*“Weseethroughthisbooktheimmensepoweroflanguage...tochangethemindsoflawmakersandtouristsalike.“--TheNewYorkTimesBookReview*“Apoignantportraitofanerawhenmerewordscouldchangetheworld.“--SanFranciscoChronicle*ThedramaticandupliftingstoryoflegendaryoutdoorsmanandconservationistJohnMuir’sjourneytosaveYosemiteis“arich,enjoyableexcursionintoaseminalperiodinenvironmentalhistory“(TheWallStreetJournal).InJuneof1889inSanFrancisco,JohnMuir--iconicenvironmentalist,writer,andphilosopher--meetsface-to-faceforthefirsttimewithhislongtimeeditorRobertUnderwoodJohnson,anelegantandinfluentialfigureatTheCenturymagazine.Beforelong,thepair,oppositesinmanyways,decidetoventuretoYosemiteValley,themagnificentsitewheretwentyyearsearlier,Muirexperiencedapersonalandspiritualawakeningthatwouldsetthecourseoftherestofhislife.Upontheirarrivalthemenareconfrontedwithashockingvision,aspredatorymining,tourism,andloggingindustrieshaveplunderedanddefaced“thegrandestofallthespecialtemplesofNature.“WhileMuirisdevastated,Johnson,anarbiteroftheera’spressingissuesinthepagesofthenation’smostprestigiousmagazine,decidesthatheandMuirmustfightback.Thepacttheyformmarksawatershedmoment,leadingtothecreationofYosemiteNationalPark,andlaunchinganenvironmentalbattlethatcaptivatesthenationandushersinthebeginningoftheAmericanenvironmentalmovement.“Comprehensivelyresearchedandcompellinglyreadable“(Booklist,starredreview),GuardiansoftheValleyisamovingstoryoffriendship,thewrittenword,andthetransformativepowerofnature.Itisalsoatimelyandpowerful“originstory“asthetoweringenvironmentalchallengeswefacetodaybecomeincreasinglyurgent.
TOURISM JOHNSON WRITER GUARDIANS ARICH
