Collaboratively edited by Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson, The Sweet Breathing Of Plants is a gentle and remarkable collections of singularly unique essays about the relationship between women and plants, interdependent upon one another for life since prehistory. From "The Language of Flowers" to "The Flooded Forest," each individual treatise significantly contributes an unusual and memorable insight to the wondrous whole in this spiritually moving and deeply meaningful metaphysical anthology.

THE SWEET BREATHING OF PLANTS should be required reading for high school and early college classes covering the natural world. I'm a big fan of essays, books, etc. written by naturalists, and SBP is one of the best collections of essays I've come across. The editors, Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson have included the works of leading scientists such as Rachel Carson and Jane Goodall, but they've gone beyond the tried and true and compiled a collection of essays by many other scientists, naturalists, veternarians, and very wise women including Susan Orlean who recently produced THE ORCHID THEIF.

The golden rule of nature seems to be cooperation, not competion. SCIENCE magazine once published an article entitled "Nature Red in Tooth and Claw" and while a good deal of consumption takes place in the natural world, symbiosis is far more important. Nature is bigger than the "survival of the fittest." Many plants and animals have symbiotic relationships. I think my favorite example is the dandelion which pulls calcium to the surface which allows other plants to thrive. In the plant world, having a dandelion for a neighbor can be a good thing good.

Native Americans in the Amazon riverine forests have not lost touch with nature. They understand that partially submerged trees feed the fish, and that they must build their gardens in the forest and away from the river banks which are exposed in the dry season. Contrast this attitude with that of the inhabitants of the Sierra who are felling trees in old growth forests as fast as they can. The regrowth is never the same. As one writer who used to work for the U.S. Forest service explains, the name of the game is to replace the living forest with a single tree. Monoculture seems to be more economically sound.

But is it economically sound to destroy the environment including the old growth forests? A growing body of evidence suggests this is not the case and much of it is contained in this book. A good deal of money (if that is all that matters) can be made from keeping the forests entact. Medicinal plants yet to be discovered live in the forest. Recreation including sight-seeing, fishing, and other "noninvasive" outdoor sports are an important source of income.

One of my favorite essays was written by Donna Kelleher, a veternarian who practices holistic medicine. In her essay entitled, "Living Medicine for Animals" Kelleher writes of her experiences with animals, including Chirpy, a pet bird who suffered from a claw infection of Staphylococcus bacteria. Kelleher treated Chirpy with a mixture she concocted consisting of Calendula and other herbs after conventional forms of treatment failed to help Chirpy. The little bird was healed and lived two more years untile he died of old age.

This book of essays should not be overlooked. If you think you've read it all you probably haven't. Although much of the information in this book can be found elsewhere (most of the authors have written extensively on their topics), this is a nice anthology of essays and a good place to start discovering all the natural world.

To be honest, I never really considered myself a "plantswoman," just a dabbler when it came to gardening. But then I read this amazing collection of stories (with a few poems) and realized how much plants infuence my life--from sourdough "mold" to the herbal supplements I use as medicine, to the woods outside the backdoor of my childhood home.

This is a very inspirational, accessible, and occasionally playful book. Above all else, it is excellently written. Thank you author Trish Maharam for that beautiful essay "Plantswoman." It taught me that woman do have their place in the green world no matter how unsophisticated they are in their plant knowledge, "it's the relationship that matters."

I highly recommend this book to women everywhere.

This was the greatest book I've ever read. The last three pages really showed that Janette Oke is a good writer. The kids are always coming to the creek and swimming, and Pogo has to sit and watch them the whole time they're there, wishing he could be like them. I felt sorry for the turtle because he was always trying to do things that the boys were doing, and he could never do it because he wasn't created to do that kind of stuff. At the end, he realizes that his shell comes in really handy. --Andy

I read this book back in April 1996 and could not put it down! Brenda Peterson really captured my feelings of joy and frustration being a woman living in a "dominant" society. Born and raised in Seattle, I identified with her stories of living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where Mother Nature seems to fill every nook and cranny. SHE is everywhere! Brenda's essay titled "Power in the Blood" was so eye-opening in that it shows the way fundamentalists have blindly followed a religion that has made women the cause of all the world's problems, not seeing that the true causes of starvation, warfare and cruely stem from the ancient belief that men must be in control and dominate women and nature by so-called "divine right". As far as I'm concerned, that kind of thinking has just got to go! Thank you, Brenda, for a truly "truthfull" and insightful book. Blessed Be! Love and Light to you and all who read this book.

