Peter Anderson (3)

The book, which is for a younger audience, tells about John Muir's boyhood in Scotland and then shows how Muir and his brother David, and dad Daniel, immigrated to Wisconsin. Because of a family friend, Muir was able to go to the University of Wisconsin where he majored in ecology. Muir's turning point was when he lost his eyesight for several months. Recieving his eyesight back, he decided he'd become a Mountain Man. He first went to Cuba, but not finding this area thoroughly to his liking, traveled to San Francisco around the Horn by ship and then embarked into the Sierra mountains on foot. He lived as close to and learned as much about the land as he possibly could. He campaigned for the preservation of the Sierras, and it became a national park. In 1906, Muir began the Sierra Club, an environmental group that still exists to this day. When Mayor Phelan of San Francisco proposed the Hetch-Hetchy Dam in Yosemite Park, Muir fought it every step of the way. But, alas, Hetch-Hetchy came into being. It also comments on Muirs disagreements with Josiah Whitney, the head geologist for the state of California, who said there were no glaciers on or around Yosemite. Muir searched the hills, canyons and gullies until he found a glacier, and became world reknown for it. This is a good, quick read about Muir. Quite interesting.… (mehr)