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Nira Stone (1938-2013) contributed to the understanding of mediaeval Armenian art and painting. Her interest ranged over a millennium of artistic expression, and over such fields of creativity as manuscript painting, frescos, and mosaics. The volume contains her published papers and one made newly public.
Book Synopsis Studies in Armenian Art by : Nira Stone
Download or read book Studies in Armenian Art written by Nira Stone and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-29 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nira Stone (1938-2013) contributed to the understanding of mediaeval Armenian art and painting. Her interest ranged over a millennium of artistic expression, and over such fields of creativity as manuscript painting, frescos, and mosaics. The volume contains her published papers and one made newly public.
Rarely has mastery of a field been combined with such style and lucidity as in the writings of E. A. Speiser. For forty years before his death, in 1965, Dr. Speiser, the renowned author of the Anchor Bible Genesis, was a leading American orientalist. Speiser was at home in the modern as well as the ancient Near East and knew its many cultures intimately. His wide-ranging biblical studies are informed with a profound knowledge of Assyriology, and to both he brought the insights of a brilliant comparative linguist. Speiser's unique vision of the whole of ancient Near Eastern culture resulted in several classic syntheses that are included in these pages. Collected in this volume are thirty-six of his now difficult-to-obtain articles. The reader will discover papers that deal not only with biblical studies and linguistics but also with the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine; with law and political science; and with intellectual and social progress in the ancient Near East. "Speiser insisted on the simultaneous concentration upon analysis and synthesis; the first without the second he deemed sterile, the second without the first an empty playing with words. . . . [This insistence], so eloquently exemplified in his own work was . . . the most distinctive and certainly the most enduring part of his legacy as a teacher (from the Appreciation, by J. J. Finkelstein). E. A. Speiser was born in Galicia in 1902. After his graduation from the College of Lemberg, Austria, in 1918, he came to the United States, arriving in 1920. He received his M.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1923 and Ph.D. degree from Dropsie College, Philadelphia, in 1924. During World War II, Speiser was the chief of the Near East section, research and analysis branch of the Office of Strategic Services. Following the war, in 1947, Speiser was named chairman of the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1954 he became Abraham M. Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and Literatures at the University. One year prior to his death, he was named University Professor of Oriental Studies, the highest honor that the University of Pennsylvania awards to distinguished faculty members. Those familiar with one or another aspect of Speiser's contribution will find here a selection and arrangement designed to capture the underlying unity in approach that informed all of his work. And the nonspecialist cannot help but discover the broader, humanistic implications of oriental studies.
Book Synopsis Oriental and Biblical Studies by : E. A. Speiser
Download or read book Oriental and Biblical Studies written by E. A. Speiser and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2018-01-09 with total page 616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rarely has mastery of a field been combined with such style and lucidity as in the writings of E. A. Speiser. For forty years before his death, in 1965, Dr. Speiser, the renowned author of the Anchor Bible Genesis, was a leading American orientalist. Speiser was at home in the modern as well as the ancient Near East and knew its many cultures intimately. His wide-ranging biblical studies are informed with a profound knowledge of Assyriology, and to both he brought the insights of a brilliant comparative linguist. Speiser's unique vision of the whole of ancient Near Eastern culture resulted in several classic syntheses that are included in these pages. Collected in this volume are thirty-six of his now difficult-to-obtain articles. The reader will discover papers that deal not only with biblical studies and linguistics but also with the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine; with law and political science; and with intellectual and social progress in the ancient Near East. "Speiser insisted on the simultaneous concentration upon analysis and synthesis; the first without the second he deemed sterile, the second without the first an empty playing with words. . . . [This insistence], so eloquently exemplified in his own work was . . . the most distinctive and certainly the most enduring part of his legacy as a teacher (from the Appreciation, by J. J. Finkelstein). E. A. Speiser was born in Galicia in 1902. After his graduation from the College of Lemberg, Austria, in 1918, he came to the United States, arriving in 1920. He received his M.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1923 and Ph.D. degree from Dropsie College, Philadelphia, in 1924. During World War II, Speiser was the chief of the Near East section, research and analysis branch of the Office of Strategic Services. Following the war, in 1947, Speiser was named chairman of the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1954 he became Abraham M. Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and Literatures at the University. One year prior to his death, he was named University Professor of Oriental Studies, the highest honor that the University of Pennsylvania awards to distinguished faculty members. Those familiar with one or another aspect of Speiser's contribution will find here a selection and arrangement designed to capture the underlying unity in approach that informed all of his work. And the nonspecialist cannot help but discover the broader, humanistic implications of oriental studies.
