Best-selling author David Quammen takes readers on a breathtaking journey through America’s most inspiring and imperiled ecosystem—Yellowstone National Park—in this monumental book on America’s first national park. Yellowstone’s storied past; rich ecosystem; and dynamic landscape are brilliantly portrayed in a captivating mosaic of photographs and eloquently written text that blend history; science; and research from the field. As much a visual ode to nature as an intimate tour of one of the world’s most celebrated conservation areas; this gorgeous book illuminates the park’s treasures grand and small—from the iconic Old Faithful to the rare gray wolf; from misty mountain tops to iridescent springs; and from sweeping valleys to flourishing wild blooms. In four illuminating sections that combine photos; sidebars; and graphics with elegantly crafted text; this book brings readers deeper into the life of the park than ever before; both commemorating its beauty and highlighting its challenges. This book is an essential addition to the National Parks’ 100th anniversary celebration and will remind readers why conservation is worth every effort.
#1077735 in Books Gamber Wendy 2016-07-18Original language:English 9.00 x 1.02 x 6.00l; #File Name: 1421420201320 pagesThe Notorious Mrs Clem Murder and Money in the Gilded Age
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book; Well researched presentedBy BAH NC; OhioA very good book! Well written; and fantastic number of details were presented as clearly as anyone could have done!2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Mrs ClemBy Ricardo R.Slow moving plot.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. More for academics than general readers: a dry; academic account of a potentially fascinating slice of historyBy JojolebWendy Gamber’s The Notorius Mrs. Clem: Murder and Money in the Gilded Age opens up with a cold blooded murder. It is 1868 and the upper middle class Jacob and Nancy Young are found dead on the banks of Indianapolis’ White River. Jacob’s face was blown off by a shotgun. More gruesome; Nancy--“a small delicate womanâ€--appears to have been shot with a pistol. The prosecution conjectured that when Nancy refused to die she was hit in the head with a blunt instrument. Although it was not clear from the outset why Nancy’s body was burned from the chest down.These facts alone would be an incredible set up for a historical murder mystery; but it actually gets better. Nancy Clem; a seemingly respectable woman; and two ‘business associates’ are arrested for the crime. All the players seem to have colluded with Jacob Young in shady investment schemes that bilked their marks out of considerable sums of money. More intriguing for the late 1800s; the mastermind of the con--who seems to have invented the Ponzi scheme long before Charles Ponzi was born--was the notorious Mrs. Clem of the title.These are not spoilers--you find out all of the above from the preface to the book and the blurb on the book’s cover. And perhaps that is part of the problem with the book.The author has amassed a trove of well-researched facts about Clem’s trials (yes; trials) and tribulations. There is an incredible amount of background information; all potentially interesting; about the colorful personalities involved; sensational press coverage; 19th Century police investigation and forensic science; politics; court proceedings; and popular reaction to Clem. There is even a court performance by lawyer Benjamin Harrison who would go on to become our 23rd president. Even the setting--the nascent boom town of Indianapolis--should also have been captivating.But even though the core elements for a riveting; historical account are all there; nothing ever quite pops off the page. Gambler absolutely tries but doesn’t succeed in making this murder mystery or the Gilded Age come alive. The book often stagnates rather than builds. Facts are laid out; without regard to pacing or plot; so the book reads more like a stale academic account than a historical novel. And that’s a pity. Because in different hands you could see this book reworked; for example; into a historically accurate; blockbuster movie.As such; Gambler’s account has historic value and will have appeal to academics specifically interested in this time period. That’s okay; but it easily could have appealed to a wider audience of general readers had it been written in an equally factual but less cut and dry way. This is 5 star material in a 3 star package.
