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Escritos sobre naturaleza: Volumen 1
En una vida de exploración, escritura y activismo político apasionado, John Muir se convirtió en el vocero más elocuente de Estados Unidos sobre el misterio y la majestuosidad de los parajes naturales. Su exploración del Gran Cañón y de lo que más tarde serían los parques nacionales de Yosemite y Yellowstone, sus exitosas cruzadas para preservar el desierto, su recorrido temprano por Florida y su viaje a Alaska en 1879 le convirtieron en una figura crucial en la creación del sistema de parques nacionales estadounidense y en un visionario profeta de la conciencia ambiental, que fundó el Sierra Club en 1892. Pero también fue un maestro de la descripción natural, que evocó con poder e intimidad únicos los paisajes libres del oeste americano. John Muir, uno de los pioneros de lo que hoy en día llamamos activismo medioambiental, fusionó su amor por la naturaleza y su habilidad como escritor para elaborar estos ensayos, en los que expone por qué es importante preservar y proteger los espacios naturales.
Esta edición recopila sus obras más significativas y más queridas en dos volúmenes. Este primero incluye La historia de mi niñez y juventud (1913), Mi primer verano en la sierra (1911) y Stickeen (1909), y se completa con tres ensayos más breves: «Salvad la secuoya roja», «Lana salvaje» y «Los bosques americanos».
Esta edición recopila sus obras más significativas y más queridas en dos volúmenes. Este primero incluye La historia de mi niñez y juventud (1913), Mi primer verano en la sierra (1911) y Stickeen (1909), y se completa con tres ensayos más breves: «Salvad la secuoya roja», «Lana salvaje» y «Los bosques americanos».
416 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
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About the author
John Muir
596 books1,423 followersJohn Muir (1838 – 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. One of the best-known hiking trails in the U.S., the 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, was named in his honor. Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier.
In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life.
Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth".
Muir was extremely fond of Henry David Thoreau and was probably influenced more by him than even Ralph Waldo Emerson. Muir often referred to himself as a "disciple" of Thoreau. He was also heavily influenced by fellow naturalist John Burroughs.
During his lifetime John Muir published over 300 articles and 12 books. He co-founded the Sierra Club, which helped establish a number of national parks after he died and today has over 1.3 million members. Author Gretel Ehrlich states that as a "dreamer and activist, his eloquent words changed the way Americans saw their mountains, forests, seashores, and deserts." He not only led the efforts to protect forest areas and have some designated as national parks, but his writings gave readers a conception of the relationship between "human culture and wild nature as one of humility and respect for all life," writes author Thurman Wilkins.
His philosophy exalted wild nature over human culture and civilization. Turner describes him as "a man who in his singular way rediscovered America. . . . an American pioneer, an American hero." Wilkins adds that a primary aim of Muir’s nature philosophy was to challenge mankind’s "enormous conceit," and in so doing, he moved beyond the Transcendentalism of Emerson and Thoreau to a "biocentric perspective on the world."
In the months after his death, many who knew Muir closely wrote about his influences.
In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life.
Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth".
Muir was extremely fond of Henry David Thoreau and was probably influenced more by him than even Ralph Waldo Emerson. Muir often referred to himself as a "disciple" of Thoreau. He was also heavily influenced by fellow naturalist John Burroughs.
During his lifetime John Muir published over 300 articles and 12 books. He co-founded the Sierra Club, which helped establish a number of national parks after he died and today has over 1.3 million members. Author Gretel Ehrlich states that as a "dreamer and activist, his eloquent words changed the way Americans saw their mountains, forests, seashores, and deserts." He not only led the efforts to protect forest areas and have some designated as national parks, but his writings gave readers a conception of the relationship between "human culture and wild nature as one of humility and respect for all life," writes author Thurman Wilkins.
His philosophy exalted wild nature over human culture and civilization. Turner describes him as "a man who in his singular way rediscovered America. . . . an American pioneer, an American hero." Wilkins adds that a primary aim of Muir’s nature philosophy was to challenge mankind’s "enormous conceit," and in so doing, he moved beyond the Transcendentalism of Emerson and Thoreau to a "biocentric perspective on the world."