This splendid book is aptly named, for the powerful glimpses in these chapters, full of emotion and drama, carry the resonance and significance of a sighting of the heart-shaped breath plume and knuckled back of one of the largest, gentlest, and most enigmatic creatures on the planet.
Sightings is beautiful reading. Each of the short chapters is rich as a poem, and indeed, many read like song or poetry, each woman's distinctive voice blending and harmonizing with her co-author's.
This book is not the standard National Geographic fare--though the authors are skilled reporters and intrepid travellers, following the whales in kayaks, small planes, boats and ferries. Theirs are the sightings of writers who don't merely observe, but who feel their subjects and feel them deeply, who use their intuitions and emotions as well as their intellects to come to their powerful conclusion: that, in this era of mass extinction, to kill such a creature as the gray whale is "an act against creation."
How lucky are we that these talented, spirited women have written this compelling and important testament to that truth.

Although I did enjoy this book, little niggling errors cropped up here and there to irk. Poor editing (numerous misspellings) and bad information here and there result in a 4 star rating rather than a 5. For example, the author 'tried out' Siberian Huskies at one point and even produced a mixed breed litter (gasp), but some of her assumptions were patently untrue. For example, the author claims that "Siberian huskies (sic) were the last canine breed to be domesticated". In fact, the Siberian Husky originated over 2000 years ago with the Siberian Chukchi tribe (see Demidoff/Jennings "The Complete Siberian Husky"). The author dabbles in various wild critter commitments:Tursiops in Florida, belugas in Tacoma and eastern Canada, wolves across the US, humpback whales and spinner dolphins in Hawaii but I kept wondering how much more she could have understood if she had taken the path of biology rather than journalism. She claims to have taken up the mantle of wild critter advocacy but to be honest, I think she falls into the category of 'talk is cheap'-type advocacy. But then, we have real biologists like Ken Balcomb to fight against Navy sonar experiments etc. All in all, an interesting read....but remember the salt shaker (take with a grain of salt).

When you read Brenda Peterson's memoir or any of her books, be prepared to abandon your human assumptions and pre-conceived notions of how animals and the natural world "really are." If you are willing, Peterson will lead you down long forgotten paths that still connect the human and the natural worlds. Through her own stories, you will re-member and discover your own life stories with animals, both wild and domesticated, and the essential joy of a shared world.

This memoir is a pleasure to read, written by an informed nature writer who also knows how to write engaging, lyrical prose that often reads like poetry or a novel. Peterson also is a witty observer of life's ironies and odd, often contradictory human behavior. Rare is the nature writer who can skillfully weave together the talent of a seasoned storyteller, the reportage of an informed environmentalist, the visionary perspective of a literary writer, and the honesty to admit passionate feelings for animals. Brenda Peterson does all of this consistently.

In her memoir, Peterson admits, "My first people and family were animals," and then tells us numerous stories from the first 50 years of her life living "in between the worlds of animals and humans." There were times while reading this book when I would have to pause, put the book down, and simply savor the story at hand. I could easily spend days reflecting on a story, digesting its impact, feeling full and satisfied. Warning: This is rich, gourmet reading!

Peterson also tells of the many disillusionments and the grief she has had over how humans treat animals. In particular, she writes about Smokey the Bear, Peterson's childhood animal hero and an American icon dubbed the Protector of the Forest, who, in reality was a depressed and isolated bear living in Washington National Zoo. When Peterson was 13, she and her father, a Forest Service executive who would one day head up the National Forest Service, visited Smokey the Bear at the zoo. "Any child could see that it was this bear who himself needed protection," observed Peterson. "...we stood watching Smokey huddled in a corner, eyes lowered, turning away Goldie Bear [a potential mate]...."

Every chapter reveals a life with animals, whether they are animal companions or whales, wolves and bears. Peterson writes with emotional honesty that is refreshing. It is Peterson's willingness to talk about her own feelings in relationship to the natural world that makes her so appealing as a nature writer. She is not afraid to admit such things as emotions...a courageous act in a modern world filled with scientists and "objective writers" who purport to be beyond such sentimental or "anthropomorphic" notions. In truth, ancient peoples worldwide have always known that animals have spirits and feelings and an integral purpose on Earth beyond serving human needs. There was a time when humans respected and blessed and thanked the animals for their partnership---even when they became our food and clothing. Sadly, most humans have bought the civilized lies about the "wild and nature and animals," and dismiss any serious discussion of spiritual connections and animal families and animal cultures. "Unscientific," declare the naysayers and skeptics.

However, Brenda Peterson is a contemporary nature writer who remembers many of those ancient ties and truths about animals and the natural world, and unabashedly writes about them. I do believe that Peterson is on the cutting edge of the paradigm shift in which humans will once again acknowledge and accept that we are in partnership with animals and the natural world---NOT in dominion over.

This memoir helped me remember and gives me hope. I am grateful to Brenda Peterson for writing it!

I didn't think it possible I could love a Brenda Peterson book more than Living By Water, but Build Me an Ark has become my new favorite. This book, even more than any of her others, positively SINGS with her lovely spirit and knowledge about the animals around us. She has woven animals and people together with honesty and tenderness, and her father! I LOVE the stories involving her father! It is soothing to have my concerns about the health and welfare of this earth and all her creatures addressed with compassion, hope, and a quiet power. Write ON, Brenda Peterson.

I finished this book this month after reading Animal Grace by Randour and McElroy. Both of these books are immensely interesting and well written and I give "Singing..." a "4" only because I gave this rating to "Animal Grace...." as well and ONLY because I still trying to learn about this interface between science and fancy, fact and conjecture when it comes to nature, spirit, man and animal sprituality etc. Peterson's book is somewhat different from Randour's although they've been advertised together. Peterson's book is more of an essay, sensitive and poignant, regarding her own view on man and nature's interconnections; Randour's book makes more actual claims about spirituality in animals. I've mentioned the interest in this kind of work (see Randour's book) which follows on last year "Parrot's Lament" (about animal feelings) and the book "Nabokov's Blues" which dealt with artist Vladimir Nabokov's scientific work and whether or not Nabokov was a pure scientist or a mystic when it came to nature, creation, evolution etc. These are all wonderful books. Its particularly interesting that more and more scientists and other specialists who in the past might not believe in spirituality in nature, feelings in animals, etc. are becoming more outspoken AND that the public, including myself, is giving them a serious reading. This may actually have some value for environmental protection. Its timely in science reading also because the literary world has been full of authors who have had more or less mystical views of nature (Nabokov, Pope, and many others) (with Nabokov, even ghosts entering into the picture!) and sooner or later we readers start asking ourselves about what is "really real". I'd recommend all these books for those who are exploring these frontiers in their reading. Brenda Peterson wrote a wonderful book, "Duck and Cover" earlier, and in "Singing to the Sound" I think the success of the earlier book and allowed her to "let go" a bit more and trust her audience with a bit more of her exceptional vision on how man and nature are intertwined. I'm starting to see some "unity" in the whole thing now (man and nature) as these books continue to appear explaining more about art/science, man/nature and how their inner natures may be intrinsicly intertwined. Five years ago I might not have read these books; I would have been less believing of the subject matter; but I certainly recommend them now.

Nearly twenty years ago, I was a student in Brenda Peterson's creative
writing class at Arizona State University. Just as she was an
inspiring teacher, SINGING TO THE SOUND is an inspiring collection of
fifteen essays about living one's life with meaning and clarity. It
is organized into three sections, "The Way of Water,"
"Common Ground," and "Between Species."

