Showing results by author "John Muir" in All Categories

In the heart of a Wisconsin pioneer farm in the 1850s, young John Muir recounts a childhood marked by struggle and resilience. With a kitchen stove that barely warmed the home, Muir paints a vivid picture of life for his family of ten, all huddled together in the biting cold. Uprooted from a comfortable life in Dunbar, Scotland, Muirs father, a strict religious fundamentalist, imposed a harsh doctrine of self-denial that clashed with Johns secret love for poetry and literature. Lacking formal education, John turned to nature for wisdom, observing the changing seasons, the farm animals, and the...

This book includes a timeline of John Muir's life, providing historical context for his spiritual views and writings.

The classic dog story Stickeen is John Muir's account of what happened on an Alaskan glacier with a little dog named Stickeen. One day, Muir went exploring a large glacier during a blizzard, with Stickeen in tow. They became stranded, and the only way out was across a precarious ice bridge. Both man and dog escaped, and this triumph changed Stickeen from a rather aloof canine into a devoted companion. Muir called his adventure with Stickeen "the most memorable of all my wild days”, and wrote that the little dog enlarged his life by extended its boundaries.

In this engaging audio edition, find out why Wilderness Essays is the top-selling book by John Muir. Wilderness Essays is an essential collection of the finest essays ever written by the “Father of the National Parks.” An ardent outdoorsman, a gifted writer, a dedicated preservationist, and a spiritual beacon, John Muir conveys here the boundless love and wonder of the natural world that drove his critically important work.

In "Our National Parks," Muir takes listeners on a captivating journey through some of America's most stunning wilderness areas, including Yosemite, Sequoia, and the Grand Canyon. His writings not only celebrate the beauty of these landscapes but also advocate passionately for their preservation.

Embark on a journey through the breathtaking landscapes of Americas western national parks with this captivating collection of sketches. First published in the Atlantic Monthly magazine and compiled into book form in 1901, this work highlights four iconic parks. Dive into the wonders of Yosemite National Park, where six of the ten articles are dedicated to its majestic beauty, alongside vivid descriptions of Yellowstone, Sequoia, and the once-known General Grant National Park, now Kings Canyon. - Summary by TriciaG

Most people associate storms and other big weather with death - with the kind of force that makes each of us wonder about life, time, and the nature of our surroundings. Some people go out looking for bad weather or go to places where they're likely to encounter it. Others have the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, the stories in Storm have more to say than that.

Step into the extraordinary world of John Muir, the renowned naturalist and author celebrated as the Father of the US National Parks. In this poignant short piece, written later in his life for Century Magazine, Muir invites us to wander alongside him, unhurried, through the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon. Here, amidst its splendor, lies the essence of what every life craves. Muirs words envelop us, transporting us to a time long past while urging us to explore the vibrant life that surrounds us today. Together, we enrich our own existence by immersing ourselves in the wonders of ...

"My First Summer in the Sierra" (1911) takes inspiration from Muir’s journals of the months he spent between June and September 1869 as a shepherd in the Sierras. Muir went on to built a cabin along Yosemite Creek, where he lived for two years. He designed it in such a way that a portion of the stream flowed through it, as he wanted to enjoy its music. From French Bar to Mono Lake and the Yosemite Valley, he was awestruck by everything he saw.

The naturalist, author, and advocate for preservation, John Muir (1838-1914) was also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks". In the spring of 1869, John Muir was looking for ways to fund his explorations of California’s Central Valley region, when a ranch owner offered him a job herding sheep in the Sierra Nevada. In The Yosemite, Muir chronicled his experiences of the beautiful wilderness in appealingly descriptive prose. The audiobook is a treasure trove of portrayals of the shifting phases of the year in Yosemite.

John Muir has left a mark on history in a way that is quite unique. There are very few people whose powerful love for nature has caused such a truly lasting impact as his. While his early childhood was largely what one would consider normal in Scotland, a life changing event while working in a factory, which nearly blinded him, caused John to totally change the direction of his life. He suddenly found great beauty in every moment, and especially nature and the outdoors.

Leaving from Brooklyn, New York, in August 1911, John Muir, at the age of seventy-three and traveling alone, embarked on an eight-month, 40,000-mile voyage to South America and Africa. The 1911-12 journals and correspondence reproduced in this volume allow us to travel with him up the great Amazon, into the jungles of southern Brazil, to snowline in the Andes, through southern and central Africa to the headwaters of the Nile, and across six oceans and seas in order to reach the rare forests he had so long wished to study.

Sumérgete en la majestuosidad de la naturaleza estadounidense con el clásico atemporal de John Muir, "Nuestros Parques Nacionales". Publicado por primera vez en 1901, este audiolibro ofrece un fascinante recorrido por las maravillas naturales que Muir luchó incansablemente por preservar para las generaciones futuras. Conocido como el "Padre de los Parques Nacionales", la apasionada prosa de Muir da vida a los impresionantes paisajes de Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia y otros parques emblemáticos.

In this essay, Muir tells his experience of climbing to the top of a tree and riding it for hours through a wild Sierra storm. As he writes, “the danger to life and limb is hardly greater than one would experience crouching deprecatingly beneath a roof.”

Our National Parks by John Muir is a brilliant guide and introduction to Yosemite and several other magnificent parks by the man who helped to create them through his advocacy for the preservation of wilderness areas. The author provides detailed observations of the animals, birds, glaciers, streams, fountains, sights, scents, and sounds of Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, Sequoia, and other forest reservations of the West.

Written with Muir’s characteristic enthusiasm and keen eye for detail, this updated version not only revives Muir's adventures in the breathtaking wilderness of Alaska but also shares his experiences and reflections on finding beauty in a sometimes harsh and unforgiving environment.

Join John Muir on his remarkable journey to Alaska in 1879, where the awe-inspiring living glaciers ignited his passion for exploration and science. These majestic ice formations served as a vital backdrop for Muir to validate his groundbreaking theories on glacial action. He returned time and again to this breathtaking laboratory of landscapes, ultimately dedicating the final months of his life to crafting his reflections on these travels. The most famous tide-water glacier now proudly bears his name, a testament to his enduring legacy. (Summary by William Frederic Bade)

John Muir’s “My First Summer in the Sierra” is a captivating narrative that chronicles Muir’s experiences during his first extended stay in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California in the summer of 1869. As an avid naturalist and conservationist, Muir vividly describes the awe-inspiring landscapes he encounters, from towering mountains and lush forests to sparkling streams and serene meadows. He shares intimate observations of the diverse plant and animal life inhabiting the Sierra.

Dive into a captivating collection of John Muirs previously unpublished essays, released shortly after his passing. This volume is sure to fulfill the high expectations of Muir’s devoted readers. Experience the thrill of his harrowing night on the summit of Mount Shasta, a tale that ranks among the most exhilarating of his adventures. Muirs reflections on the abandoned towns of Nevada and the Native Americans harvesting pine nuts evoke a vanishing chapter of Western life that remains largely uncharted in American literature. The breathtaking landscapes Muir encountered now exist mainly ...

John Muir (1838-1914) was an influential naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, and advocate for the preservation of wilderness areas in the United States. In 1869, Muir traveled to California and spent a long time in the area that is now the Yosemite National Park. This narrative takes the form of a hiking guide filled with adventure. Muir was a master of description, providing stirring portraits of the area’s wildlife, waterfalls, valleys, meadows, giant sequoias groves, lakes, mountains, and glaciers.