Project Type Archives

My First Summer in the Sierra

In My First Summer in the Sierra John Muir recounts his early travels in the Sierra while working as a shepherd. In the summer of 1869, Muir set out from California’s Central Valley with a flock of 2,050 sheep and made his way to the headwaters of the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers. As one of America’s great philosopher naturalists, Muir captures the spirit of the Sierra Nevada and brings the reader along as a witness to his great journey. He explores in great detail the mountains, meadows, waterfalls, flora, and fauna of the rich landscape that captured his heart. My First Summer in the Sierra is an excellent introduction to the writings of John Muir. This edition contains 30 illustrations.

John Muir (1838 – 1914) was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States.

sierra

  • Print Length: 182 pages
  • Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches

Paperback: $13.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Publisher’s Note

I remember my first summer in the Sierra. It was a good one. Yosemite Valley: the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral with Henrich; cragging with Lori, Jean, Sean, and crew; naps by the Merced; shenanigans with Rich. Tuolumne: Cathedral Peak; Matthes Crest; more shenanigans. Bishop: wanderings on Mt. Williamson with Dan; and deer antlers.

I believe it is near impossible for anyone to have a bad first summer in the Sierra. There is no bias or first-hand experience to influence the first timer. Instead, there are only first impressions and the imagination. And the Sierra does not disappoint. Fantasize all day; look at photos; read books. But in the end, when you finally arrive after all of that dreaming, the real deal will take first place.

As you journey toward the Range of Light, read about Muir’s first summer in the Sierra, for only when you arrive and see it with your own eyes will you truly understand—and feel—his manic passion.

~ Joe Reidhead

Walking

Walking: Annotated Edition

In his classic essay on walking, Henry David Thoreau, the famous naturalist and philosopher, extols the virtues of immersing ourselves daily in nature. Thoreau treats the act of walking as a vehicle that transports us to the sacred space that is nature. The wildness of nature becomes a retreat from the noise of contemporary society and civilization—a place to rest our thoughts and regain balance between these two worlds. This edition contains nearly 40 new historical and biographical footnotes.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American naturalist, philosopher, and a leading transcendentalist. His writings have influenced environmentalism and civil disobedience.

walking
  • Print Length: 48 pages
  • Weight: 3.7 ounces
  • Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.1 inches

Paperback: $10.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Publisher’s Note

When I’m lost in the mire of work and life, I like to escape from my desk and responsibilities for a walk amid the woods or down an empty country gravel lane. These walks help me to re-center my thoughts and priorities, for during the hustle of the day these often become focused on things that are of no importance. The walks also—and perhaps more importantly—force me to interact with the world as it really is: muddy, dusty, smelly, cold, sweaty, wild, and—often—absolutely perfect.

If you take away all of our societal obligations and duties, all we have left to do is walk around and be amazed at what we see. Get rid of the car. Get rid of the bicycle. Throw out the TV and the computer. Walk to Goodwill and give them those dusty board games that were played once and already are missing a piece. Downsize the city mansion for a well-worn, one-room cabin. Get rid of these things and we need less money to live, and thus we can work less and live more. Now what to do with all of this newfound free time? Walk! Strip us of all of our possessions and what are we? We are simple human beings equipped with legs and arms for walking and scrambling over the globe. And we have been blessed with eyes, ears, a nose, a tongue, and touch through which we can experience this wild world of ours.

And out of this wild world was born Thoreau—a wild man that civilization could not box. Pay a poll tax? He preferred imprisonment. The latest fashion? How about a decades-old suit? A beard to attract the ladies? One word: neckbeard.

So what can we learn from this wildly independent person? We can learn to see the world as it is. We can learn to enjoy the world as it is. And we can learn to embrace the world as it is.

“Walking” is a book that should be reread each year and before any journey. I know that I benefit from this exercise.

