When I first picked up this book, I was entranced by his descriptive writing. It was not the type of book that I consumed all at once. It took time to get through it because his travel descriptions got very dense as well as his inner experience during the journey. I learned about Buddhism and the B'on religion that predates it. Anyone who has an interest in Buddhism or Nepal and Tibet would enjoy this book. Keep in mind that it's not a light read.

THE SNOW LEOPARD is the best book I've ever read. Period. Read this book.

In sum, it is Peter Matthiessen's recounting of his trek in the Himalayas with the naturalist George Schaller to establish a new national park on behalf of the Nepali government.In substance, it is a luminescent prose poem of a spiritual journey through a universe in which the mundane is holy, the sacred is the commonplace and the profane is touched with glory.

My copy has traveled throughout the world with me, the one indispensable item I take with me when leaving home. No review can do such a magnificent book justice. Read this book.

Spare, lyrical and honest, the Snow Leopard lifts the reader's mind to the high deserts of Nepal. Reading it is almost like spending an afternoon in quiet contemplation. I've read several books that deal with Zen and what makes this book work is that the author is unflinchingly honest about the internal journey that is at the heart of the book. He shares with the reader the mental baggage he brings with him, and that makes the external journey -- described in vivid detail -- seem all the more real. I can understand why other reviewers say they went to Nepal after reading it.

Matthiessen does a superb job of weaving the known facts of Edgar Watson together with his own imagination to create a novel that is truly a joy to read. It reminded me of Shogun in that it was one of those really great book reading experiences that gives the reader a sense of history and geography while telling a story that I couldn't put down after the first 50 pages. It's the first thing I've read of Matthiessen's, and I'm looking forward to my next one - probably The Snow Leopard. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of good writing, and not hack storytelling. I loved it.

It has been several years since I read this book...but I have enjoyed few others as I have enjoyed this one. Using multiple voices, Matthiessen tells the story of E.J Watson, a homesteader in the turn-of-the-century Everglades. Matthiessen tells the story in the 1st person, from the point of view of various friends of Watson, family members, and enemies within the Chokoloskee community.

Matthiessen has clearly immersed himself in the lives of Florida pioneers, and conveys the harshness of their lives, and that sticky, fetid overripeness so characteristic of Florida, brilliantly. He clearly loves his players, and adeptly creates "whole" people in even distasteful characters.

I've bought this book for friends who haven't been able to finish it...I have no idea why. Too much MTV, I guess, has rotted their attention spans! It may take 20 or so pages to get used to the shifting voices, but it is far from a difficult read, and you will find yourself compelled by the narrative.

This book has two sequels: Lost Man's River (told from the perspective of Watson's grown son), and Bone by Bone (told from the p.o.v. of Watson himself). Both are worth a look.

In novels displaying typical craftsmanship, assigning names to characters who may have little bearing on the story is avoided-why confuse the reader unnecessarily! But in Matthiessen's tale in which each chapter is told from the perspective of one person, numerous names of brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, cross-breeds and others are given time and again, all the while the focus is kept on just who is Mr. Watson and what makes him tick. There may be some confusion here, but it's of the type that comes from sitting on the porch across from someone who is telling you his or her story, and you realize there isn't a need to always interrupt and request the person identify every incidental person who shows up in the tale. Rather, you are taken in by the great story overall and by the teller, who turns out to be quite an interesting character himself. This is the case with 'Killing Mister Watson.' Moreover, this maze of characters and their various contrasting views on Edgar Watson tend to further illuminate the geographical flavor of South Florida which Matthiessen describes as 'labyrinthine.' Just as it is easy to become lost among the mangroves and the rivers, so is it equally difficult to decipher the truths and falsehoods of the folks who lived there around the turn of the twentieth century and knew Mister Watson. I liked this book. I liked it a lot.

