A Thinking Person's Guide to America's National Parks

February 15, 2016
The National Parks Service (NPS), celebrating its centennial in 2016, ranges far beyond the well-known Yellowstone and Yosemite to more than 400 national parks from Acadia to Zion, including Women’s Rights, Manzanar, and Big Thicket. Likewise, this provocative, seductively illustrated anthology of 23 essays ranges beyond the radical concept of setting aside land for public use. Denis Galvin, who’s worked for NPS for 38 years, writes that “its job is to illuminate this landscape.” Beyond that, however, the NPS mission, which began with stunning scenery, now includes revealing controversial history and encouraging both physical and spiritual recreation. The essayists consider the nation’s history and that of the NPS itself, including the negative sides of both. John Maounis writes of the “Treasures of the Nation”; Dwight Pitcaithley and Rolf Diamant address the difficulties of interpreting the Civil War and the civil rights movement; and Melia Lane-Kamahele speaks about incorporating indigenous voices and seeking out collaboration within local and national communities, specifically her native Hawaiian community. Some essays clunk with clichés and lists, but the final entries—covering communities and partnerships, new park resources, and the next 100 years—soar with thought-provoking content.

Starred review from January 1, 2016

Offering "new perspectives on appreciating and sustaining" national parks, this in-depth title also provides considerable historical detail and a look at the parks as treasures of the American spirit. The photos on every page illustrate essays that cover the landscapes as places to play and learn, as well as resources that must be conserved carefully. The chapter "Indigenous Voices" makes this title stand out from others on the topic, as does an examination of what the parks system learned from similar areas abroad. VERDICT A worthwhile title for prospective visitors who want more than a straightforward travel guide.

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