Encounters With The Archdruid [J0400]

1977 PB printing of the 1971 original, in nice clean condition. The narratives in this book are of journeys made in three wildernesses - on a coastal island, in a Western mountain range and on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Four men are involved: Charles Park, a mineral engineer who believes that our economic well-being rests on finding metals and extracting them from the earth wherever they are found; Charles Fraser, a resort developer who regards all conservationists as druids ("religious figures who sacrifice people and worship trees"); Floyd Dominy a builder of gigantic dams, who grew up in dry Western country and deeply believes in the impoundment of water; and David Brower, the most militant conservationist in the world. In turn, Park, Fraser, and Dominy encounter Brower, whether in rapids, in forests, on mountain trails, on a raft, in a jeep, or on foot - now reserved, now friendly, now fighting hard across a philosophical divide.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "John McPhee travels through the wilderness with them. Rafting through the Grand Canyon, flying over wilderness areas, and touring massive development projects. It's an interesting look at the tension between preservationists and economic developers, brought to life through the characters."; "I'm convinced this man has never written a bad book. His writing flows like no other. I very much enjoyed the three stories and how they all relate to David Bower. I enjoyed how all of the men he and McPhee interacted with were nature lovers just as him, but were working the land not preserving it. My perspectives on conservation were definitely influenced by this book."; "I want to read everything that John McPhee has ever written. I think it's the restraint that makes it special. He's a remarkable artist. This book in particular is fantastic because of its subject matter. Anyone would be interesting through McPhee's eyes, but he gets to describe some incredible and complicated people in this one."