Walking Down the Wild: A Journey Through the Yellowstone Rockies

Rating:
Summary: Something missing in this one
Review: Nature enthusiast Gary Ferguson takes us on his extensive backpacking experiences through Yellowstone National Park. He introduces us to the people he meets and his companions, notes the spectacular wildlife and visages that he encounters, discusses some of the ecological issues facing Yellowstone, and gives us a look into the nuts and bolts of making decisions when hiking through the wild.
The Good and the Bad:
I enjoyed some of this book, but generally I found more to complain about than to praise. This book, while lacking in major faults, just seemed to have no spark of its own that would make reading it a requirement. I felt as if I'd heard each environmental discussion before, read similar descriptions of the park in other books, and was frankly skeptically annoyed at Ferguson's claims that encountering a moose bore spiritual meaning, one proof of which was the mystical departure of a cold after seeing a moose.
Ferguson displays an impressive knowledge of the species that he encounters, and I appreciated his willingness to note the wildlife, and to share interesting tidbits of information about everything from wildflowers to otters. For me, these areas were where the book was most successful.
But the overall tone gave me the impression that Ferguson perceives a world in which nature can only be truly understood by those in a special club who are willing to pay homage to the spirit of the land. Ferguson's desire to read meaning into ordinary encounters just rubbed me the wrong way, I suppose, and even now I'm struggling to put my finger on exactly what bothered me so much.


Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: This book belongs on the shelf next to Silent Spring and The Sand County Almanac. Ferguson writes with elegance and ease of his experiences in wild country in the Yellowstone area. It is a perfect companion for anyone planning a trip to that marvelous part of the nation. His vivid descriptions of his 500-mile trek through the area are always fascinating. He artfully weaves personal observations into the human history of the area and then into natural history as he argues eleoquently against the commercial interests intent on squeezing the last buck out of our country's vanishing wilderness.

Rating:
Summary: Ferguson achieves mastery in nature writing.
Review: This book belongs on the shelf next to Silent Spring and The Sand County Almanac. Ferguson writes with elegance and ease of his experiences in wild country in the Yellowstone area. It is a perfect companion for anyone planning a trip to that marvelous part of the nation. His vivid descriptions of his 500-mile trek through the area are always fascinating. He artfully weaves personal observations into the human history of the area and then into natural history as he argues eleoquently against the commercial interests intent on squeezing the last buck out of our country's vanishing wilderness.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: This is simply a disjointed journal of a series of short hikes with portions deteriorating to a lame account of car camping. This ranks as one of the worst books ever published. Don't waste your time.