For millennia the collection, distribution, and symbolism of water have played pivotal roles in the lands where Islam has flourished. This book is the first to address this important subject. A diverse spectrum of scholars covers a wide range of topics: from the revelation of Islam in the 7th century to today’s conservation and development issues, from watering oases in the Moroccan desert to the flooded plains of Bengal. Copiously illustrated with beautiful color photographs and newly drawn plans and maps, this book will provoke readers to appreciate and acknowledge the essential, if often invisible and transitory, roles that water played in the arts of the Islamic lands and beyond.
Book Synopsis Rivers of Paradise by : Sheila Blair
Download or read book Rivers of Paradise written by Sheila Blair and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For millennia the collection, distribution, and symbolism of water have played pivotal roles in the lands where Islam has flourished. This book is the first to address this important subject. A diverse spectrum of scholars covers a wide range of topics: from the revelation of Islam in the 7th century to today’s conservation and development issues, from watering oases in the Moroccan desert to the flooded plains of Bengal. Copiously illustrated with beautiful color photographs and newly drawn plans and maps, this book will provoke readers to appreciate and acknowledge the essential, if often invisible and transitory, roles that water played in the arts of the Islamic lands and beyond.
A fascinating look at the founders of the world's main religions. The major religious traditions of the world owe their existence to the vision of an ancient founder. This important volume explores the lives of the five founders of major world religions-Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad-chronicling what is actually known of these charismatic men and introducing readers to the cultural and religious worlds that heard their messages. Readers in predominantly Christian lands, in addition to learning about the lives of Confucius, Buddha, and Muhammad- whom they might not be familiar with- will also be introduced to modern research now casting fresh light on the careers of Moses and Jesus. Whether studied individually or in comparison with one another, these biographies, together with a chapter on the characteristics of religious leadership, chart the spiritual rivers that continue to feed the diversity of religious expression today.
Book Synopsis The Rivers of Paradise by : David Noel Freedman
Download or read book The Rivers of Paradise written by David Noel Freedman and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating look at the founders of the world's main religions. The major religious traditions of the world owe their existence to the vision of an ancient founder. This important volume explores the lives of the five founders of major world religions-Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad-chronicling what is actually known of these charismatic men and introducing readers to the cultural and religious worlds that heard their messages. Readers in predominantly Christian lands, in addition to learning about the lives of Confucius, Buddha, and Muhammad- whom they might not be familiar with- will also be introduced to modern research now casting fresh light on the careers of Moses and Jesus. Whether studied individually or in comparison with one another, these biographies, together with a chapter on the characteristics of religious leadership, chart the spiritual rivers that continue to feed the diversity of religious expression today.
