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Journeys in the Wilderness: A John Muir Reader
The name of John Muir has come to stand for the protection of wild land and wilderness in both America and Britain. Born in Dunbar in the east of Scotland in 1838, Muir is famed as the father of American conservation, and as the first person to promote the idea of National Parks. Combining acute observation with a sense of inner discovery, Muir's writings of his travels through some of the greatest landscapes on Earth, including the Carolinas, Florida, Alaska and those lands which were to become the great National Parks of Yosemite and the Sierra Valley, raise an awareness of nature to a spiritual dimension.These journals provide a unique marriage of scientific survey of natural history with lyrical and often amusing anecdotes, retaining a freshness, intensity and brutal honesty which will amaze the modern reader. This collection, including the never-before-published "Stickeen", presents the finest of Muir's writings, and imparts a rounded portrait of a man whose generosity, passion, discipline and vision are an inspiration to this day.
- GenresNatureNonfiction
576 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
29 people are currently reading
440 people want to read
About the author
John Muir
623 books1,433 followersJohn Muir was far more than a naturalist; he was a secular prophet who translated the rugged language of the wilderness into a spiritual calling that saved the American soul from total surrender to materialism. Born in 1838 in the coastal town of Dunbar, Scotland, Muir’s childhood was a blend of seaside wanderings and a brutal religious upbringing. His father, Daniel Muir, was a man of uncompromising faith who forced John to memorize the New Testament and most of the Old Testament by age eleven. When the family immigrated to the frontier of Wisconsin in 1849, this iron-fisted discipline continued on their farm. However, for the young Muir, the "Book of Nature" began to rival the Bible. He saw the divine not just in scripture, but in the black locust trees and the sun-drenched meadows of the midwest.
The pivotal moment of Muir’s life occurred in 1867 while working at a wagon wheel factory in Indianapolis. A tool slipped, piercing his cornea and leaving him temporarily blind in both eyes. Confined to a darkened room for six weeks, Muir faced the terrifying prospect of a life without light. When his sight miraculously returned, he emerged with a clarity of purpose that would change the course of American history. He famously wrote, "This affliction has driven me to the sweet fields. God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons." He immediately set out on a 1,000-mile walk to the Gulf of Mexico, beginning a lifelong odyssey of exploration.
Muir eventually found his "true home" in California’s Sierra Nevada. To Muir, the mountains were not mere piles of rock, but "the range of light." He spent years as a shepherd and guide in Yosemite, living a life of extreme simplicity—often traveling with nothing but a tin cup, a crust of bread, and a volume of Emerson’s essays. His scientific contributions were equally profound; he defied the leading geologists of the day by proving that the Yosemite Valley was carved by ancient glaciers. While the state geologist, Josiah Whitney, dismissed him as a mere "shepherd," the world’s leading glaciologists eventually recognized Muir’s genius.
His transition from explorer to activist was born of necessity. Seeing the "hoofed locusts"—domestic sheep—devouring the high mountain meadows, Muir took up his pen. His landmark articles in The Century Magazine and his 1903 camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt became the catalysts for the modern conservation movement. Under the stars at Glacier Point, Muir convinced the President that the wilderness required federal protection. This meeting laid the groundwork for the expansion of the National Park system and the eventual return of Yosemite Valley to federal control.
As the co-founder and first president of the Sierra Club, Muir spent his final years in a fierce philosophical battle with Gifford Pinchot. While Pinchot argued for "conservation" (the sustainable use of resources), Muir championed "preservation" (the protection of nature for its own sake). Though he lost the battle to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, the heartbreak of that loss galvanized the American public, ensuring that future "cathedrals of nature" would remain inviolate. John Muir died in 1914, but his voice remains ubiquitous, reminding us that "into the woods we go, to lose our minds and find our souls."
The pivotal moment of Muir’s life occurred in 1867 while working at a wagon wheel factory in Indianapolis. A tool slipped, piercing his cornea and leaving him temporarily blind in both eyes. Confined to a darkened room for six weeks, Muir faced the terrifying prospect of a life without light. When his sight miraculously returned, he emerged with a clarity of purpose that would change the course of American history. He famously wrote, "This affliction has driven me to the sweet fields. God has to nearly kill us sometimes, to teach us lessons." He immediately set out on a 1,000-mile walk to the Gulf of Mexico, beginning a lifelong odyssey of exploration.
Muir eventually found his "true home" in California’s Sierra Nevada. To Muir, the mountains were not mere piles of rock, but "the range of light." He spent years as a shepherd and guide in Yosemite, living a life of extreme simplicity—often traveling with nothing but a tin cup, a crust of bread, and a volume of Emerson’s essays. His scientific contributions were equally profound; he defied the leading geologists of the day by proving that the Yosemite Valley was carved by ancient glaciers. While the state geologist, Josiah Whitney, dismissed him as a mere "shepherd," the world’s leading glaciologists eventually recognized Muir’s genius.
