The Nearby Faraway: A Personal Journey Through the Heart of the West

By David Petersen

Book Overview

earth writers, "The Nearby Faraway" reads like an abridged autobiography of the writer's life and travels (both geographical and spiritual). A dedicated naturalist and writer's writer, David Petersen... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555661874
• ISBN13: 9781555661878
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Johnson Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Some 3 star essays, some 5 star essays

This book is a collection of essays, some may be familiar to the readers of Backpacker magazine. Petersen writes about places in the West and the people that love those places. Many of the essays read like travelogues, for better or worse. Some of his essays bring you right next to the campfire, sipping whiskey at night or strong coffee in the morning, sleeping under the stars awash in desert incense. Perfection. Other essays weren't as moving (I'm thinking of the pacific northwest essays) and read rather flat. Another gripe: Peculiar analogies pop up in every second essay or two, e.g., elk bugling being described as the equivalent to "Yo momma, sucker!", a feeding hawk is termed a "feathered dracula", an adobe doorpost is as thick as a bodybuilders bicep, and finally, views are sometimes described as "million dollar" or "billion buck" rather than *really* described. Still, this book should be read by those who like to read about outdoor activity, especially those with an interest in the west. Loads of interesting anecdotes about Ed Abby and crew. Excellent ranting versus development and threats to the environment.