A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches - Genesis 2:10 From the author of Jesus: The Mantra Of God and Towards A Christian Tantra comes a spiritual memoir that poetically expresses a single person's journey, and through it, humanity's return to the paradise that we spring from. Drawing on complementary ideas from Christianity and Hinduism, The Rivers of Paradise is a much-needed wellspring of spiritual insight and inspiration for the twenty-first century. It shows how openness to contrasting traditions can lead to levels of spiritual awareness that are exciting and deeply fulfilling. Rev. Dr. John R. Dupuche is an internationally respected associate professor in theology at the Catholic Theological College within the School of Divinity, a leader in interfaith dialogue in Australia who has spent many years travelling to India to practice meditation and research his interest in Kashmir Shaivism. He is uniquely situated to comment and share his wisdom in interfaith spirituality. His website is johndupuche.com Rivers of Paradise draws deeply and movingly on the currents of wisdom and love that well up from John Dupuche's long and dedicated life of study, prayer, and service. His pure and simple paragraphs resonate with both the Greek Orthodox and Tantric styles, and each is headed by a Sanskrit word rich in meaning that will stay with you even if Sanskrit is not a language you already know. Those who take the time to savor his words slowly and patiently will come to appreciate the great gift Fr. Dupuche is offering to his readers, life-giving insights into breath and vision, body and soul, love and light, all on the path to God Alone. This is a prayerful book you can return to again and again. -Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard University
Book Synopsis The Rivers of Paradise by : John R Dupuche
Download or read book The Rivers of Paradise written by John R Dupuche and published by . This book was released on 2020-02-25 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches - Genesis 2:10 From the author of Jesus: The Mantra Of God and Towards A Christian Tantra comes a spiritual memoir that poetically expresses a single person's journey, and through it, humanity's return to the paradise that we spring from. Drawing on complementary ideas from Christianity and Hinduism, The Rivers of Paradise is a much-needed wellspring of spiritual insight and inspiration for the twenty-first century. It shows how openness to contrasting traditions can lead to levels of spiritual awareness that are exciting and deeply fulfilling. Rev. Dr. John R. Dupuche is an internationally respected associate professor in theology at the Catholic Theological College within the School of Divinity, a leader in interfaith dialogue in Australia who has spent many years travelling to India to practice meditation and research his interest in Kashmir Shaivism. He is uniquely situated to comment and share his wisdom in interfaith spirituality. His website is johndupuche.com Rivers of Paradise draws deeply and movingly on the currents of wisdom and love that well up from John Dupuche's long and dedicated life of study, prayer, and service. His pure and simple paragraphs resonate with both the Greek Orthodox and Tantric styles, and each is headed by a Sanskrit word rich in meaning that will stay with you even if Sanskrit is not a language you already know. Those who take the time to savor his words slowly and patiently will come to appreciate the great gift Fr. Dupuche is offering to his readers, life-giving insights into breath and vision, body and soul, love and light, all on the path to God Alone. This is a prayerful book you can return to again and again. -Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard University
The so-called Travels of Sir John Mandeville (c. 1356) was one of the most popular books of the late Middle Ages. Translated into many European languages and widely circulating in both manuscript and printed forms, the pseudo English knight’s account had a lasting influence on the voyages of discovery and durably affected Europe’s perception of exotic lands and peoples. The early modern period witnessed the slow erosion of Mandeville’s prestige as an authority and the gradual development of new responses to his book. Some still supported the account’s general claim to authenticity while questioning details here and there, and some openly denounced it as a hoax. After considering the general issues of edition and reception of Mandeville in an opening section, the volume moves on to explore theological and epistemological concerns in a second section, before tackling literary and dramatic reworkings in a final section. Examining in detail a diverse range of texts and issues, these essays ultimately bear witness to the complexity of early modern engagements with a late medieval legacy which Mandeville emblematizes.
Book Synopsis A Knight's Legacy by : Ladan Niayesh
Download or read book A Knight's Legacy written by Ladan Niayesh and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The so-called Travels of Sir John Mandeville (c. 1356) was one of the most popular books of the late Middle Ages. Translated into many European languages and widely circulating in both manuscript and printed forms, the pseudo English knight’s account had a lasting influence on the voyages of discovery and durably affected Europe’s perception of exotic lands and peoples. The early modern period witnessed the slow erosion of Mandeville’s prestige as an authority and the gradual development of new responses to his book. Some still supported the account’s general claim to authenticity while questioning details here and there, and some openly denounced it as a hoax. After considering the general issues of edition and reception of Mandeville in an opening section, the volume moves on to explore theological and epistemological concerns in a second section, before tackling literary and dramatic reworkings in a final section. Examining in detail a diverse range of texts and issues, these essays ultimately bear witness to the complexity of early modern engagements with a late medieval legacy which Mandeville emblematizes.
