Jordan Fisher Smith

On the whole, I like the book. The author started with one incident - a man died in a bear attack. From there, Jordan Fisher Smith traced the tale of Yellowstone, and man's efforts to guard nature - or be a gardener of nature. The conflicting demands of nature and humans is laid bare in this story. He brings in some of the lead people, and the conflicts, with felicity. You can get lost in the details, especially if you are not an American. I was lost.
The Walker family got screwed in the legal process, which is sad. But this is how legal cases often turn out when common people go against larger interests.… (mehr)

Well, I gotta say. If there is a better book about Northern California's Gold Country (I lived on Buck's Bar, SE of Diamond Springs for a long summer), I haven't seen it. All the sleazy, self-serving, mineral-poaching, atavistic aspects of the "Hangtown" crowd are well represented here. This is what living in that country was like when I lived there among several alcoholic sociopaths who, it seemed, needed to be threatened with summary eviction by county authorities every so often if one wanted them to behave in a relatively "civilized" manner. Gold holds no respect for persons, apparently, and I couldn't get back to San Francisco fast enough when push came to shove. This is very nicely written and entertaining if one likes 'dark' stories. 'Nuff said.… (mehr)

This is not only an amazing story of wildlife management on public lands but of how the landmark case that finally allowed plaintiffs to sue the federal government came to be. This book was well written and offers and great deal of information on how we use our public lands and how this impacts the ecological chain. Smith is an excellent writer whose grasp of how the USFS and other federal agencies function as well as the legal issues that arise when humans come in contact with wild animals is marvelous. Overall recommended for anyone interested in the history of the Forestry Service… (mehr)