Five Great Books For A Fresh Perspective in August

August reading suggestions from staff editor Laura Shauger, who picks five Mountaineers Books that changed her perspective in one way or another
Mountaineers Books Mountaineers Books
August 01, 2017
Five Great Books For A Fresh Perspective in August
Summer reading and the living is easy

Although my bookshelf overflows with well-thumbed copies of our where-to hiking guides, these stories and how-to titles have each offered me a different way of seeing the world.

SPIRITED WATERS: SOLOING SOUTH THROUGH THE INSIDE PASSAGE
JENNIFER HAHN

You know that voice that whispers crazy ideas about the all the adventures that await you? Jennifer Hahn listens to that voice. Reading her heartfelt Spirited Waters, you feel as if you too could paddle a kayak, forage in the tidal zone for seaweed, and soak up solitude along the coast of British Columbia. Revel in her deep connection with this landscape—maybe she'll inspire you to conjure the future you want.

FOOD GROWN RIGHT, IN YOUR BACKYARD: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO GROWING CROPS AT HOME
COLIN MCCRATE AND BRAD HALM

By this late in summer, your edible garden is probably in full swing. If, however, you harbor visions of what it could be or want to get started raising a couple of your favorite leafy greens, Food Grown Right is here to help. Written by the founders of Seattle Urban Farm Company, this guide shares the tips and techniques you need to know to grow your own food.

PROPHETS AND MOGULS, RANGERS AND ROGUES, BISON AND BEARS: 100 YEARS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
HEATHER HANSEN

From the steaming geysers of Yellowstone to a Civil War battlefield near Chattanooga, the National Park Service guards a vast collection of ecologically and culturally significant landscapes across the United States. In Prophets and Moguls, Ranger and Rogues, Bison and Bears, Heather Hansen dives deep into the agency's origins and explains how protecting these places has shaped our national identity. You will learn how the NPS has evolved and perhaps feel inspired to see more of these magical places for yourself.

ROCK CLIMBING: MASTERING BASIC SKILLS, 2ND EDITION
TOPHER DONAHUE AND CRAIG LUEBBEN

This installment in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series helps climbers venture beyond the gym onto real rock, while staying safe and following best practices. The first edition was indispensable when I first learned to climb. If you are new to this lifelong pursuit, I'm confident you will rely on the second to supplement your hands-on practice in the vertical world.

A YEAR IN PARADISE
FLOYD SCHMOE

"All men, I suppose, are philosophers after a fashion," Floyd Schmoe writes. And his tale of life as the seasons pass on the slopes of Mount Rainier proves that he, too, observes the world with the eyes of a poet. A Year in Paradise transports you to the park as it was in the early 1900s, when life unfolded at a slower pace. After a memorable winter as the caretakers of the Paradise Inn with snow piled up to the top-floor windows, unbelievably, he and his wife Ruth didn't flee as soon as the snow melted. Absorb Schmoe's descriptions of charismatic black bears, meadows bursting with wildflowers, and close calls on glaciers, among other wonders, and you will most likely see the mountain from a fresh perspective.

Laura Shauger is an editor with Mountaineers Books.


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Mary Metz
Mary Metz says:
Aug 03, 2017 10:18 AM

Who can resist charismatic black bears? "A YEAR IN PARADISE" is definitely going on my to-be-read list. Thanks! -Mary