This book tells the hundred-year history of Three Rivers, California, from the 1850s to the 1950s. Three Rivers has always been a special place, one of rolling wooded hills, nestled close to the High Sierra mountains. Those mountains feed the rivers that give the place its name. It was an ideal place for the pioneers of this story to settle. The book is divided into two basic parts. The first tells the story of events and places, what life was like for those hardy souls who homesteaded in these hills. The second part relates stories and histories about individual people and their families: when they came to Three Rivers, when they arrived, and how their lives and the lives of their families were impacted by living here. Did they thrive? Did they go elsewhere to search for their dream? The author has endeavored to answer these questions. Book Review: "I am a local history buff and long-time member of the Tulare County Historical Society. When publications appear that pique my interest in Tulare County History, I usually acquire them. The author and her family are well known and highly respected in the Three Rivers area. Ms. Britten's contribution to the area's history by recording the background and lives of its pioneers is well done." -- Evan Long
Book Synopsis Pioneers in Paradise by : Sophie Britten
Download or read book Pioneers in Paradise written by Sophie Britten and published by Gatekeeper Press. This book was released on 2022-02-10 with total page 475 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the hundred-year history of Three Rivers, California, from the 1850s to the 1950s. Three Rivers has always been a special place, one of rolling wooded hills, nestled close to the High Sierra mountains. Those mountains feed the rivers that give the place its name. It was an ideal place for the pioneers of this story to settle. The book is divided into two basic parts. The first tells the story of events and places, what life was like for those hardy souls who homesteaded in these hills. The second part relates stories and histories about individual people and their families: when they came to Three Rivers, when they arrived, and how their lives and the lives of their families were impacted by living here. Did they thrive? Did they go elsewhere to search for their dream? The author has endeavored to answer these questions. Book Review: "I am a local history buff and long-time member of the Tulare County Historical Society. When publications appear that pique my interest in Tulare County History, I usually acquire them. The author and her family are well known and highly respected in the Three Rivers area. Ms. Britten's contribution to the area's history by recording the background and lives of its pioneers is well done." -- Evan Long
The literature of larceny welcomes a newcomer with some serious chops, as Steven M. Thomas muscles his way to a place at the table–elbow-to-elbow with Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen–courtesy of a harrowing, hilarious, two-fisted, hard-boiled thriller that’s pure heaven for anyone who loves a hell of a crime novel. Robert Rivers is a crook. No excuses, no apologies. Breaking the law is his calling, crime is his rush, capers his reason for getting up in the morning and staying up late at night. But he’s a thief with honor, plotting and pulling off carefully choreographed heists where no shots are fired, no blood is spilled, and nobody gets hurt . . . except in the wallet. After a brief stint behind bars back in the day, he’s managed to carve out a comfortable existence, cheerfully plundering the sunny Southern California community whose streets he tools in the tweaked-out Cadillac DeVille that’s his pride and joy. But now Rob (whose name has become ironic) is pushing forty, and–like his trusty partner, Switch, who’s got a pregnant girlfriend and a hefty stash of loot–he’s thinking about quitting the game. But then he and Switch, pulling their latest Butch and Sundance, score a payday that could end up costing them plenty. Inside a strongbox packed with greenbacks rests a disturbing black-and-white photo of a beautiful young girl, eyes full of fear as naked as she is. It’s an image that Rob can’t shake, and a wake-up call: There are rules even he won’t break. It’s also his one-way ticket into the underbelly of the underworld–a lethal landscape of sex slaves, sadistic psychopaths, and sawed-off shotguns, where honor is for fools, and trust is for suckers, where very bad people do even worse things and nice guys don’t finish at all. They just get finished off. With its alluring setting, quirky characters, and restrained and subtle prose, Criminal Paradise has something for every thriller fan. And with sharp natural instincts and writing skills as serious as his humor is sly, Steven M. Thomas shows as much promise as any author on the suspense scene.