His transition from explorer to activist was born of necessity. Seeing the "hoofed locusts"—domestic sheep—devouring the high mountain meadows, Muir took up his pen. His landmark articles in The Century Magazine and his 1903 camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt became the catalysts for the modern conservation movement. Under the stars at Glacier Point, Muir convinced the President that the wilderness required federal protection. This meeting laid the groundwork for the expansion of the National Park system and the eventual return of Yosemite Valley to federal control.
As the co-founder and first president of the Sierra Club, Muir spent his final years in a fierce philosophical battle with Gifford Pinchot. While Pinchot argued for "conservation" (the sustainable use of resources), Muir championed "preservation" (the protection of nature for its own sake). Though he lost the battle to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley from being dammed, the heartbreak of that loss galvanized the American public, ensuring that future "cathedrals of nature" would remain inviolate. John Muir died in 1914, but his voice remains ubiquitous, reminding us that "into the woods we go, to lose our minds and find our souls."
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 24, 2020
" The mountains are calling and I must go" – how often we stumble across this quote, unaware of the awe-inspiring legacy John Muir, a genuine lover of Nature and guardian of its wonders, left behind!
From an early age, the "Father of the National Parks" found himself detached from the mirage of industrial progress and endless money making, his thoughts always returning to the rugged shores of his native Scotland, the fresh mountain air, the Alpine meadows of his beloved Sierra Nevada, the almost mythical giants of the Sequoia National Park bearing close resemblance to the Ents of Fangorn Forest – his entire being inseparably intertwined with Nature and its mysteries.
Whereas his essays, journal entries and letters span thousands of pages, "Journeys in the Wilderness" serves as the perfect gateway to his life work, comprising of the most enthralling accounts of his expeditions, research, creative side and memoirs, few having the sheer willpower and endurance to follow their true calling, regardless of any impending obstacles, as he embraced adversity, his near-death experiences, the lack of supplies, unpredictable weather conditions, never having the strength to turn him away from what he treasured most.
Had he and J.R.R. Tolkien crossed paths, they would have doubtlessly become close friends, sharing the same profound love for the natural world, as no tree, stream, rock or wild beast was seen as dispensable, each element possessing an intrinsic value: "when we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe".
His memory ought to never be forgotten, as he also saved numerous areas of inestimable beauty from certain destruction for financial gain, the majority of the National Parks in the U.S. being established through his efforts and words of warning: "If possible and profitable, every tree, bush and leaf, with the soil they are growing on... would be cut, blasted, scraped, shovelled and shipped away, to any market, home or foreign. Everything, without exception, even to Souls and Geography, would be sold for money, could a market be found for such articles”.
From an early age, the "Father of the National Parks" found himself detached from the mirage of industrial progress and endless money making, his thoughts always returning to the rugged shores of his native Scotland, the fresh mountain air, the Alpine meadows of his beloved Sierra Nevada, the almost mythical giants of the Sequoia National Park bearing close resemblance to the Ents of Fangorn Forest – his entire being inseparably intertwined with Nature and its mysteries.
Whereas his essays, journal entries and letters span thousands of pages, "Journeys in the Wilderness" serves as the perfect gateway to his life work, comprising of the most enthralling accounts of his expeditions, research, creative side and memoirs, few having the sheer willpower and endurance to follow their true calling, regardless of any impending obstacles, as he embraced adversity, his near-death experiences, the lack of supplies, unpredictable weather conditions, never having the strength to turn him away from what he treasured most.
Had he and J.R.R. Tolkien crossed paths, they would have doubtlessly become close friends, sharing the same profound love for the natural world, as no tree, stream, rock or wild beast was seen as dispensable, each element possessing an intrinsic value: "when we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe".
His memory ought to never be forgotten, as he also saved numerous areas of inestimable beauty from certain destruction for financial gain, the majority of the National Parks in the U.S. being established through his efforts and words of warning: "If possible and profitable, every tree, bush and leaf, with the soil they are growing on... would be cut, blasted, scraped, shovelled and shipped away, to any market, home or foreign. Everything, without exception, even to Souls and Geography, would be sold for money, could a market be found for such articles”.
April 28, 2017
Wish this Scotsman was my grandad.
March 6, 2020
John Muir surprised me with the quality of his writing skills and his unbelievable descriptions of his adventures, fauna, weather, animals, even the majesty of the heavens which he encountered.
I was surprised at his lack of concern for his own safety and comfort in the name of seeing what the view was like from impossible to reach places.
If you love the outdoors, nature, adventure, good prose this is the book for you. John Muir left a legacy of conservation and was the father of the Nations Park System starting with his amazing Yosemite and model for us to follow in our own time.
I was surprised at his lack of concern for his own safety and comfort in the name of seeing what the view was like from impossible to reach places.