What I like about Matthiessen's account is that he has no clear destination (e.g, through "some remarkably bad planning, I crossed the Andes nine times in five months")., and hence open to adventure and experience. He writes of what he sees and what affects him. He also is reflective about how he effects the local residents or native Machiguenga guides. I have some sadness that the tribes he encountered (1960's) may no longer be there. He writes honestly, not claiming superiority, for example he takes pistol shots at crocodiles. His adventure down the Urubamba was particularly compelling ... would he find the giant crocodile bones, would he find the lost city ruins? Along the way he manages to accomplish something remarkable (the traverse of the Pongo), and as any proud adventurer, tries to understand if his adventure was historically unique. For bird watchers, there is an added enjoyment of trying to identify some of the birds he describes along the way. This travel journal sets a standard for other adventurers and for my own daily journals.

Matthiessen always teaches,in a quiet sober way.The extent of his experience coupled with a wonderful style has always made his subject fascinating.The Cloud Forest is no exception.From ornothology,Buddhisum,indigious peoples,spirituality,the environment,to his fiction... on every subject he gives the reader a clear insight.Quammen, Lopez,Finnegan,Mcgune,Proulx et al,all in one.Simply the best.

Macchu Picchu, a giant fossilized mandible, steam ships, and Allen Ginsberg. What can be wrong with a book that features all that. Seriously, this is a great book. Good culutral anthropology without all the anthropology to get in the way. From his depiction of the natives to his own almost childlike desire to explore and see, Matthiessen conveys a great story in a great way. Not exactly up to the Snow Leopard's level, but a great read.

An early book by Peter Matthiessen, Wildlife in America, came out in 1959 (and with some spotty unpdating in this edition) and tells the story of America's response to its wild life over the centuries and then into the beginnings of a conservation movement and the more recent (relatively) efforts of government to protect the species particular to the American mainland and Alaska. In some ways, it becomes a list of animals that have dissappeared or are on the brink. It is very depressing but the author presents the facts and arguments in a clear fashion that captures the price of American progess on its wildlife. Despite some occasional purple prose and the new issues and arguments that have occured since, this is a very good reprint of a classic from the past.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in wildlife management or becoming a naturalist. Either this will be just another book or an turning point in your respect for wildlife, wildlife management and regulated hunting.

I have read this book three times so far. It is a very interesting book which deals with the way the American Indian Movement ("AIM") and Leonard Peltier were prosecuted by the government back in the sixties and seventies. I urge all people who would like to know the truth about the incident to read this book. The book deals with some very difficult topics but once read, you'll walk away shaking your head and asking yourself "How can this happen? This is America?"

This book is an excellant read. It covers the history of the American Indian Movement (AIM) up to the point of the of Leonard Peltier. This book opens your mind to the harse reality of the U.S. Government and it's ways. If you like true stories of Gov't conspiracies and it's molestation of human rights, I recomend this book highly. I also suggest you buy the two "Rage Against the Machine" albums, they touch on this subject several times. Also you should take a look at the award winning documentury "Incident at Oglala". A special produced by Robert Redford that also tells the story of Leonard Peltier. Fight the power!!!

I have read this book (and many others) as well as other sources regarding the case of Leonard Peltier, and I find Mr. Matthiessen's work nearly flawless. Leonard Peltier's incarceration is yet another injustice dumped upon the people who were on this continent long before the European invaders came; it does not surprise me in the least. I applaud Mr. Matthiessen's great effort here to at least shed some truth on the matter.

I grabbed this book because it is so hard to find books about West Africa, and because it appeared to be so well reviewed. But I hated it! The wildlife aspects didn't captivate me; but the writer's whole attitude to the people he met alternately shocked and dismayed me. He talks of people's villages "littering" the landscape; refers to languages as "dialects" without seeming ever to recognise the incredible complexity of the culture in Senegambia; patronises the people he meets; never bothers to learn the correct names for things ("tom-toms" is not really a term used for African drummers) ... refers to how he likes his African musicians "wild" and gets dismayed when they instead start wearing "modish trousers" in Paris ... His driver buys a charm to hang from his window but discards it, jealous of his compatriot's "shiny" souvenirs ... He treats people like children and the descriptions of wildlife fail to grip. A very very great disappointment.

This book had me laughing out loud on the beaches of Zanzibar. Matthiessen turned the landscape into a fascinating wealth of experience, and simultaneously managed to describe the most frightening experiences with wit and humour. He is a travel writer of great skill, and certainly inspired me not only to travel through Africa, but also to the thrills of light aircraft flights. Meanwhile, in more mundane settings, such as taking a shower, his encounter with the mongoose left me in hysterics. Sat as we were, in a resort that had run out of Coca Cola, much to the horror of the assembled guests, Matthiessen most light-heartedly led me through more daring scrapes and moments of sublime comedy than I could ever experience at a beach resort. What a fantastic counter-balance to the average holiday travails.

I have tremendously enjoyed reading this book. This book takes a reader on a perilous journey in Senegal, Gambia, and the Ivory Coast as well as Gabon and Zaire. Author's prose, as always, is powerful and lyrical, shows the grim reality of people and wildlife in the area. Despite the previous reviewer's opinion, I am giving this book the best rating possible. The author's intention was to document the reality. This book is not work of fiction. In my opinion the book is excellent.

Is basically a "diary-like" description of the fishing life on the southeast coast of Long Island from old times through today. Would be better and easier to follow if the book had maps and some diagrams (or photos) so that the reader gets a better idea of the techniques and equipment which are discussed at length in the book. Also, there really is no "story"....it is more like a disjointed personal journal, so its not as compelling reading as it might otherwise have been.

An excellent dialogue about our culture's strict and rigid rules for masculinity. This book dispells some common misconceptions about the lack of sensitivity in men and provides feminist ideals that men can achieve. Kimmel and Messner's book gives a look not only into the lives of white heterosexual males, but males of all ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds with differing sexualities. This is a much needed critical review of men and their role in society. I highly reccomend this book to anyone and everyone. Everyone can benefit from a look into the psyche of the american man.

This takes place some 30 years after Lewis and Clark... Excellent documentary of the North American culture just before the BIG change. Its evident Catlin realizes this change and through his travels, he meticulously describes the native civilizations from an eyewitness account. In the final chapter, he makes a bold hypothesis concerning the origins of a particular tribe: the Madans. Fascinating!

George Catlin is certainly a man to admire, as is this book.Catlin lived amongst the Native Americans for many years and writes carefully of his experiences.This is an interesting read and provides another dimension to the subject of American Indians.The book is fascinating in as much as Catlin portrays himself as a wordly man and a friend of the Indians ( And he certainly was)but despite that you can still find evidence of his ignorance within the text.Nevertheless he was a fascinating man who had a fascinating life,his artwork allthough basic in my mind, is well worth a look.My only critiscm of this book is that quite some time is spent describing the scenery whereas I would have prefered even more writing on the Indians themselves,that is my personal viewpoint, others may find that intruiging.The book is full of facts and personal experiences and that in itself adds to the validity of this book as musthave for your collection

This final installment in the "Mr. Watson" trilogy is, alas, in some ways the most disappointing. This isn't to say it isn't enjoyable, but having made it through both "Killing Mr. Watson" and "Lost Man's River," it's difficult, and perhaps unreasonable, to expect us not to judge this book in the light of its predecessors.

This book is a much easier read than the detective-like "Lost Man's River," which followed Lucius Watson's seemingly interminable journey all over Florida as he hunted for evidence of his father's innocence. In "Bone by Bone," told in the first person from the perspective of E.J. Watson himself, the mystery and doubt so perfectly balanced with drama and violence in "Killing Mr. Watson" is removed. Watson tells his own story, shows us how he became the violent man he is, and reveals to the reader his whole person.

