Book Reviews

Highly Recommended

Noah's Garden

by Sara Stein

Houghton Mifflin Company; New York; 1993. ISBN 0-395-65373-8

Wonderful. I think this is one of the best and most important books I have read in a long time. Partial bibliography, index, reference list of plants.
Available in our bookstore.

Beak of the Finch

by Jonathan Weiner

Alfred A. Knopf; New York; 1994

A fascinating study of evolution in action. Bibliography, index.

Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics and Promise of the American Prairie

by Richard Manning

Penguin Books; New York; 1997. ISBN 0-670-85342-9

An ambitious, comprehensive, and compelling investigation of the American Prairie. Bibliography, index.
Available in our bookstore.

Miracle Under the Oaks

by William K. Stevens

Pocket Books, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-671-78042-5

You can make a difference. A story of ecological restoration and discovery in Chicago. Very brief bibliography, state contact list for volunteers. No index.
Available in our bookstore.

Second Nature: A Gardener's Education

by Michael Pollan

Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 1991. ISBN 0-87113-443-8

A perspective on gardening and its philosophical implications for our relationship to nature. Yes that's a mouthful, but it's an on-target and witty book. No bibliography, no index.

Seedfolks

by Paul Fleischman

Harper Collins Children's Books, New York, 1997. ISBN 0-06-027471-9

A 70-page children's novel, recommended for ages 12 and up. I thought it was great, and it has lots of food for discussion about people, and community, and working together, and gardening.

Recommended

A Sand County Almanac

by Aldo Leopold

Oxford University Press; New York; 1949. ISBN 0-19-500777-8

A classic environmental text, still well worth reading. Inspiration of the Leopold Education Project. No bibliography, no index.
Available in our bookstore.

Handmade Wilderness

by Don Schueler

Houghton Mifflin; Boston; 1996. ISBN 0-395-68997-X

It's not a how-to guide, but it is a demonstration of what any of us could do. (No bibliography, no index.)

Noah's Choice

by Charles C. Mann and Mark L. Plummer

Alfred A. Knopf; New York; 1995

An examination of the Endangered Species Act. Not anti-environmental, but it may take you a while to realize that.

Reflections in Natural History

by Stephen Jay Gould

This review covers: Dinosaur in a Haystack, Harmony Books; New York; 1995. ISBN 0-517-70393-9

W. W. Norton & Company; New York; 1977. ISBN 0-393-06425-5.
These 2 books are the first and the most recent of the 7 books in the series. All are excellent introductions to natural selection and natural history. Bibliography, index.

Dakota: A Spiritual Geography

by Kathleen Norris

Ticknor & Fields; New York; 1993. ISBN 0-395-63320-6

Somewhat off-topic, but you might want to try it. A nice spiritual complement to Grassland.

The Prairie Keepers

by Marcy Houle

Addison-Wesley Publishing; Reading, Massachusetts; 1995

A fun and quick read, and still thought-provoking. The story of Houle's summer studying the Zumwalt prairie. No bibliography, no index.

Worth a Look

Is God A Creationist?

Editted by Roland Mushat Frye

Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1983. ISBN 0-684-17993-8

An excellent book, located here because I'm not sure it has wide appeal. A mainstream religious perspective on the creationism-evolution discussion. Endnotes on each essay, no index.

Survival of the Bark Canoe

by John McPhee

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, 1975

A nice, short book about canoes, canoeing, and craftsmanship. No bibliography, no index.

Darwin's Dangerous Idea

by Daniel C. Dennett

Simon & Schuster, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-684-80290-2

Well written, but long (520 pp.) I recommend chapters 9 and 10, though, for some balance to the works of Stephen Jay Gould. Bibliography, index.

Living Fossil: Story of the Coelacanth

by Keith S. Thomson

W.W. Norton & Company; New York; 1991. ISBN 0-393-02956-5

A Message From the Author

I've been writing these reviews for a little over a year, but right now am bowing to my spouse's career goals and moving to Maine, which as you can imagine means a good bit of upheaval in my life. I hope to continue with this page after I get settled and re-connected; meantime, if you send me any email and don't hear back, you know why. I hope you enjoy the reviews I've already written; and I have heard that Sara Stein has a new book, Planting Noah's Garden, so you might want to check that out - her last book is still one of my favorites. Thanks to everyone who's written me email - I wouldn't have continued this effort without your encouragement!

All opinions expressed herein are mine. These reviews do not necessarily represent the views of any organization, employer, or agency with which I may be associated. All original writings copyright by Greg Tillman. Please do not re-distribute or re-post without my permission.

Greg Tillman,
May 15, 1997

updated: December 19, 2007
www: www.prairienet.org/gpf
email: gpf@prairienet.org