Book Synopsis Criminal Paradise by : Steven M. Thomas
Download or read book Criminal Paradise written by Steven M. Thomas and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2008-02-26 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The literature of larceny welcomes a newcomer with some serious chops, as Steven M. Thomas muscles his way to a place at the table–elbow-to-elbow with Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen–courtesy of a harrowing, hilarious, two-fisted, hard-boiled thriller that’s pure heaven for anyone who loves a hell of a crime novel. Robert Rivers is a crook. No excuses, no apologies. Breaking the law is his calling, crime is his rush, capers his reason for getting up in the morning and staying up late at night. But he’s a thief with honor, plotting and pulling off carefully choreographed heists where no shots are fired, no blood is spilled, and nobody gets hurt . . . except in the wallet. After a brief stint behind bars back in the day, he’s managed to carve out a comfortable existence, cheerfully plundering the sunny Southern California community whose streets he tools in the tweaked-out Cadillac DeVille that’s his pride and joy. But now Rob (whose name has become ironic) is pushing forty, and–like his trusty partner, Switch, who’s got a pregnant girlfriend and a hefty stash of loot–he’s thinking about quitting the game. But then he and Switch, pulling their latest Butch and Sundance, score a payday that could end up costing them plenty. Inside a strongbox packed with greenbacks rests a disturbing black-and-white photo of a beautiful young girl, eyes full of fear as naked as she is. It’s an image that Rob can’t shake, and a wake-up call: There are rules even he won’t break. It’s also his one-way ticket into the underbelly of the underworld–a lethal landscape of sex slaves, sadistic psychopaths, and sawed-off shotguns, where honor is for fools, and trust is for suckers, where very bad people do even worse things and nice guys don’t finish at all. They just get finished off. With its alluring setting, quirky characters, and restrained and subtle prose, Criminal Paradise has something for every thriller fan. And with sharp natural instincts and writing skills as serious as his humor is sly, Steven M. Thomas shows as much promise as any author on the suspense scene.
A “certainly weird . . . strangely wonderful . . . [and] often irresistible” search to find the real Garden of Eden (The New York Times Book Review). Where, precisely, was God’s Paradise? St. Augustine had a theory. So did medieval monks, John Calvin and Christopher Columbus. But when Darwin’s theory of evolution changed our understanding of human origins, shouldn’t the desire to put a literal Eden on the map have faded away? Not so fast. This “gloriously researched, pluckily written historical and anecdotal assay of humankind’s age-old quixotic quest for the exact location of the Biblical garden” (Elle) explores an obsession that has consumed scientists and theologians alike for centuries. To this day, the search continues, taken up by amateur explorers, clergymen, scholars, engineers and educators—romantic seekers all who started with the same simple-sounding Bible verses, only to end up at a different spot on the globe: Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, the North Pole, Mesopotamia, China, Iraq—and Ohio. Inspired by an Eden seeker in her own family, “Wilensky-Lanford approaches her subjects with respect, enthusiasm and conscientious research” (San Francisco Chronicle) as she traverses a century-spanning history provoking surprising insights into where we came from, what we did wrong, and where we go from here. And it all makes for “a lively journey” (Kirkus Reviews).
Book Synopsis Paradise Lust by : Brook Wilensky-Lanford
Download or read book Paradise Lust written by Brook Wilensky-Lanford and published by Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. This book was released on 2011-08-02 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “certainly weird . . . strangely wonderful . . . [and] often irresistible” search to find the real Garden of Eden (The New York Times Book Review). Where, precisely, was God’s Paradise? St. Augustine had a theory. So did medieval monks, John Calvin and Christopher Columbus. But when Darwin’s theory of evolution changed our understanding of human origins, shouldn’t the desire to put a literal Eden on the map have faded away? Not so fast. This “gloriously researched, pluckily written historical and anecdotal assay of humankind’s age-old quixotic quest for the exact location of the Biblical garden” (Elle) explores an obsession that has consumed scientists and theologians alike for centuries. To this day, the search continues, taken up by amateur explorers, clergymen, scholars, engineers and educators—romantic seekers all who started with the same simple-sounding Bible verses, only to end up at a different spot on the globe: Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, the North Pole, Mesopotamia, China, Iraq—and Ohio. Inspired by an Eden seeker in her own family, “Wilensky-Lanford approaches her subjects with respect, enthusiasm and conscientious research” (San Francisco Chronicle) as she traverses a century-spanning history provoking surprising insights into where we came from, what we did wrong, and where we go from here. And it all makes for “a lively journey” (Kirkus Reviews).
"We were afraid of its impenetrable darkness. Afraid of its industrial smell. We were afraid of the things that lived beneath its surface and the things that had died there. We were afraid of spotting a hand or a head bobbing in the rafts of garbage that floated by. We were afraid of submerged intake valves that sucked water into the factories along the banks. We were afraid of the river's filth. It wasn't the kind of filth that came from playing with your friends. It was grownup filth. The kind that scared the blue out of water and coated the riverbank with oily black goo. It was the kind of filth you could taste, the kind that could make you sick, maybe even kill you. We were afraid of getting splashed with river water or of touching river rocks. We were afraid of falling in or-God forbid-going under. We were afraid of the river's anger at being so befouled, and afraid, most of all, of the revenge we felt certain the river would exact." New Jersey's Passaic River rises in a pristine wetland and ends in a federal Superfund site. In "An American River," author and New Jersey native Mary Bruno kayaks its length in an effort to discover what happened to her hometown river. The Passaic's wildly convoluted course invites detours into the river's flood-prone natural history, New Jersey's unique geology, the corrupt practices of the Newark chemical plant that produced Agent Orange and poisoned the river with dioxin, and into the lives of an unforgettable cast of characters who have lived and worked along the Passaic and who are trying, even now, to save it. Part natural history, part personal history, part rollicking adventure, the book is a narrative meditation on the wonder of nature, the enduring ties of family, and the power of water and loss. "My great grandmother liked to say, 'Don't shit in the nest, '" writes Bruno. "The Passaic River is an object lesson in what can happen when we ignore that simple, salty advice." ""An American River" is an intricate and satisfying braid of memoir, history, science, nature writing, and acute social observation. This is an invigorating and hopeful book, and its sense of wonder is infectious. It's not, I think, too great a stretch to say that it holds its own on the shelf alongside "Walden," "Silent Spring" and "A Sand County Almanac."" Jonathan Raban Author of "Driving Home: An American Journey"
Book Synopsis An American River by : Mary Bruno
Download or read book An American River written by Mary Bruno and published by . This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "We were afraid of its impenetrable darkness. Afraid of its industrial smell. We were afraid of the things that lived beneath its surface and the things that had died there. We were afraid of spotting a hand or a head bobbing in the rafts of garbage that floated by. We were afraid of submerged intake valves that sucked water into the factories along the banks. We were afraid of the river's filth. It wasn't the kind of filth that came from playing with your friends. It was grownup filth. The kind that scared the blue out of water and coated the riverbank with oily black goo. It was the kind of filth you could taste, the kind that could make you sick, maybe even kill you. We were afraid of getting splashed with river water or of touching river rocks. We were afraid of falling in or-God forbid-going under. We were afraid of the river's anger at being so befouled, and afraid, most of all, of the revenge we felt certain the river would exact." New Jersey's Passaic River rises in a pristine wetland and ends in a federal Superfund site. In "An American River," author and New Jersey native Mary Bruno kayaks its length in an effort to discover what happened to her hometown river. The Passaic's wildly convoluted course invites detours into the river's flood-prone natural history, New Jersey's unique geology, the corrupt practices of the Newark chemical plant that produced Agent Orange and poisoned the river with dioxin, and into the lives of an unforgettable cast of characters who have lived and worked along the Passaic and who are trying, even now, to save it. Part natural history, part personal history, part rollicking adventure, the book is a narrative meditation on the wonder of nature, the enduring ties of family, and the power of water and loss. "My great grandmother liked to say, 'Don't shit in the nest, '" writes Bruno. "The Passaic River is an object lesson in what can happen when we ignore that simple, salty advice." ""An American River" is an intricate and satisfying braid of memoir, history, science, nature writing, and acute social observation. This is an invigorating and hopeful book, and its sense of wonder is infectious. It's not, I think, too great a stretch to say that it holds its own on the shelf alongside "Walden," "Silent Spring" and "A Sand County Almanac."" Jonathan Raban Author of "Driving Home: An American Journey"
