Best Selling Books by John Muir

John Muir, America''s pioneer conservationist and father of the national park system, was a man of considerable literary talent. As he explored the wilderness of the western part of the United States for decades, he carried notebooks with him, narrating his wanderings, describing what he saw, and recording his scientific researches. This reprint of his journals, edited by Linnie Marsh Wolfe in 1938 and long out of print, offers an intimate picture of Muir and his activities during a long and productive period of his life. The sixty extant journals and numerous notes in this volume were written from 1867 to 1911. They start seven years after the time covered in The Story of My Boyhood and Youth, Muir''s uncompleted autobiography. The earlier journals capture the essence of the Sierra Nevada and Alaska landscapes. The changing appearance of the Sierras from Sequoia north and beyond the Yosemites enthralled Muir, and the first four years of the journals reveal his dominating concern with glacial action. The later notebooks reflect his changes over the years, showing a mellowing of spirit and a deep concern for human rights. Like all his writings, the journals concentrate on his observations in the wilderness. His devotion to his family, his many warm friendships, and his many-sided public life are hardly mentioned. Very little is said about the quarter-century battle for national parks and forest reserves. The notebooks record, in language fuller and freer than his more formal writings, the depth of his love and transcendental feeling for the wilderness. The rich heritage of his native Scotland and the unconscious music of the poetry of Burns, Milton, and the King James Bible permeate the language of his poetic fancy. In his later life, Muir attempted to sort out these journals and, at the request of friends, published a few extracts. A year after his death in 1914, his literary executor and biographer, William Frederick Badè, also published episodes from the journals. Linnie Marsh Wolfe set out to salvage the best of his writings still left unpublished in 1938 and has thus added to our understanding of the life and thought of a complex and fascinating American figure.

"This Dover edition, first published in 2018, is an unabridged republication of the work originally published in 1913 by the Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston and New York."

John Muir ( April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914) also known as "John of the Mountains", was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization. The 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, a hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada, was named in his honor.Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College,

For readers who are drawn to the beauty of the natural world and the importance of conservation, ''The Yosemite'' is a must-read. Muir''s eloquent prose and profound insights offer a profound exploration of the Yosemite Valley that will inspire readers to appreciate the wonders of nature and to take action to protect the environment. This book serves as a timeless reminder of the need to safeguard our natural heritage and to nurture a deep connection to the world around us.

Famed naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) came to Wisconsin as a boy and studied at the University of Wisconsin. He first came to California in 1868 and devoted six years to the study of the Yosemite Valley. After work in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, he returned to California in 1880 and made the state his home. One of the heroes of America''s conservation movement, Muir deserves much of the credit for making the Yosemite Valley a protected national park and for alerting Americans to the need to protect this and other natural wonders. My first summer in the Sierra (1911) is based on Muir''s original journals and sketches of his 1869 stay in the Sierras. Hired to supervise a San Joaquin sheep owner''s flock at the headwaters of the Merced and Tulomne Rivers, Muir sets out for the mountains in June, returning to the Valley in September. He describes the flora and fauna of the mountains as well as his visits to Yosemite and his climbs of Mt. Hoffman and other peaks in the range.

"The Life and Letters of John Muir (originally published in 1923), the biography of the world''s most celebrated and influential conservationist, forms the principal book in this omnibus of Muir''s writings. The Life and Letters, compiled posthumously by Muir''s literary executor, William Frederic Bade, was originally published in 1924 in two volumes. It combines elements of John Muir''s unfinished autobiography with letters selected from the voluminous correspondence between Muir and his many collaborators and admirers, all linked by Bade''s restrained but perceptive commentary. The result is a vivid portrayal of John Muir the explorer, naturalist, correspondent, polemicist, writer, lobbyist, geographer, and family man. It shows clearly how his crusading passion for the outdoors projected him to the forefront of the American conservation movement and formed a critical element that led to the establishment of the first National Parks."--Pub. desc.

Travels in Alaska is part of a series that celebrates the tradition of literary naturalists—writers who embrace the natural world. In this collection, originally published in 1915, John Muir captures the beauty and intensity of Alaskan wilderness and its people from his travels between 1879 and 1890. John Muir''s strength lies in delicately mapping the intimate connection between the person and natural world, and awakening his readers to that reality. With an increasing global focus on the environment, and humans'' role in protecting it, there''s never been a finer time to reacquaint oneself with John Muir''s writings.

In "A 1000 Mile Walk to the Gulf," John Muir offers an exhilarating narrative that chronicles his transformative journey from the Midwest to the coastal shores of California. Written in a lyrical style that merges vivid natural imagery with reflective personal insights, the book captures Muir''s deep reverence for the natural world. Emerging in the late 19th century, during an era marked by burgeoning industrialization, Muir''s account serves as both a travelogue and a profound meditation on nature''s beauty and spiritual significance, foreshadowing his future role as a conservationist and advocate for the wilderness. John Muir, often referred to as the "Father of the National Parks," was born in Scotland in 1838 and later emigrated to the United States. His experiences as a naturalist and his unwavering commitment to environmental principles shaped his worldview, leading him to document the splendor of the American landscape. This journey was not merely physical but a transformative pilgrimage that helped establish his pioneering advocacy for preserving natural spaces, inherently linking his explorations with his environmental activism. For readers who appreciate eloquent prose combined with a passionate commitment to nature, Muir''s "A 1000 Mile Walk to the Gulf" is an essential read. It invites us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world and inspires a compelling argument for its preservation, making it a timeless exploration of the beauty that defines the American landscape. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A succinct Introduction situates the work''s timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era''s events and influences that shaped the writing. - An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author''s life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work''s messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

This carefully crafted ebook: "JOHN MUIR''S CALIFORNIA COLLECTION: My First Summer in the Sierra, Picturesque California, The Mountains of California, The Yosemite & Our National Parks (Illustrated)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. When the well-known naturalist and environmentalist, John Muir finally settled in San Francisco, he immediately left for a week-long visit to Yosemite, a place he had only read about. Seeing it for the first time, Muir noted that "He was overwhelmed by the landscape, scrambling down steep cliff faces to get a closer look at the waterfalls, whooping and howling at the vistas, jumping tirelessly from flower to flower." He climbed a number of mountains, including Cathedral Peak and Mount Dana, and hiked the old Indian trail down Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake. He lived in the cabin for two years and wrote about this period in his book First Summer in the Sierra. Muir wrote few more books about his days in California and also a few about California''s nature and wild life including The Mountains of California, Our National Parks, The Yosemite and Picturesque California. Table of Contents: My First Summer in the Sierra Picturesque California The Mountains of California Our National Parks The Yosemite John Muir (1838-1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization.