Most Popular Books by John Muir

This memoir of the early years of John Muir details his boyhood in Scotland, his awakening love for nature, emigration to America, the hardships endured on a 19th-century farm, and his final break to begin a life of wilderness adventure.

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.

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.

In "My First Summer in the Sierra (Illustrated Edition)," John Muir provides a captivating chronicle of his experiences in the Sierra Nevada during the summer of 1869. Through vivid descriptions and a poetic prose style, Muir intricately weaves the natural beauty of the landscape with reflections on his love for nature. His observations are imbued with a sense of reverence and awe, showcasing not only the ecological diversity of the region but also the profound connection between mankind and the natural world. This work stands as a significant contribution to the genre of nature writing, illustrating the early conservationist ideals that eventually led to the establishment of national parks in America. John Muir, often referred to as the ''Father of the National Parks,'' was a pivotal figure in American environmentalism. His travels and naturalist explorations were deeply influenced by his childhood in Scotland and his later experiences in California. Muir''s passionate advocacy for the wilderness was sparked by his encounters with the majestic landscapes of the Sierra Nevada, inspiring a lifelong commitment to preserving these pristine areas for future generations. This illustrated edition serves as not only a literary gem but also a visual feast, making it a perfect choice for both nature enthusiasts and lovers of classic literature. Readers are invited to immerse themselves in Muir''s poetic contemplation of the wild, gaining insight into the delicate balance of nature and the necessity of conservation, thereby awakening a sense of urgency and responsibility in the face of modern environmental challenges.

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,

When John Muir traveled to California in 1868, he found the pristine mountain ranges that would inspire his life’s work. The Mountains of California is the culmination of the ten years Muir spent in the Sierra Nevadas, studying every crag, crook, and valley with great care and contemplation. Bill McKibben writes in his Introduction that Muir "invents, by sheer force of his love, an entirely new vocabulary and grammar of the wild . . . a language of ecstasy and exuberance." The Mountains of California is as vibrant and vital today as when it was written over a century ago. This Modern Library Paperback Classic includes the photographs and line drawings from the original 1898 edition.

Record of author''s 1st and 2nd journeys to Alaska in 1879 and 1880, and part of 3rd trip in 1890. Contains notes on various Tlingit tribes.

John Muir was born in Scotland on April 21st, 1838. His Father wanted his children to have a stricter Religious upbringing and therefore moved the family to the United States. John Muir is perhaps known today as the most pre-eminent naturalist and advocate for the preservation of much of the western United States. Today being an environmentalist is laudable but in Muir''s days the country was there to be exploited but by hard work and lobbying Muir did much to turn such beautiful areas as Yosemite into protected National Parks. His writing is not only an invaluable guidebook to these unspoilt places but also a hymn to their spirituality. As a keen scientific mind he helped to push the understanding of nature forward by observing and writing upon the glaciers and their actions in eroding and shaping much of the land. Muir helped to also create The Sierra Club, which he led for many years, on projects to preserve these and other areas of outstanding natural beauty. He was equally adept at persuading politicians, from Presidents to local State officials, and the common man to come together in the defence of Nature.

Considered one of the patron saints of twentieth-century environmental activity, John Muir''s appeal to modern readers is that he not only explored the American West but also fought for its preservation. Steep Trails collects together his essays and letters written as he traveled through the West, capturing the personal, heartfelt connection he had with the lands he roamed. His work takes the reader through the mountains and valleys of California, over the Cascades and the Wasatch Ranges, through Puget Sound and the forests of Washington and Oregon, and to the breathtaking Grand Canyon of Arizona. Muir''s writing intimately connects the reader to the heart of nature; as the world increasingly tries to reconnect with the earth, Steep Trails offers the funny, charming, educational, and exalted wanderings of John Muir over nearly three decades of his life.

Selections from each of John Muir''s published books.

Sierra Club Pathstone Editions introduce inspirational works by visionary authors who offer explorations into the vast and varied splendors of the natural world in both its physical and spiritual dimensions. These exquisite writings lead us into an extended appreciation of our ways of being in this world and for what John Muir called the "newness of life."