Monday, September 03, 2012

Teaser Tuesday 142: A Sand County Almanac

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few "teaser" sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!


To grow up in Wisconsin is to be raised on the holy trinity of conservationists: John Muir—naturalist, writer, father of our national parks system, and founder of the Sierra Club; Gaylord Nelson—senator, governor and founder of Earth Day; and Aldo Leopold—American author, scientist, UW professor and environmentalist.

Though I have often heard Leopold quoted, have been to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, and live a few blocks from a school named after him, I had never actually read his work for myself. The more I’ve walked in the Arboretum the past few years, the more I’ve been interested in doing so, and was pleased to finally find a copy of A Sand County Almanac at my local UBS. So far, it has been an interesting read. Here are a few short (poetic) passages from this iconic work:





January observation can be almost as simple and peaceful as snow, and almost as continuous as cold. There is time not only to see who has done what, but to speculate why.
(pg 4)

~*~*~*~

The wind that makes music in November corn is in a hurry. The stalks hum, the loose husks whisk skyward in half-playful swirls, and the wind hurries on.
(pg 70)

~*~*~*~

Our biases are indeed a sensitive index to our affections, our tastes, our loyalties, our generosities, and our manner of wasting weekends.
(pg 77)


ABOUT THE BOOK:

A series of astonishing portraits of the natural world, A Sand County Almanac explores the breathtaking diversity of the unspoiled American landscape at the peak of its beauty and majesty. Conjuring up one extraordinary vision after another, Aldo Leopold takes readers with him on the road and through the seasons on a fantastic tour of our priceless natural resources—ever mindful of ecology and environmental preservation. A classic collection, A Sand County Almanac is a stunning tribute to our land and a bold challenge to protect the world we love. More than two million copies have been sold world-wide.




22 comments:

Shelley Mnro said...

Very poetic teasers. I've heard of John Muir but not the others.

Anonymous said...

Very cool teaser.

Deepali said...

I haven't heard of any of them before, but I was interested to learn the name of the chap who founded Earth Day!

My teaser:
http://readseverything.blogspot.in/2012/09/teaser-tuesdays-52-phillippa-gregorys.html

Beth F said...

One of my all-time favorite books. I've read it many times over the decades. Glad you're enjoying it.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

What an intriguing almanac! It seems homey, down-to-earth, and picturesque.

Here's MY TUESDAY MEMES POST

Jeannette said...

I should read this from start to finish. Bits and pieces have cropped up in required reading at uni over the years, but I'm sure the whole would be an amazing read. Thanks for sharing. My TT is HERE.

Alice Audrey said...

Ah. So this is why I kept hearing mention of this book. I tend to avoid conservationist books even if I'm conservation inclined. This would be worth reading just for the poetry.

Heather said...

Shelley: Muir is probably more well-known internationally--unless, of course, you are a conservationist or ecologist. All three were way ahead of their time.

Tania: Thank you! :)

Deepali: LOL - glad to have educated you in regards to "the chap who founded Earth Day." *G*

Heather said...

BethF: I am definitely enjoying it, and pleased to find someone else who has read it. There are certainly many thought-provoking passages.

Laurel-Rain: Yes, Leopold had a lyrical writing style that easily paints the landscape in your mind. It is straight forward and easy to read.

Heather said...

Jeannette: If you have enjoyed the passages that have cropped up in your schooling over the years, I think you definitely like the work as a whole. I'm glad I finally found a copy, and that I started reading it right away.

Alice: Yup, that would be why. I don't usually care for books/writing on conservation, but this one has definitely been worth reading.

gautami tripathy said...

The novel sure sounds good to me after reading that teaser! Hope you enjoy the book!

My tuesday teaser is from Violet Fire by Brenda Joyce

Sandra Nachlinger said...

Your excerpts are beautifully written and do sound like poetry. This sounds like a book that should be read slowly and savored.
My teaser is from A LOT LIKE A LADY.

Heather said...

Gautami: It's actually not a novel. It's written like a series of journal observations and thoughts, with a selection of essays as well. Which is why I am taking my time with it and only reading a few pages a day.

Sandy: Yes, it is definitely meant to be read slow and multiple times. You can flip to any section and find something to savor, or that is worth mulling over.

kayerj said...

sounds like a beautiful book. thanks for stopping by. kaye—the road goes ever ever on

CountryDew said...

I recently read a bit of John Muir for the first time; very interesting author.

Jan said...

Very deep and thought provoking, great teaser!

MeikkiBeibi said...

Beautiful writing! :) Here is my Teaser! Have a great week!

Heather said...

Kaye: It is, thanks! : )

anita: I have not yet read anything by Muir. Perhaps some day...

Yvonne: Thank you!

Heather said...

Janet Ruth: Indeed it is! I may have to share a few more lines later. :)

Niina: Thank you, I thought it was, too.

JLS Hall said...

Lovely teasers! I've had this one on my TBR list for many years -- maybe this is the year to pull it out and actually read it. Thanks for reminding me. And happy reading this week.

Heather said...

Joy: Yes! It's time to pull your copy out of the TBR pile and give it a whirl. The nice thing about this book is that you can read a passage or two at a time, and come back to it later.

Alice Audrey said...

All right. It's going on my wish list.