Taken as a whole, the book documents Abbey's love affair with the desert country near Moab, Utah. Through his words we see the whole landscape, from the very small (birds, snakes, rabbits and mice that live in and near his trailer), to the very large (mountain tops, mesas, and canyons). But, for as beautiful a picture as he paints, he cautions the reader in the book's introduction, this landscape is disappearing fast.

With a good sense of fire history stretching back over 100 years, and with a focus on the characters who have helped shaped wild land fire management over that same time, the book succeeds in creating a well rounded snapshot of the relationship fire has with forestlands in the West.

There's a powerful book out there that parents and anyone who loves not just national parks but forests and wilderness areas and wilderness-quality areas needs to read. It's been out nearly a year, and I wish I had read it as soon as it hit the bookstores.

With all my travels to national parks over the years, you'd think that I would have added Christine Barnes' wonderful book, Great Lodges of the National Parks, to my library a long, long time ago. In truth, I didn't come to it until recently, and I'm glad I finally made the purchase.

I was drawn to read a book recently. A newspaper story caught my eye about a woman who had been attacked by a grizzly bear and survived with terrible injuries. This woman went on to write a book about her 20 year experience coping with the lasting pain and horror of the attack.

While there are plenty of books that detail the fine line between life and death in the parks, Burnett shares a glimpse of a side of life in our national parks that draws a chuckle, not a grimace.

Not only does Jacobson tell you what to pack, how to navigate with maps, compass and GPS, and how to make field repairs, but he outlines how to pick the perfect crew for an extended trip.

Among the best books explaining why national parks are not to be confused with city parks when it comes to danger.

Throughout this book is proof that visitors to the Grand Canyon don't always pack commonsense with them.

Well, I hate shameless self-promotions, but I did write this book and I think it does a pretty good job of giving you a lay of the land for the parks it covers. Let me know what you think.