No
longer a resident of the Arizona desert, Peterson now lives on the
Puget Sound, the primary subject of her book. Her essays are
insightful and somewhat reminiscent of Annie Dillard's writing. About
the rain, she writes, "to survive here without the daily
illumination of sunlight, we must have an inner life bright with
hidden worlds" (p. 18). Living in the company of water, she
writes: "Yet still, I find myself praising the solace and privacy
of the fine, silver drizzle, the comforting cloaks of salt, mold, moss
and fog, the secretive shelter of cedar and clouds" (pp. 26-7).
For Peterson, feeding seagulls is "one of those everyday
prayers" (p. 34). In another essay, we find her unplugging from
information sensory overload to find "spacious quiet"
(p. 164). "Electricity and modems are not the deepest
connections," she writes. "Real bonds are about body and
Earth, fur and skin, and heartbeat and breathing" (p. 166).
Peterson concludes her book with my favorite essay, in which we find
her "down at the beach" with a great blue heron, praying for
the world on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing (p. 188).

This is
a fine book, filled with contemplative moments, each revealing that
every living thing is sacred.

G. Merritt

I loved this book, and really appreciate the life-long work that Brenda Peterson has done to write about the ways in which humans and other animals are connected. Her chapters on the Makah whale hunt are beautifully written and very informative. Few of us--even those of us who live in the Northwest and follow the news carefully--would otherwise have access to the many-layered story that she gives us. Writers like Brenda who care passionately about both human and nonhuman animals are crucial to any hope of making progress in the vital area of animal rights.

I have always resonated with the way Brenda Peterson writes about her connection between our natural world and people. I found poignant parallels between the experiences described in "Bond" and Peterson's previous "Living by Water". God, how I wish I could talk to her. This latest book by Peterson (et al.) has struck a chord in me , and I feel this book is an important read for all women. Highly recommended.

A beautiful, moving anthology of stories about the bond between humans (in this book, specifically female) and animals. I especially loved the story of Isabel the cat and what her human companion learned from her about play and healing. I recently found an interview on this site with the author of the story, Brenda Peterson (who is also a co-editor of Intimate Nature). To find the interview, go to Browse Subjects, then Non-fiction, then Non-fiction by Subject, then Women's Studies. Look down the page until you find "What Animals Can Teach Us." Then "read more..." about Intimate Nature!

As a scientist studying wolves, as the owner of several pets, as someone who loves nature and wildlife, and as a woman...this book spoke to me. It offers a vivid reminder of the very unique, emotional and primal bond that women share with animals. Narratives, interspersed with poetry, are organized loosley into several sections, focusing on diverse aspects of this bond. In one section, women who had made this communality part of their careers- studying animals in the field- share their insights as to how their work and their lives have been affected by what they study. Other sections explore the more common bond between womenand their pets, or the wildlife they find around them, and how this supplements and supports the lives they have created for themselves. The book has all the hallmarks of an epic work of fiction- humor, love, tragedy, revelation, loss- and yet never for a moment do you forget that these are real women speaking. Intimate Nature is not only about the unique bond between women and animals, but the bond we share as women as well.

Over 200 beautiful color photographs.. stunning. Cloth Emerald green cover is beautiful, too.

A look at the pacific NW from unusual angles.

Purchasing a first class photographer's books, when well printed, is a unique opportunity to own fine art at bargain prices and makes an outstanding gift. Morton Beebe's Cascadia is an opportunity to acquire world class photography and an outstanding visual essay on one of the most dynamic areas in North America at an incredibly reasonable price. The first class Japanese printing contracted by Harry Abrams illustrates some of Mr. Beebe's fine pieces with an exceptionally high quality. Among the photographs which are highlights of the book include a stunning skyline of view of Seattle at sunset, an exceptional graphic image of the Washington Mutual Tower, unique photographs of Orca whales, an beautiful view of Echo Bay in British Columbia, portraits of the logs floating outside of a Washington mill in winter waiting to be cut up with seagulls overhead and on the logs and numerous other exceptional photographs. If you have a friend or member of your family who's interested in the Pacific Northwest, Cascadia is an excellent candidate gift.

"I've found solace in living by water" (p. 132), Brenda Peterson writes in this collection of thirteen essays. Before Peterson left "the desert mesas of Arizona" (p. 2) to become an apprentice to the "watery wisdom" of Seattle's Puget Sound (p. 132), I was a student in her creative writing class at Arizona State University. I arrived at this 1990 gem after first reading Peterson's more recent books, SINGING TO THE SOUND and BUILD ME AN ARK. While LIVING BY WATER is unfortunately no longer in print, I was able to find a copy at my local library.

