Robert Aquinas McNally's new book, Cast Out of Eden: The Untold Story of John Muir, Indigenous People, and the American Wilderness, comes out on May 1, 2024. The publisher, the University of Nebraska Press's Bison Books, is offering a limited-time 40% off discount for people who preorder now.
To get the discount, just go to: https://unp.secure.longleafservices.org/cart?isbn=9781496227263 and use code 6AF23. You'll get the book on the day it releases and save some money at the same time!
If you haven't heard of Cast Out of Eden, this new book offers a critical exploration of John Muir's legacy, juxtaposing his role as a revered nature mystic and a father of America's national parks against the darker history of Indigenous dispossession. This thought-provoking book delves into the untold story of how Muir's advocacy for wild sanctuaries, while spiritually enlightening to some, contributed to the erasure of tribal nations who had stewarded these lands for centuries. From the glens of Lowland Scotland to the towering Sierra Nevada and beyond, readers journey through Muir's life and evolving ethos. The narrative challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable reality that Muir's vision of wilderness sanctity inadvertently marginalized the Native Americans he encountered, considering them a blemish on the landscape he so cherished. "Cast Out of Eden" is not just a historical account; it's a contemporary call to action, highlighting the ongoing efforts to rectify past injustices as Indigenous nations and the federal government collaborate to redefine what American lands signify, striving for a more inclusive future. This book is an essential read for those ready to engage with a more complex portrait of an American icon and the landscapes he helped shape.
The advance praise for "Cast Out of Eden" hails it as a compelling and necessary re-examination of John Muir's legacy, revealing the complex interplay between the United States' wilderness preservation movement and the dispossession of Indigenous lands. Critics commend Robert McNally for his vivid storytelling. Megan Kate Nelson describes the biography as challenging and absorbing, while Margaret Verble appreciates McNally's context for today's conflicts. Susan Devan Harness praises the book for its inclusive vision of wild spaces, and Boyd Cothran highlights McNally's gripping narrative skills. Matthew Kerns calls it a thought-provoking masterpiece, and Katya Cengel lauds the breakdown of our conflicted relationship with nature. Melissa Fraterrigo commends McNally's hard-hitting truth, and James J. Rawls deems it seminal for its unflinching exploration of Muir's racial views. Mike Wurtz and Malcolm Margolin recognize the book's colorfulness and its contemporary relevance in addressing past failures and current efforts to reconcile with Native American stewardship of the landscape. Overall, "Cast Out of Eden" is praised as an urgent, groundbreaking work that invites readers to reconsider established narratives about America's wilderness and its founders.
Cast Out of Eden will be released in May of 2024, but do yourself a favor and preorder it now to save 40%. When I worked at a bookstore, 40% off was the employee discount. This is a great deal on a book you won't be able to put down.
Code 6AF23.
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