor the paragraphs a little at a time. Mr Egan's style of writing is vivid and beautiful, without being overly wordy. A lot of the history in this book, I already knew, but discovered anew; and some I did not know, and am thrilled to learn. My grandparents were immigrants to Seattle in 1906 from Poland, and I feel such a sense of belonging here, that it is wonderful to view the Northwest with someone else's eyes. I count myself as a fan of Mr Egan. I am recommending this book to many friends and family, as it was recommended to me.
Rating:
Summary: Panoramic view of Pacific Northwest before development
Review: This book wonderfully depict the beauty of the Pacific Northwest before people took control and developed it. He describes the ways we changed the land, how it was before and how it is today and yet tells a story of his grandfather. As a native Washingtonian I felt like I went back in history and appreciated the historical and well as discriptive views of a land I love well. It was easy to read and I hard time liking the Army Corp or Engineers after reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for biology and enviroment lovers
Review: This is a great book for anyone living in the North West or anyone who is interested in Biology or enviromental issues. Mr. H. Kredit, the biology teacher at Lynden Christian High School needs to read this book
Rating: 
Summary: Personal survey of Pacific Northwest
Review: This is not a history of the Pacific Northwest, nor even a comprehensive contemporary profile of this region. It is one man's often very personal view of his home, the place where he grew up, and the political, social and economic issues that underlie everyday life there. Egan makes no attempt at cold objectivity; he is writing about something he loves, and this comes through in the text. He also makes abundantly clear what he doesn't like. Thus, this book is controversial and thought-provoking. Although "The Good Rain" is ostensibly about the Pacific Northwest, an area that at its widest extent includes Washington, Oregon, most of British Columbia in Canada and even the northern parts of California, Egan focuses mostly on parts of Washington, which is good, because this is what he knows best (even though the chapter on the Siskiyou forests of Oregon is very well written and informative). The book is well organized, and Egan selected the main topics for his chapters well; they cover the principal socio-economic and political concerns of the region: timber and loggers, salmon, fruit-growing, urban development, the local Native Americans, the Columbia River, etc. He also did a good deal of research on the region's history upon settlement (or conquest) by the Americans and the British, and his writing makes these often dry facts come to life. Probably the main theme of Egan's argument here is that as the Pacific Northwest makes its transition into a vital part of the Pacific Rim, it needs to discard the central resource extraction element of its economy which marked its early years of development (after the Indians were pushed aside). The author here makes no secret of his distaste for the rapacious timber industry (even though he is not anti-logger or opposed to sustainable use of forests) and the Army Corps of Engineers (which is still intent on damming up the last untouched parts of the Columbia and destroying the remaining significant salmon runs). Although it was written ten years ago, "The Good Rain" has lost none of its freshness and relevance. Perhaps my only criticisms would be a) Egan often omitted citing dates even when dealing with specific events (so that there is reference to e.g. something taking place "in Seattle tonight") and b) he relies too much and sometimes depends excessively on a book by Theodore Winthrop, a New Englander who traveled through the region in 1853. Nevertheless, this book is well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: The Good Rain
Review: Thomas Egan's book covers important material in a way that sacrifices substance and materiality for simile, metaphor and stereotype. To me, Egan did not make a distinction between pulp reporting - in a medium that is read and immediately tossed, recycled or used to wrap garbage or line a litter box - and writing an enduring full-length, non-fiction book.Like a news reporter, he protected his sources to the extreme. His citations are scanty, and he omitted footnotes and bibliography. His descriptions of some historical figures are glib [Isaac Stevens, Chief Seathl]. Some of his data derive from popular myth - not from scholarly research - so the myths are perpetuated. He also comes across as an Anglophobe. Shame on his editors and advisors. Shame on him. If his sources were cited, his work might be a convincing treatise for ecologists and historians. His shortcomings are maddening.
Rating:
Summary: The Good Rain
Review: Thomas Egan's book covers important material in a way that sacrifices substance and materiality for simile, metaphor and stereotype. To me, Egan did not make a distinction between pulp reporting - in a medium that is read and immediately tossed, recycled or used to wrap garbage or line a litter box - and writing an enduring full-length, non-fiction book. Like a news reporter, he protected his sources to the extreme. His citations are scanty, and he omitted footnotes and bibliography. His descriptions of some historical figures are glib [Isaac Stevens, Chief Seathl]. Some of his data derive from popular myth - not from scholarly research - so the myths are perpetuated. He also comes across as an Anglophobe. Shame on his editors and advisors. Shame on him. If his sources were cited, his work might be a convincing treatise for ecologists and historians. His shortcomings are maddening.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating book, beautifully written
Review: Timothy Egan is a writer of rare skill. The Good Rain is a beautifully-written, thoughtful journey through his (and our) beloved Northwest. What a shame it's out of stock!
Rating:
Summary: Call this the Handbook for the PNW
Review: Timothy Egan writes with the flair of a novelist, but with the insight and detail of a journalist. His "Good Rain" is the finest look at my home corner of the country that I have ever read. I actually put down a John McPhee book to read this one!
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