The basic themes of Peterson's book are that, as Chief Seattle understood, "whatever we do to the web of life, we do to ourselves" (p. 32), and that wind and water have the capacity to transform us (p. 40). Peterson's dedicates her book to the Puget Sound, "who mothers" her. "If I am to learn to live by water," she observes, "what better teacher than a cetacean" (p. 26)? Peterson believes that we human beings "are out of balance and out of control" (p. 32). She writes, "I know that claiming cetaceans as my kin is not just science, it's shrewd. Learning to be human and to know what I might become, I need all the help I can get" (p. 27). Walking along the "wild, seaweed-strewn beach," Peterson remembers her "blood is very similar in composition to seawater. I am, after all, evolved from an ancestral amoeba only recently emerged from primal slime. According to geologic time, I am a relative newcomer. Who knows how long my kind will last" (p. 61)?

Peterson writes with wisdom reminiscent of Thoreau's WALDEN and Annie Dillard's PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK. "Now that I find myself midlife walking in the dark woods," she says, "I know I am not alone. The animals are my allies; the trees are gods and goddesses who in deep stillness keep the Earth's counsel. All that is alive calls out to me to come play, to take part in the dance" (p. 95). As more readers discover Brenda Peterson through her SINGING TO THE SOUND and BUILD ME AN ARK, this book deserves to be published in a second edition.

G. Merritt

Perhaps I've read too many stories of epic journeys or "firsts," but Jennifer's trip, while commendable, seemed like "cheating." Taken in chunks over a period of years, with some sections paddled north to south and others south to north, when the going gets rough, the author hitches a ride on a boat - not once, but twice! Too cold or rainy? She pulls out her VISA and sleeps in a B&B! Granted, she does endure much of the discomfort (read: lack of creature comforts) associated with outdoor adventures, but it loses some of its "gee whiz" appeal when there's always a cozy boat or lighthouse not too far away. The descriptions ad nauseum of seaweed, urchins, and lichens turned edible delicacies had me turning the pages looking for real adventure. Her encounters with bears were nothing more than hyped-up fear of what might happen -- same with those nasty drunk men who never even came near. Granted, as a woman kayaker, I give Jennifer great credit for her trip and knowledge, but the claims are a bit grandiose when compared with actuality. Good descriptions of the natural beauty as well as kayaking with whales and otters, but I'll wait for the next book when she does it all in one trip without hitching or sleep-overs under down comforters.

Author gives very nice accounts of historical, cultural and natural features of the inside passage. Also, her notes on edible seaweeds and other ocean life are excellent. Overall I found the book decent but nothing to be enthusiastic about. Her descriptive passages are often marred by jarring analogies, such as when she likens wind gusting on a tent to "pranksters lobbing melons" or when she describes the effect of current on her kayak as "like a dog hair being sucked by a Hoover vacuum". Also, on a number of occasions she oddly dismisses men as bigots for strange reasons such as not offering her a ride on their boat, asking if she needs help, or just appearing grumpy in the pouring rain. The author frequently describes speaking with wildlife and receiving messages in return and it comes across as very corny. Finally, the author kayaked the passage in bits and pieces over a two year period and although I can understand her reasons for this it took something away from the drama of other books in which persons give accounts of traveling the passage as one mammoth trip. I found that these things detracted from the reading experience.

I recommend Rick's book called Homelands, about a couple who kayak the passage. It's much better written. Also, Ivan Doig has a great fictional account of a group of 19th century swedes traveling the passage in a cedar canoe entitled "The Searunners". J Raban's book on sailing the passage is worth a look, too.

Adventurer, naturalist and narrator, Hahn takes the reader along through the spectacular scenery of a fabled coastline. Often pristine and wild, sometimes developed or abused, always interesting, sometimes scary. This is not another machismo assault of man-against-the-elements, this is Jennifer-and-the-sea. And she knows the sea well. This book is a good read. Inspirational and informative; enjoyable for knowledge gained (filling the plate at the "intertidal table") and emotions evoked ("At 2 A.M. I woke to hear food bags being shredded outside my tent..."). Spirited Waters is a spirited narrative of a modern grand adventure.