Status
Available
Local notes
574.5 Dou
Collection
Series
Publication
Pineapple Press (1997), Edition: Anniversary, 480 pages
Description
Nature. Nonfiction. HTML: Before 1947, when Marjory Stoneman Douglas named The Everglades a "river of grass," most people considered the area worthless. She brought the world's attention to the need to preserve The Everglades. In the Afterword, Michael Grunwald tells us what has happened to them since then. Grunwald points out that in 1947 the government was in the midst of establishing the Everglades National Park and turning loose the Army Corps of Engineers to control floodsâ??both of which seemed like saviors for the Glades. But neither turned out to be the answer. Working from the research he did for his book, The Swamp, Grunwald offers an account of what went wrong and the many attempts to fix it, beginning with Save Our Everglades, which Douglas declared was "not nearly enough." Grunwald then lays out the intricacies (and inanities) of the more recent and ongoing CERP, the hugely expensive Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.… (more)
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1947
Physical description
480 p.; 5.83 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
I visited the Everglades about a year and a half ago, and picked this book up in a visitor's center there after repeatedly hearing it, and its author, mentioned as being extremely influential in the history of the Everglades and in Everglades conservation efforts. I have to say, it's not at all
I'm also pleased to report that, while she does of course use language that's very dated now and certain kinds of descriptions that modern authors would hopefully avoid, her treatment of the native peoples of Florida is way more respectful than I'd have expected for 1947. She very much treats all the people in her narratives as people, whatever their race or culture, and accepts those cultures on their own terms. (Mind, you I can't speak to how accurate her depictions of native cultures are, but she does seem to have at least wanted get it right.) And while she might not exactly be condemning the evils of colonialism on every page, she doesn't remotely whitewash them, either, and is always ready to call an injustice and injustice and a horror a horror. So, y'know, a considerably less racist and sanitized/mythologized account of American history than I got growing up decades later, anyway.
The edition that I have also includes an extensive afterword by journalist Michael Grunwald describing what's happened to the Everglades' environment and the various efforts to both develop and conserve it since the original book was written... which is a lot, good, bad, and ugly. He also talks about Douglas's own involvement in that history, which continued well into a ripe old age.
Anyway, even if this wasn't remotely what I was expecting, I can certainly see why it was influential, and whether or not I always loved her writing, I have come away with considerable respect for Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Less so for humanity and how we treat each other and the natural world, but let's be honest, that was kind of a given.
Rating: I'm giving this a 3.5/5 as a reading experience, but as a piece of history in itself, arguably it should rate higher.
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what I was expecting. It does start out with a chapter on the natural world of the Everglades and ends with one that makes some very strong statements about how much damage humans have done to the place. But mostly it's really a history of the Everglades, or even of south Florida as a whole, from prehistory up through 1947, when the book was first published. I have to admit, I wasn't always in love with Douglas' writing style, which is a bit purplish towards the beginning and a bit disjointed towards the end. But most of the history itself is quite interesting, and was either unfamiliar to me or involved things I only knew about in broad and general terms. And she really does try very hard to bring it vividly to life, sometimes with pretty good success.I'm also pleased to report that, while she does of course use language that's very dated now and certain kinds of descriptions that modern authors would hopefully avoid, her treatment of the native peoples of Florida is way more respectful than I'd have expected for 1947. She very much treats all the people in her narratives as people, whatever their race or culture, and accepts those cultures on their own terms. (Mind, you I can't speak to how accurate her depictions of native cultures are, but she does seem to have at least wanted get it right.) And while she might not exactly be condemning the evils of colonialism on every page, she doesn't remotely whitewash them, either, and is always ready to call an injustice and injustice and a horror a horror. So, y'know, a considerably less racist and sanitized/mythologized account of American history than I got growing up decades later, anyway.
The edition that I have also includes an extensive afterword by journalist Michael Grunwald describing what's happened to the Everglades' environment and the various efforts to both develop and conserve it since the original book was written... which is a lot, good, bad, and ugly. He also talks about Douglas's own involvement in that history, which continued well into a ripe old age.
Anyway, even if this wasn't remotely what I was expecting, I can certainly see why it was influential, and whether or not I always loved her writing, I have come away with considerable respect for Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Less so for humanity and how we treat each other and the natural world, but let's be honest, that was kind of a given.
Rating: I'm giving this a 3.5/5 as a reading experience, but as a piece of history in itself, arguably it should rate higher.
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LibraryThing member J_Starling
Douglas made awareness of the Everglades' plight in 1947. Sixty-one years ago, she recognized that the "River of Grass" was in serious trouble, and its floral and faunal inhabitants were greatly endangered. Sadly, Douglas' foresight proved prophetic. Although President Franklin Roosevelt made the
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Everglades a protected place, George W. Bush's administration fiddled with the protection, and allowed homes and buildings built into protected areas. Now, South Florida has a problem of creatures roaming gating communites, as they do in Alaska - because they have lost their remaining habitat. Haunting & sad. Douglas was an evocative writer. One of dreams is to visit & camp the Everglades before it is finally gone, which won't be too long now... Show Less
LibraryThing member dele2451
I once spent a couple days birding in the Everglades and I picked up this book at the visitor center on my way out. I wish I had read it before I got to Florida.
LibraryThing member dpevers
An interesting book, but it wasn't what I thought based on the recommendation. A bit of history, a bit of science, a sprinkling of hope--mostly dashed. It goes to show how far mankind has come...and unfortunately how much, much further we need to go on issues like living with the natural Everglades.
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Pages
480