This is an LT Early Reviewer selection from almost a year and half ago. Better late than never?

Anyway, [the Wisdom of John Muir] is a collection of 100 or so selections/excerpts of John Muir's writings on nature and the environment. More or less in chronological order and with some introductory biographical notes by Rowthorn they kind of form a generalized outline of Muir's life and his contributions to nature preservation within this country.

The thing I learned about Muir is that while is prose about nature is beautifully poetic, I find it tedious and unhelpful when trying picture the scene in my mind. I mean Muir can paint word pictures like no other, but I like my nature more to the point without all the flowery language mucking it up. I also didn't find Rowthorn's contributions to be all that informative. They were often too short and lacked any real analysis that some of these passages begged for. But I do appreciate the way she organized this little book, because you get a really good insight into how Muir's thinking evolved overtime and changed with the reality. Overall not a bad book but one that left plenty of room for improvement. ( )

The Wisdom of John Muir is a pleasant little book, packed full of information about Muir and his life, and lots of lovely excerpts of his writing.

The excerpts are organized roughly by theme (such as trees, or animals) and chronology into chapters. Each chapter begins with an overview of the theme and how it played out in Muir's life; each quoted section within the chapter is briefly introduced with a comment on context. There's a bit of overlap between the comments and the overviews at times, but it works.

In addition there are things like a chronology of Muir's life, a list of the works drawn from, and recommendations for further exploration. A compact but useful index rounds it out.

In some ways the strength of the collection lies in Anne Rowthorn's understanding of when to provide context, and when get out of the way and let Muir speak for himself. The selections are wide-ranging and lovely, and offer a good introduction to Muir's writing and philosophy.

On a personal note, I will remember this collection affectionately for the role it played this summer for my family. We were scattering the ashes of my godmother, a passionate nature lover, and realized we'd forgotten to bring the book of readings we planned to draw from for our informal ceremony. I'd brought this book along with the idea of getting it read for the review, and it turned out to be the perfect thing. We each found something wonderful and apt to read in it, and were greatly satisfied. ( )

The Wisdom of John Muir by Anne Rowthorn is a nice selections of Muir's work including items from letters, journals, and essays. For fans of nature writing, this would be an excellent introduction to his work. The context provided by Anne Rothorn make the selections even more meaningful and help readers better understand the life of John Muir.

The small format and readable length make the book an excellent choice as a gift. ( )

Wonderful introduction to writings of John Muir. Arranged thematically with lots of commentary to set historical context. Climbers will love chapter 7 on some of Muir's more dangerous forays into the unclimbed Sierras. Recommended for all who would like to gain insights into the origins of the American environmental movement. ( )

I have read compilations of writings before (specifically a few of Thoreau). This one is better than any of the others because the context that Anne Rowthorn puts the writings in makes the writing more than just beautiful language. The introductions also give insights into Muir's life, so you get a biographical picture as well. I would recommend this book mostly for quick meditative reading, but a straight read-through is also enjoyable.

I docked it one star since it isn't the same as reading Muir's full works, so I don't want to give the impression that it is a fully adequate substitute for that. ( )

For a modern-day environmentalist, John Muir is an iconic figure: tall and lean, with a prophet's beard; his lyrical writing the match that set wilderness preservation on fire as an American value; his battles to save Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy among the foundation stories of environmental advocacy. This book gathers excerpts from Muir's letters, books, and dairies, and groups them by theme: the Sierras; trees; Alaska; fights to preserve wildernesses; the immanence and transcendence of natural beauty. Editor Anne Rowthorn frames the excerpts with cogent explanations of their contexts.

This book will have two ideal audiences. Hikers who love Muir, who drink his writing like a spiritual mead and want it with them on the trail, will love way this book distills many of his most beautiful passages into a small package that fits easily into a backpack. In a different category - the one I'm in -- readers who respect the historical Muir but have been unable to endure his rhapsodic prose style, will appreciate Rowthorn's culling of interesting and revealing passages from Muir's many writings. The book is not a substitute for a biography, since it's Muir's take on the world around him, and only rarely includes his contemporaries' take on him. But, it's a great complement, and it also works well as an introduction to the giant of American environmentalism in his own words. ( )

“Presently you lose consciousness of your own separate existence, you blend with the landscape, and become part and parcel of nature.”
--J.M.

The Wisdom of John Muir is a lovely book featuring Muir’s reflections on the natural world. I was pleased to recall many passages from books I’d read of his in the past. His descriptions of the weather, trees, mountains and animals are especially touching. And the fact that most of his writing was never meant for publication gives it an unmistakable freshness and intimacy.

I did have issues with the organization of the content. It might have made more sense to group passages by geography or season. But the introductions to each section were quite delightful, informative and well written. This is an uplifting book, one to keep and refer back to time and time again.

I looked forward to seeing this selection of John Muir's writings because I've read several of his books already and was curious about any recommendations that might be offered here. I found my interest was more engaged midway into the book when it started covering the books I hadn't read. Surprisingly, Anne Rowthorn's narrative was as, or maybe more, interesting to me as Muir's own words.

Something that hindered my enjoyment of her book, though, was the small, light font, because I could only read so long before my eyes bothered me. I wear glasses and do NOT need medical attention, and used good light, but found seeing what was written on the pages very tiring after a while.

This is a good source for the fan or would-be fan of John Muir's writings, but it might be a good idea to actually look at it (for size and tone of font) before buying. ( )

This is an excellent primer into the life and writings of John Muir. The author has a nice descrptive quality in her work, and intespersed are writings of John Muir. It certainly enhanced my interest in Muir, and made me want to know more about him and his writing. This book is enjoyable whether one wants a taste, or to whet the appetite. I will pass this along to my naturalist friends. ( )

Anne Rowthorn uses Muir's own writing, in long passages and little snippets, interspersed with her own cogent explanations for context, to write a chronological biography of America's greatest naturalist.

The Wisdom of John Muir is an excellent introduction to Muir's life and thinking. I recommend it for anyone interested in Muir, American history, the outdoors, nature, our national parks, the environment, poetry, or literature. Really, every home needs a copy. ( )

This book is a good example where the product description is very descriptive. This book will be loved by John Muir followers and largely ignored by everyone else. Anne Rowthorn has done a fine job of compiling the book exactly as described. I will reiterate that this book is as much a reference as a book to read cover-to-cover. I enjoyed her commentary on John Muir as much as the Muir quotes. The writing of the late nineteenth is on exhibit in his writings. If you love that style and the wilderness of the west, you will thoroughly enjoy reading from this book. For me, personally, a little bit goes a long, long ways. Also, the font is extremely small and the 'literary' choice of ink color and paper did not provide enough contrast for me. It made it had to stay with it, for me. This book is a fine contribution, as noted in the description. I will hold on to it as a reference, because I admire the work of Muir. I know I will check back in, from time to time. to read another passage. ( )