The Man Who Built the Sierra Club: A Life of David Brower

by Robert Wyss

David Brower (1912–2000) was a central figure in the modern environmental movement. His leadership, vision, and elegant conception of the wilderness forever changed how we approach nature. In many ways, he was a twentieth-century Thoreau. Brower transformed the Sierra Club into a national force that challenged and stopped federally sponsored projects that would have dammed the Grand Canyon and destroyed hundreds of millions of acres of our nation's wilderness. To admirers, he was tireless, passionate, visionary, and unyielding. To opponents and even some supporters, he was contentious and polarizing.

As a young man growing up in Berkeley, California, Brower proved himself a fearless climber of the Sierra Nevada's dangerous peaks. After serving in the Tenth Mountain Division during World War II, he became executive director of the Sierra Club. This uncompromising biography explores Brower's role as steward of the modern environmental movement. His passionate advocacy destroyed lifelong friendships and, at times, threatened his goals. Yet his achievements remain some of the most important triumphs of the conservation movement. What emerges from this unique portrait is a rich and robust profile of a leader who took up the work of John Muir and, along with Rachel Carson, made environmentalism the cause of our time.

Genres: Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[SJC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes: Some things about David Brower- first ascensionist in the Sierra and on Shiprock. Bisexual College dropout who became executive director of the Sierra Club back in an era when EDs were charismatic inspirational figures vs administrative fund raisers (he clung to things that used to be profitable thinking they always would, like books )THE pivotal figure in keeping dams out of Dinosaur (compromising Glen Canyon), keeping dams out of the Grand Canyon, pushing the Wilderness act through, redwoods national park, north Cascades National park, and bringing the wilds to the masses to start the modern environmental movement and eventually things like the clean air and clean water acts. Died in 2000.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite a few obvious errors, (sliprock?), I gave the book four stars because the subject is so important to me. Brower was a heroic but flawed figure, and it's good to know more about him. I also appreciated learning the history of environmental victories that occurred before I was aware, victories that are so appropriate in retrospect that I failed to appreciate how hard-fought they were.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found it a slog to read through and a bit on the boring side. At the end I found I did not care for Mr Brower. I appreciated what he did for the environment but not how he interacted with other activists.

[Michael McCue · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Brower did not found the Sierra Club, that was John Muir, but he did build it into the leading environmental organization it became. Brower was not very good at management and administration but he had vision and the drive to make things happen. Another reviewer noted that this book was uneven and hard to read, perhaps that was the uneven trajectory of David Brower's life and career. Robert Wyss recounts Brower's many victories and failures to save wild places including the Grand Canyon which the US Bureau of Reclamation once wanted to flood with a two massive dams.

While Brower was fired as Executive Director of the Sierra Club in 1969 his influence continues today. He was also involved in founding the League of Conservation Voters and Friends of the Earth. A book well worth reading.

[Bill Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting life of a self-righteous, egotistical environmental crusader. Brower had a singular focus and plowed ahead with his agenda with little or no respect for his organization or it's finances. The fact that he succeeded more often than he failed is evidence of his resolve. However the writing style put me off. It seemed to be chronologically mixed up. One chapter would end in 1956 and the next would start in 1949. While this format works for a topic by topic story, I'm more comfortable with a straight line chronology.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a very interesting and thorough biography. David Brower had similar visions as John Muir when it came to saving open space, supporting the environment, and protecting our natural landscape. His legacy continues with an organization that still addresses the challenges of our ever changing planet.