The Compleat Angler

The Compleat Angler, Izaak Walton’s fishing classic, is a celebration of the art and spirit of fishing. Through prose, verse, song, and folklore, Walton inspires readers to go into nature — to go to its meandering streams and rivers — and fish. Walton teaches us about a life filled with harmony between nature, man, and God; and a life spent in the company of friends and free from the hustle of the city.

compleat
  • Print Length: 186 pages
  • Weight: 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches

Paperback: $12.95 available at Amazon, the Barnes & Noble, and on order at most independent bookstores.

The Sea-Wolf

Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf is a novel of adventure, brutality, and survival at sea. Humphrey van Weyden, rescued from a shipwreck, is forced into service aboard the Ghost, a sealing ship under the command of the violent and powerful Wolf Larsen. Van Weyden must grow stronger and wiser to survive life on the ship, and he will need all of these skills to survive the final challenge.

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American author and journalist. Before finding success as an author, London worked grueling jobs including on a seal-hunting ship, as an oyster pirate, and as a prospector in the Klondike Gold Rush. His writing found success in the then-burgeoning magazine industry.

sea-wolf-copy
  • Print Length: 314 pages
  • Weight: 1 lb
  • Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x .785 inches

Paperback: $14.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

White Fang

Jack London’s White Fang is the tale of a wolf-dog and its coming of age amongst the violence of the wild northern frontier. The novel follows White Fang’s journey from a wild pup, to his abuse as a ruthless prizefighting dog, and finally as the faithful companion of a loving master. White Fang is a companion novel to London’s best-known work, The Call of the Wild.

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American author and journalist. Before finding success as an author, London worked grueling jobs including on a seal-hunting ship, as an oyster pirate, and as a prospector in the Klondike Gold Rush. His writing found success in the then-burgeoning magazine industry.

White Fang
  • Print Length: 212 pages
  • Weight: 9.1 ounces
  • Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x .53 inches

Paperback: $12.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Publisher’s Note

White Fang is an amazing story that is one of my personal favorites.

In my English Lit class our teacher would talk for hours about how White Fang is a symbolic story about the change from nature to civilization and that the world we live in depends on the survival of the fittest. While this is not untrue, it is also so much more.

It’s a story that teaches you about surviving even when the odds are mentally and physically against you. It’s about learning new things and trying new experiences—and that adapting to a new way of life does not mean giving up who you are. Most importantly, though, White Fang is a story about learning to trust, even when the world has given you no reason to, for with the power and love that comes from true friendship you can overcome any obstacle life throws at you.

The Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild is the story of Buck, who starts the tale as a domesticated dog living a life of luxury on a Californian estate. However, when Buck is kidnapped to work as a sled dog in the Yukon, he must learn to survive in the harsh, unforgiving wilderness. With each brutal lesson encountered on his journey, Buck loses his civilized demeanor and adapts to the realities of life in the wild. London’s novel White Fang is the companion and mirror to The Call of the Wild.

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American author and journalist. Before finding success as an author, London worked grueling jobs including on a seal-hunting ship, as an oyster pirate, and as a prospector in the Klondike Gold Rush. His writing found success in the then-burgeoning magazine industry.

call of the wild
  • Print Length: 98 pages
  • Weight: 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x .245 inches

Paperback: $9.95 available at Amazon, the Barnes & Noble, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Publisher’s Note

Gambling, travel, fights to the death, acts of heroism, feats of strength and vengeful ghost dogs are all a part of what makes The Call of the Wild just a fun book, and part of why I never get tired of reading it.

The first time I read it was back in grade school. From the first page, I was hooked. Buck, the hero of the tale, draws you in so quickly that before you realize it you’re invested—emotionally—in the survival of a fictitious character. He’s a hero you want to not only see succeed but also get his happy ever after—or at least a nice family.

For me, Buck is one of the most realistic literary heroes. He is thrown into a life he never wanted but doesn’t let that get him down. Instead, he works to learn what he needs to survive, getting help when he needs it. He is not always good at what he does, and sometimes he fails. He might not possess much honor, but he is loyal and true to himself.