The names in this book are confusing...I can't recall reading a book in which so many names are thrown at you. There is a gloss of family relationships at the beginning of the book, which helps somewhat, but I still found myself losing track of people, especially since we were dealing with members of the same family.

In both "Lost Man's River" and "Bone by Bone," Matthiessen editorializes--through his characters--quite a bit about race issues. Given that these stories are situated in the post-Civil War South, it is not inappropriate that there should be some race issues, but the manner in which the characters editorialize (rather than letting the action of the narrative speak for itself) makes that commentary stick out like a broken wing. The problem of race, and the situation of blacks, becomes less an organic part of the story (as it is in Faulkner) than asides the writer makes to remind us of the racial horrors of the Reconstruction South.

Watson's voice is clear throughout, although there are certain inconsistencies. He speaks for the most part in elevated, literary English (using complex metaphor, at times). We are told that as a child he read the Greek classics. Nevertheless, he cannot spell, and sometimes, for no apparent reason, he lapses into backwoods diction.

In "Killing Mr. Watson," Watson came off as a brooding, violent, secretive man. Here, we see the guts of the man, the joker, the father, the husband. This side is effectively blended with the violence and the brooding we saw earlier. It will be hard to appreciate this, though, if you haven't first read "Killing Mr. Watson." (You don't really need to read "Lost Man's River" to get the full effect of this noverl, although you will be more sensitive to the drama involving Lucius and Rob.)

If you are south Florida history buff you won't want to miss this latest Matthiessen offering.

My Mother's family and many of her friends lived in the South Florida frontier in the early part of the century. I've heard many stories of their adventures, and the "characters" they knew, which included the famous Mr. Watson. I've read and enjoyed the three Matthiessen books,(Killing Mr. Watson, Lost Man's River, Bone by Bone) each more than once. the writing, the insights, the research all are impressive and exciting. I wish there were more coming. Bone by Bone is clearly a culmination of a life's work. The author speaks with an authentic voice and soul in this particular novel, and these strange and unfamiliar histories come alive.

Don't be misled by Peter Matthiessen's forward, this one is not for the ecologically friendly faint-of-heart. Totch was a one man ecological disaster, constantly on the move wrecking havoc on the wildlife wherever he went. His life of slaughtering animals for personal profit was a willful life choice, hardly dictated by the times, as he claims in his self-serving attempts to justify his pogrom against nature. His self-indulgence was carried to the extreme by illegally poaching thousands of alligators in the protected Everglades National Park in defiance of the laws of man and nature. The purpose for his illegal acts was personal profit, to skin the animals, only using their hides. Their dead carcasses, several hundred in a period of a few days, were dumped into the water to rot. This was hardly an act of survival. He did this because he wanted to, not because he had to. There are several other books, more accurate, better written, and less self-centered, that better describe the early pioneers of Southwest Florida. Rather than augment Totch's bloody legacy by buying his book, I encourage readers interested in the Everglades to look elsewhere, and leave Totch's book describing his carnage against nature to rot, like one of his skinned alligator carcasses, on the ash pile of despicable acts by the self-indulgent.

Any south Florida history buff will want to add "Totch' to their collection.

Totch is a fascinating book written in a natural writer's style illustrating how it really was down in the islands.The chapters not only offer us the life of Totch Brown but share photos and history unmatched in any other source I have found. Any reader interested in Florida history and/or anyone who was mesmerized by Peter Matthiessen's trilogy (Killing Mister Watson, Lost Man's River, and Bone by Bone) will revel in this book's information. The photographs add so much to the story offering a glimpse at this rather mysterious corner of Southwest Florida (where else, for example, can one see a photo of Ted Smallwood's store as it looked at the turn of the century?). I read it cover to cover without putting it down, and I turn to it often for Florida history/environmental/sociology information. A great find for any lover of Florida history! Totch offers us all a real glimpse into the lives and lore of inordinately tough, brave people who were real pioneers in a little known and enigmatic part of America.