If you love the outdoors, nature, adventure, good prose this is the book for you. John Muir left a legacy of conservation and was the father of the Nations Park System starting with his amazing Yosemite and model for us to follow in our own time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
3.5 stars
What I knew about John Muir going in: a trail and a woods of amazing trees have his name. He helped establish US national parks. My friend Suzanne whom I admire and respect for her nature knowledge thinks he’s cool. I didn’t investigate the book much, assuming I’d get a survey of his thoughts.
On the one hand:
The writing is clear and filled with the same euphoria I get in the woods. It is humbling to read writing from a traveling mountaineer in the 1880s and feel moved by his vast knowledge while knowing how little convenience was involved in gaining it. He knows an insane amount about an insane number of things. He can wax on about glacial geology, the natural habitat and tendencies of squirrels, the nuances of pines, the habits of rivers. He writes with deep compassion about natural landscapes, the mind and spirit and habits of all kinds of animals. He loves the land and holds humans in mild disregard for being lazy and destructive (how I often feel in the woods as well). He pioneered into landscapes and learned things others didn’t know. I’m duly impressed and now want to read something more specifically about his advocacy for the parks, and about his life from third person, because:
On the other hand:
He’s clearly a product of his time and speaks with more compassion about mules and squirrels than about Native American tribes in the region, or about the “Chinaman” on his expedition in his first summer in the Sierra who never merits mention of an actual name. He blazes into dangerous situations against the advice of experienced local guides, your standard white male “pioneer,” and seems to have an adrenaline-guided mania for new nature experiences that it’s hard to read about objectively. I’m sure most of the discoveries I benefit from were similarly wacky in the making. But it’s hard to turn off the critical part of my brain that says: my dude. Maybe wear your coat. Maybe don’t set out down the mountain trail in November, in pursuit of the perfect winter storm.
Regardless, it makes me definitely want to make it to Yosemite in the After Times and makes me realize the featherweight gear and fancy dehydrated foods are modern miracles but also not strictly necessary. I’d love to read something analyzing how many miles he climbed literally on bread alone.
What I knew about John Muir going in: a trail and a woods of amazing trees have his name. He helped establish US national parks. My friend Suzanne whom I admire and respect for her nature knowledge thinks he’s cool. I didn’t investigate the book much, assuming I’d get a survey of his thoughts.
On the one hand:
The writing is clear and filled with the same euphoria I get in the woods. It is humbling to read writing from a traveling mountaineer in the 1880s and feel moved by his vast knowledge while knowing how little convenience was involved in gaining it. He knows an insane amount about an insane number of things. He can wax on about glacial geology, the natural habitat and tendencies of squirrels, the nuances of pines, the habits of rivers. He writes with deep compassion about natural landscapes, the mind and spirit and habits of all kinds of animals. He loves the land and holds humans in mild disregard for being lazy and destructive (how I often feel in the woods as well). He pioneered into landscapes and learned things others didn’t know. I’m duly impressed and now want to read something more specifically about his advocacy for the parks, and about his life from third person, because:
On the other hand:
He’s clearly a product of his time and speaks with more compassion about mules and squirrels than about Native American tribes in the region, or about the “Chinaman” on his expedition in his first summer in the Sierra who never merits mention of an actual name. He blazes into dangerous situations against the advice of experienced local guides, your standard white male “pioneer,” and seems to have an adrenaline-guided mania for new nature experiences that it’s hard to read about objectively. I’m sure most of the discoveries I benefit from were similarly wacky in the making. But it’s hard to turn off the critical part of my brain that says: my dude. Maybe wear your coat. Maybe don’t set out down the mountain trail in November, in pursuit of the perfect winter storm.
Regardless, it makes me definitely want to make it to Yosemite in the After Times and makes me realize the featherweight gear and fancy dehydrated foods are modern miracles but also not strictly necessary. I’d love to read something analyzing how many miles he climbed literally on bread alone.
February 1, 2019
Hugely enjoyable and comprehensive look at John Muir's life and work. It's no doubt impossible to accurately describe the landscapes Muir travelled but this is probably as close as you can get. It's genuinely a joy to read about how he cared for every part of nature and I'm pretty sure only a Scot could write about American rain showers in such detail and that beautifully!
April 5, 2021
Probably one of my all time favorite books!
Because this book starts with John Muir's childhood it makes this man's passion for what he loves so much more beautiful. I'm able to see the formation of the man he would become. Then the marvelous journeys and discoveries he made.
Because this book starts with John Muir's childhood it makes this man's passion for what he loves so much more beautiful. I'm able to see the formation of the man he would become. Then the marvelous journeys and discoveries he made.
August 24, 2021
Written with such love and passion about nature, animals and all things the wilderness has to offer. Lovely book to just escape into nature with John Muir.
Read
January 30, 2022Did not complete. Wanted to love it, but it bored me.
July 11, 2012
Inspirational-pre-mass-tourism Sierras!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews