I wasn't certain what to expect when I got this book. I was a bit concerned that since it was written about experiences in the 1960's that it would feel a bit dated. Although the 1960's view of the future of East Africa's peoples and wildlife is not entirely accurate, I am finding the book to be an excellent way to prepare for a trip to Tanzania--for someone wanting a combination of background on the peoples, landscape and wildlife. Matthiessen's usual subdued, to me, dry style seems leavened a bit by his awe. And the account of the elephant researcher who's 'close encounter' approach puts Matthiessen off his feed, was really enjoyable to me--a departure from his usual, very dry approach. I recommend this one to anyone interested in the peoples and wildlife of Eastern Africa.

Is there anyplace wild enough to lift the weight that Occidental culture has placed on our shoulders? Africa, where the first man walked erect, may be the last place where man can feel awed enough by Nature to try and remember that he, also, is just another among the millions of other species that populate the planet. Paul Bowles, Bruce Chatwin, Doris Lessing, Isaak Dinesen and Peter Mattieshen found that answer, and shared the experience. In Mattieshen's poetic account, the tragic and fabulous beauty of a continent that has been devastated by greed and war is revealed, as the impossibility of traveling Africa and not falling in love with it and being changed by it forever.

The hardcover book is a jewel: the pictures are absolutely beautiful, and the texts which accompany them is interesting. The excerpts from Valentin Rasputin's books on Lake Baikal are well chosen. It is extremely interesting to "meet" this controversial Russian author in the way we do through this book. He deserves praise for his environmental work, especially in such a country as Russia. The book definetely makes you wish to visit the place. It sounds loike a spiritual enriching experience, the lake seems alive...

This book deals with "the big picture". I got a sense of viewing customs through time. The many cultures shown are contrasted in an exciting way. Stunning photographs showing rituals surrounding birth, death, marriage, etc. are accompanied by intelligent, inspiring copy. A beautiful and thought provoking book.

I have not had the opportunity to meet Peter Mathiessen, but I could relate to his mention of sitting and listening to Captain Rob's tales, because I, too, have had that privilege. The book, Cracker in the Glade, is a collection of his ledger and it is written in his conversational tone. It is a recount of how Captain Rob saw the evolution of the growth in population in south Florida and the consequential degredation of the environment as he knew it. He is not judgmental in his description, rather it is matter of fact. Just as he viewed the hardships of living in Florida in the early 1900's as matter of fact. The reader is left with the sense that he knows the history of the Collier County area, and the inhabitants that endured the hardships together. While they were separate families with their own trials, they were one as a family of pioneers in area that was as rife with dangers as it was beautiful in the pristene sense of the tropical paradise. Betty Briggs is to be complimented for her sharing of her grandfather with the rest of us, so that we, too can know the adventures and evolution of this part of the Everglades.

Exiled in the Land of the Free provides an excellent and in depth coverage of issues extremely important to the American Indian nations within the United States. Some of the issues addressed are sovereingty, trust resposibility, and a critical look at the involvement of American Indians in the development of the USA's political system. The essays are extremely well written and quote many primary sources. It would be a very helpful tool for anyone who works in policy making decisions regarding American Indian nations.

This is a book any nature lover should pick up. I'd heard Matthiessen's name but sadly hadn't read any of his work until now, and what a great collection this is to start off with. Matthiessen writes about the world around us vividly, lyrically and eloquently, without getting TOO florid and new-agey as some nature writers tend to do. He travels the world in this collection spanning his career, from shark observations to Himalayan treks to African safaris to New England fishing villages, always honest and compulsively readable. His description of a pack of wild dogs hunting zebra in Africa ranks with the best passages about wildlife I've ever read, and will floor you.

Am forever indebted to my mentor Bea Brickey for getting me involved with the United Farm Worker union locally, and for instilling in me the importance of getting involved and living by Christ's motto that what you do to the least of them you do to Christ.

The book begins with a reminder form Cesar Chavez himself, who said in 1992 two years before his death that "The rich have money, the poor have time". The reader is reminded that patience was his tool of success.

The book is just shy of 400 pages and is a humbling as well as an energizing read. The title Sal Si Puedes is from the San Jose barrio where Chavez' farm workers union work was birthed. The book was begun with a three year stint the author had in the late 70's with Chavez with much appreciated postscript that brings the reader up to date with the events that incurred since the 60's and 70's.

Bea would spend hours passing on the wisdom that Chavez and the other UFW activists had taught her. How she and her husband were often taunted by San Joaquin farmers and called commies and pinkos and how Chavez and the other UFW workers who simply wanted decent working conditions and a living wage were taunted like this as well. How migrant workers were/are exposed to high pesticide levels and that in one breath the farmers denounce the "slave" labour workers for wanting decent housing and wages, while bemoaning the fact that they can't find American who will do the damn stoop labour for slave wages.

This is a book I am passing on to a lot of people, since I believe it is so important that we as citizens, stand up for what is right and that sometimes people have to have their comfort levels challenged.

"Shadows of Africa" is a collection of Peter Matthiessen's writings about the African continent, its wildlife and indigenous cultures. These beautiful writings, at times lyrical, at other times documentary, convey the past, present and future of the continent. The writing is supplemented by Mary Frank's beautiful impressionistic drawings that reflect her feelings toward Matthiessen's prose. The reader is submerged in East African savannas as well as in West African rainforests. The author's description of Botswana's wildlife is a real gem. The descriptions of Chobe national park, Savuti and Okavango delta transplant the reader to these magical places. The prose makes you feel, see and smell Southern African bush. This collection of nature writings and drawings is as timeless as Africa itself. Great book to read as well as to possess!

Now here is a beautifully written and true book about the tribes of shorebirds (plovers, sandpipers, and their kin). In a series of essays on the different aspects of bird structure and behavior (e.g., migration, flight, feeding, courtship), the author draws a complete picture of these wondrous birds. If you've ever stood on a beach and watched flocks of Sanderlings wheeling in unison, flashing alternately white and gray, and wondered about how they live their lives, then this is the book for you. Matthiessen is almost the only writer I know who can combine accurate science with a consistently interesting and limpid style.

This is a seminar Matthiessen did on writing as a meditation. This lecture is quite different from Matthiessen's other works, in that it is far less polished. This is NOT to imply any negative conotation but rather to imply how refreshing and helpful this material is. Matthiessen focuses on his own history as a writer discussing his successes and his failures and those experiences that have been humbling and helpful in his gorwth as a writer and with his Zen life. In addition he also discusses some important practical considerations and suggestions for someone interested in and pursuing writing both as an avocation and a career. I would have no problem highly recommending this tape.