In the months after his death, many who knew Muir closely wrote about his influences.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 24, 2024
4.5
Preciosa e intensa exaltación de la hermandad con la naturaleza.
Preciosa e intensa exaltación de la hermandad con la naturaleza.
August 5, 2018
Siendo John Muir el padre de los parques naturales de USA y desconociendo sus escritos, su biografía e incluso el enfoque de su naturalismo, pedi por mi cumpleaños este libro que es un compendio de materiales de muy diversa 'índole de esta figura tan curiosa
El primer volumen que edita Capitan Swing en castellano recopila "La historia de mi infancia y mi juventud", "Mi primer verano en la Sierra" y otros escritos cortos y manifiestos/cartas públicas.
He de reconocer que comencé leyendo la introducción de Robert Macfarlene: te recomiendo que te la saltes porque insiste, muy erróneamente segun mi opinión, en colocar a John Muir en el grupo de naturalistas filosofos como Thoreau cuando la extraccion social de Muir es MUY diferente y su enfoque es mucho más de un naturalista aficionado como Durrell.
El primer relato se me hizo muy duro (hay violencia intrafamiliar) como comienzo de la lectura pero todo fue remontando sobre todo al llegar al verano en la Sierra. Este es un diario de su verano como pastor de ovejas donde se mezclan sus quehaceres con el enamoramiento del paisaje y la chispa de quien quiere investigar todo lo que le rodea. Combina descripciones científicas sobre las distintas especies de fauna y flora con apreciaciones sobre el sistema económico de la ganadería y arranques adorables y extásicos sobre el cielo estrellado o las formaciones geológicas. Eso sí, los nativos americanos salen MUY mal parados en este diario, pintados como salvajes que han perdido sus costumbres y conocimientos ancestrales (ni rastro de autocrítica sobre la masacre o el robo de tierras)
Ha sido muy emocionante encontrar frases ecologistas en todos los relatos y muy especialmente en sus manifiestos de salvación de los bosques originarios que bien se pueden aplicar a nuestros días en sus manifiestos finales y en definitiva dejarme contagiar de la pasión por ese ente inabarcable que es la naturaleza, mas si cabe en una época donde aun hay mucho que descubrir.
El primer volumen que edita Capitan Swing en castellano recopila "La historia de mi infancia y mi juventud", "Mi primer verano en la Sierra" y otros escritos cortos y manifiestos/cartas públicas.
He de reconocer que comencé leyendo la introducción de Robert Macfarlene: te recomiendo que te la saltes porque insiste, muy erróneamente segun mi opinión, en colocar a John Muir en el grupo de naturalistas filosofos como Thoreau cuando la extraccion social de Muir es MUY diferente y su enfoque es mucho más de un naturalista aficionado como Durrell.
El primer relato se me hizo muy duro (hay violencia intrafamiliar) como comienzo de la lectura pero todo fue remontando sobre todo al llegar al verano en la Sierra. Este es un diario de su verano como pastor de ovejas donde se mezclan sus quehaceres con el enamoramiento del paisaje y la chispa de quien quiere investigar todo lo que le rodea. Combina descripciones científicas sobre las distintas especies de fauna y flora con apreciaciones sobre el sistema económico de la ganadería y arranques adorables y extásicos sobre el cielo estrellado o las formaciones geológicas. Eso sí, los nativos americanos salen MUY mal parados en este diario, pintados como salvajes que han perdido sus costumbres y conocimientos ancestrales (ni rastro de autocrítica sobre la masacre o el robo de tierras)
Ha sido muy emocionante encontrar frases ecologistas en todos los relatos y muy especialmente en sus manifiestos de salvación de los bosques originarios que bien se pueden aplicar a nuestros días en sus manifiestos finales y en definitiva dejarme contagiar de la pasión por ese ente inabarcable que es la naturaleza, mas si cabe en una época donde aun hay mucho que descubrir.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews