Download or read book Courage for the Earth written by Peter Matthiessen and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2007 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Courage for the Earth" is a centennial appreciation--for environmentally critical times--of Rachel Carson's brave life and transformative writing, from renowned authors, activists, and scientists.

Download or read book Climate Courage written by Andreas Karelas and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2020-09-29 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How Americans can take action in their own communities and unite across the political spectrum in pursuit of solutions to climate change. Andreas Karelas has a message we don’t often hear: we have all the tools we need to solve the climate crisis and doing so will improve our lives, our economy, and our society. But to engage people in the climate fight, we need stories that are empowering, inclusive, and solutions-oriented, not based in fear. Karelas digs into the latest data on the rapidly falling costs and increased efficiencies of clean energy technologies compared to fossil fuels, looks at the rate of job creation in the clean energy sector, and introduces the reader to the inspiring work of climate heroes on both sides of the aisle—from Republican mayors and governors to activists, from businesses to faith communities. Climate Courage shows us how we can move past our collective inaction on climate change and work together in our communities to create a more sustainable, just, clean energy–powered economy that works for everyone.

Download or read book All We Can Save written by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and published by One World. This book was released on 2021-07-20 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Provocative and illuminating essays from women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions to lead humanity forward. “A powerful read that fills one with, dare I say . . . hope?”—The New York Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE There is a renaissance blooming in the climate movement: leadership that is more characteristically feminine and more faithfully feminist, rooted in compassion, connection, creativity, and collaboration. While it’s clear that women and girls are vital voices and agents of change for this planet, they are too often missing from the proverbial table. More than a problem of bias, it’s a dynamic that sets us up for failure. To change everything, we need everyone. All We Can Save illuminates the expertise and insights of dozens of diverse women leading on climate in the United States—scientists, journalists, farmers, lawyers, teachers, activists, innovators, wonks, and designers, across generations, geographies, and race—and aims to advance a more representative, nuanced, and solution-oriented public conversation on the climate crisis. These women offer a spectrum of ideas and insights for how we can rapidly, radically reshape society. Intermixing essays with poetry and art, this book is both a balm and a guide for knowing and holding what has been done to the world, while bolstering our resolve never to give up on one another or our collective future. We must summon truth, courage, and solutions to turn away from the brink and toward life-giving possibility. Curated by two climate leaders, the book is a collection and celebration of visionaries who are leading us on a path toward all we can save. With essays and poems by: Emily Atkin • Xiye Bastida • Ellen Bass • Colette Pichon Battle • Jainey K. Bavishi • Janine Benyus • adrienne maree brown • Régine Clément • Abigail Dillen • Camille T. Dungy • Rhiana Gunn-Wright • Joy Harjo • Katharine Hayhoe • Mary Annaïse Heglar • Jane Hirshfield • Mary Anne Hitt • Ailish Hopper • Tara Houska, Zhaabowekwe • Emily N. Johnston • Joan Naviyuk Kane • Naomi Klein • Kate Knuth • Ada Limón • Louise Maher-Johnson • Kate Marvel • Gina McCarthy • Anne Haven McDonnell • Sarah Miller • Sherri Mitchell, Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset • Susanne C. Moser • Lynna Odel • Sharon Olds • Mary Oliver • Kate Orff • Jacqui Patterson • Leah Penniman • Catherine Pierce • Marge Piercy • Kendra Pierre-Louis • Varshini • Prakash • Janisse Ray • Christine E. Nieves Rodriguez • Favianna Rodriguez • Cameron Russell • Ash Sanders • Judith D. Schwartz • Patricia Smith • Emily Stengel • Sarah Stillman • Leah Cardamore Stokes • Amanda Sturgeon • Maggie Thomas • Heather McTeer Toney • Alexandria Villaseñor • Alice Walker • Amy Westervelt • Jane Zelikova

Download or read book Between Heaven and Earth written by Steve Berger and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Be Transformed by a Glimpse of Paradise · What will heaven be like? What will we do? Who will we see? · How can I become more excited about heaven as my true home? · Is it possible that knowing more about heaven will result in greater joy and purpose in my daily life? It's not easy separating fact from fiction when it comes to heaven, nor is it always easy to see how the afterlife can affect our lives today. After a car accident caused his nineteen-year-old son to unexpectedly enter heaven, Pastor Steve Berger chose to reject despair and commit himself to carefully studying his son's new, eternal home. He had no idea how much there was to learn, and his life hasn't been the same since. This biblical and deeply personal study of heaven will give you hope for the future. But more than that, it will show you what it means to live today in light of the reality of heaven. If your view of heaven isn't life-changing, it needs to be adjusted. Let Pastor Berger's exploration of eternity fill you with overflowing hope, courage, and purpose. "Sometimes we feel stuck--stuck between the hope of heaven and the pain of this world. In Between Heaven and Earth, my friend Steve Berger shows us how to not only live in that tension, but how--and why--we should embrace it."--Dave Ramsey, New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio show host "I grew up hearing people say, 'Some Christians are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good.' Nowadays it seems like the church has become so earthly minded we're of no heavenly good. In Between Heaven and Earth, my friend Pastor Steve Berger shows us the absolute necessity of having a heavenly mind-set (Colossians 3:1-2) in order to make a real difference in people's lives while we remain on earth. Embrace the truths of this book--learn how to have your heart in heaven and your hand in the harvest. It's one decision you'll never regret!"--Jeremy Camp "When my friend Steve Berger talks about heaven, I sit up and listen. I've walked with Steve as he's faced the trials of this life, and I've observed how he has emerged with a deeper faith and love for the Father and the people around him. What he has taught me makes me long for heaven. It also makes me want to spend my time on earth making a difference . . . and finishing well."--Michael W. Smith "A beloved pastor and teacher, Steve Berger taught for years on the reality of heaven even as we serve Christ on earth, never knowing that one tragic event would bring both realities irrevocably into sharp focus in a moment. . . . Some of God's greatest mysteries are wrapped up in tragedy, but the tear-stained wisdom mined in that darkness is a gift to us all. In this marvelous book, heaven will become a greater reality even as we are invited to live our lives on earth with greater passion."--Sheila Walsh, author of The Storm Inside "Steve has a rich, compelling perspective on Glory that will give you fresh grace to lean into the perfect love of Jesus today. Therefore, I encourage readers not to stop at just one--instead buy a whole case of these puppies and pass them out to all your friends and family!"--Lisa Harper, author, Bible teacher and Women of Faith speaker "In stark contrast to the Bible--and the whole of Christian history--today's believers think little about heaven and much about the comforts, challenges, and distractions of this life. In this much-needed corrective, Pastor Steve Berger challenges and equips us to be more heavenly minded, so we can, in fact, be more earthly good."--Michael Hyatt, New York Times bestselling author

Download or read book Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis written by John Wiseman and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-08-16 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the risks of the climate crisis continue to grow, so too do the challenges of facing a harsh climate future with honesty and courage; justice and compassion; meaning and purpose. Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis explores diverse sources of learning and wisdom –from climate scientists and activists; philosophers and social theorists; Indigenous cultures and ways of life; faith based and spiritual traditions; artists and writers –which can help us live courageous, compassionate and creative lives in a world of rapidly accelerating climatic and ecological risk. Accelerating the transition to a just and resilient zero-carbon society will require visionary leadership and courageous collective action. Awareness that rapid action might still be insufficient to prevent severe and irreversible social and ecological damage is however a source of deep concern for many people passionately committed to decisive climate action. Drawing on broad experience as a climate activist, researcher and policy maker John Wiseman provides a wide ranging, accessible and provocative guided tour of ideas which can inspire and sustain radical hope and defiant courage in the long emergency which now lies before us.

Download or read book World as Lover World as Self 30th Anniversary Edition written by Joanna Macy and published by Parallax Press. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This overview of Joanna Macy's innovative work combines deep ecology, general systems theory, and the Buddha's teachings on interdependent co-arising. A blueprint for social change, World as Lover, World as Self shows how we can reverse the destructive attitudes that threaten our world, with concrete suggestions on how to address "An Inconvenient Truth". The essays are based on the Buddha's teachings of "Paticca samuppada" (interdependent co-arising). Reduced to deceptively simple terms this says that everything in the world- every object, feeling, emotion, and action is influenced by a huge, all-inclusive web of factors. Any change in the condition of any one thing in this web affects everything else by virtue of interconnectedness. It makes World as Lover World as Self a quintessential guide for those readers who want to integrate their Buddhist practice with concerns for social issues like global warming. It also breaches the dualities that have haunted much of both Eastern and Western thought, namely the dichotomies between mind/body, humanity/nature, reason/emotion, self/world, science/spirituality. The premise is that self-centeredness, and modern individualisms are ultimately destructive for the environment. We are not individuals separate from the world. Instead we are always "co-arising" or co-creating the world, and we cannot escape the consequence of what we do to the environment. Joanna Macy presents a re-focusing on the beauty of the natural world as personally nourishing and replenishment as one way to move away from our self-centeredness. For this revised edition the author will be adding some chapters as well as removing others. The new ones will deal largely with her new work around the "Great Turning" that will add a somewhat more visionary, future-oriented, and strategic dimension to the book. World as Lover, World as Self shows us how to realize that the earth is an extension of ourselves and how to discover the knowledge, authority and courage to respond creatively to the crises of our time. Foreword Thich Nhat Hanh

Download or read book Rooted and Rising written by Leah D. Schade and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-11-01 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rooted and Rising is for everyone who worries about the climate crisis and seeks spiritual practices and perspectives to renew their capacity for compassionate, purposeful, and joyful action. Leah Schade and Margaret Bullitt-Jonas gather twenty-one faith leaders, scientists, community organizers, theologians, and grassroots climate activists to offer wisdom for fellow pilgrims grappling with the weight of climate change. Acknowledging the unprecedented nature of our predicament—the fact that climate disruption is unraveling the web of life and threatening the end of human civilization—the authors share their stories of grief and hope, fear and faith. Together, the essays, introductory sections, and discussion questions reveal that our present crisis can elicit a depth of wisdom, insight, and motivation with power to guide us toward a more peaceful, just, and Earth-honoring future. With a foreword by Mary Evelyn Tucker and a special introduction by Bill McKibben, the book presents an interfaith perspective that welcomes and challenges readers of all backgrounds.

Download or read book Courage Goes to Work written by Bill Treasurer and published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. This book was released on 2008 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hardest part of a manager's job isn't staying organized, meeting deliverable dates, or staying on budget. It's dealing with people who are too comfortable doing things the way they've always been done and too afraid to do things differently—workers who are, as author Bill Treasurer puts it, too “comfeartable.” Such workers fail to exert themselves any more than they have to, equating “just enough” with good enough. By avoiding even mild challenges, these workers thwart forward progress and make their businesses dangerously safe. To combat this affliction, Treasurer proposes a bold antidote: courage. In Courage Goes to Work, he lays out a comprehensive, step-by-step process that treats courage as a skill that can be developed and strengthened. He Treasurer shows how managers can build workplace courage by modeling courageous behavior themselves, creating an environment where people feel safe taking chances and helping workers deal with fear. To make the concept of courage more concrete, Treasurer identifies what he calls the Three Buckets of Courage: Try Courage, having the guts to take initiative; Trust Courage, being willing to follow the lead of others; and Tell Courage, being honest and assertive with coworkers and bosses. He illustrates each with a variety of vivid real-world examples and offers proven practices for helping your workers keep each bucket full. Aristotle said that courage is the first virtue because it makes all other virtues possible. It's as true in business as it is in life. With more courage, workers gain the necessary confidence to take on harder projects, embrace company changes with more enthusiasm, and extend themselves in ways that will benefit their careers and their company. Courage Goes to Work is the first book to take a systematic approach to developing a vital but overlooked component of business success.

Download or read book Uncommon Courage written by Andrea T Edwards and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-10 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uncommon Courageis an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It's also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. This book opens a path to inner contentment, peace, and happiness, and a path to meaningful action. It brings you an opportunity to reflect. What if there was another way? What if we could do something about the bigger issues facing our world? What if we could make meaningful change? Well, we can. Despite today's turmoil-which we can utilize as a springboard to action-a transformational journey is possible for all of us. Uncommon Courage is as practical, funny, and grounded in optimism as Andrea herself, and it's your toolkit for a deep-dive journey towards joy, purpose, and the kind of inner transformation that will make a real difference in the world we all share. In this book, you will discover 108 interlinking strategies to shift your thinking, improve your mood, and lighten your heart. This book helps you take on anger, parenting, climate change, self-awareness, and career change. Some of the stories are funny, while others may lovingly push your buttons. Living a full life takes courage and this book is designed to help you build yours. Read it, reflect, laugh, and enjoy. Reactions from early readers: "Reading Uncommon Courage is like going to a dinner party and being seated with an experienced CEO, a spiritual guru, and a wise old grandma." Tara Moody, marketing and culture speaker, strategist, content creator "This is not a quick-fix self-help book, but rather a personal travel guide for you that will help you lead yourself and your life." Andrew Bryant, CSP, author, Self-Leadership: How to be a More Successful, Efficient and Effective Leader from the Inside Out "Written from the depths of her soul, Andrea's vulnerability encourages us to reflect on how we are living our lives." Shirley Taylor, CSP, author, Connecting the Dots to Inspire the Leader in You "Andrea's stories takes us through the streets of Calcutta, where she meets Mother Teresa, to being chased, robbed, and nurturedin some of the most dangerous countries on the planet-to learning unconditionally how to say YES to life. Epic." John Vincent Gordon, CEO Expat Choice Media "Uncommon Courage is a kick in the butt and a spark in the heart." Anupama Singal, author, SYZYGYmoments "These stories about travel, challenges, conflicts, people and planetary urgency remind me of sitting around a bonfire and absorbing experiences of the well-travelled wise. Uncommon Courage rocks!" Kevin Cottam, author, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle... for Too Long Andrea T Edwards CSP, the Digital Conversationalist, is an award-winning B2B communications professional with over 20 years' experience. She speaks on social leadership and integrity in the digital age to professionals around the world. Her travels currently have her living on an island with her husband, two sons, a dog, and two neurotic cats.

Download or read book Storm Blown written by Nick Courage and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2019-07-16 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Beautiful, vivid writing and a power-packed plot . . . I truly loved it."--Lauren Tarshis, bestselling author of the I SURVIVED series "Awesome. Super-intense, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat stuff."--Max Brallier, New York Times bestselling author of the LAST KIDS ON EARTH series A major hurricane is raging across the southern United States, and two unsuspecting kids are about to have the adventure of a lifetime! Perfect for kids who love high-stakes plots and natural disaster movies, and anyone interested in extreme weather! And coming in January 2022, don't miss another epic adventure, SNOW STRUCK. A little rain and wind don't worry Alejo--they're just part of life at the beach. As his padrino says, as long as there are birds in the waves, it's safe. When people start evacuating, though, Alejo realizes things might be worse than he thought. And they are. A hurricane is headed straight for Puerto Rico. Emily's brother, Elliot, has been really sick. He can't go outside their New Orleans home, so Emily decides to have an adventure for him. She's on a secret mission to the tiny island Elliot loves. She's not expecting to meet up with an injured goose or a shy turtle. And nothing has prepared her for Megastorm Valerie. Soon Alejo and Emily will be in Valerie's deadly path. Who will survive?

Download or read book Lost Woods written by Rachel Carson and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the previously uncollected works of the author of the environmental classic Silent Spring—considered one of the best nature writers of the 20th century. "Lyric, descriptive, informative, and moving."—The New York Times When Rachel Carson died of cancer in 1964, her four books, including the environmental classic Silent Spring, had made her one of the most famous people in America. This anthology of previously uncollected writings is a priceless addition to our knowledge of Rachel Carson, her affinity with the natural world, and her life. Featuring nature writing, speeches, field notebook passages, and letters, this collection is an invaluable insight to Carson's thought and philosophy and a treasure trove for environmentalists.

Download or read book The Cost of Courage written by Richard R. Schneider and published by Richard Schneider. This book was released on 2007 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dedicated physician shatters the medical white wall of silence. In his startling memoir Schneider reveals the underbelly of the medical profession. This book is written with unprecedented candor. It is a must read for any person who has ever been, or ever will be, a patient.

Download or read book On Earth We re Briefly Gorgeous written by Ocean Vuong and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The instant New York Times Bestseller • Nominated for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction “A lyrical work of self-discovery that’s shockingly intimate and insistently universal…Not so much briefly gorgeous as permanently stunning.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one’s own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard. With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years. Named a Best Book of the Year by: GQ, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, TIME, Esquire, The Washington Post, Apple, Good Housekeeping, The New Yorker, The New York Public Library, Elle.com, The Guardian, The A.V. Club, NPR, Lithub, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Mother Jones, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal Magazine and more!

Download or read book Braving the Wilderness written by Brené Brown and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 bestselling author of Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection Don’t miss the five-part Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! “True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are.” Social scientist Brené Brown, PhD, MSW, has sparked a global conversation about the experiences that bring meaning to our lives—experiences of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy. In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown will again change the cultural conversation while mapping a clear path to true belonging. Brown argues that we’re experiencing a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other. She writes, “True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. But in a culture that’s rife with perfectionism and pleasing, and with the erosion of civility, it’s easy to stay quiet, hide in our ideological bunkers, or fit in rather than show up as our true selves and brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism. But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it’s a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.” Brown offers us the clarity and courage we need to find our way back to ourselves and to each other. And that path cuts right through the wilderness. Brown writes, “The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it’s the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.”

Download or read book Snow Struck written by Nick Courage and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An historic blizzard is raging across the eastern seaboard, and three unsuspecting kids are about to find themselves smack in the middle of it! Perfect for fans of the I SURVIVED series who are looking for a high-stakes adventure! Neither Elizabeth norher little brother, Matty, have ever been north of Georgia. They’re used to sandals and shorts, not boots and parkas. So when they fly to New York City to spend the holidayswith their cousin Ashley, they want to experience one thing: SNOW! Ashley can’t wait to show her cousins how magical Manhattan is at Christmastime. But instead of a week of fun, what they get is an arctic blast that knocks out the power and plunges the skyscrapers into darkness. It’s unreal: the blizzard covers the Statue of Liberty in ice and topples the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center! When Ashley’s dog, Fang, gets lost outside, the cousins take matters into their own hands. . . and are caught in the storm’s dangerous path as they chase Fang across the frozen city. Can the little Pomeranian survive the cold, snow, and ice blanketing Manhattan? Can they?

Download or read book Men of Brave Heart written by Archbishop Jose H. Gomez and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2009-12-09 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does it take to see man at his worst? To share the pain of suffering and death? To persevere a life of faith? It takes a courageous heart. Men of Brave Heart is a celebration of the priestly life--from the historical and Scriptural connections through the example of the saints before us. The priesthood is a vocation of courage and human drama that brings incredible gifts. Men of Brave Heart is the perfect inspiration for any priest or seminarian as well as anyone who wants to better understand the special calling of their priest.

Download or read book Undaunted Courage written by Stephen E. Ambrose and published by PREMIER DIGITAL PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2011-11 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this sweeping adventure story, Stephen E. Ambrose, the bestselling author of D-Day, presents the definitive account of one of the most momentous journeys in American history. Ambrose follows the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Thomas Jefferson's hope of finding a waterway to the Pacific, through the heart-stopping moments of the actual trip, to Lewis' lonely demise on the Natchez Trace. Along the way, Ambrose shows us the American West as Lewis saw it -- wild, awsome, and pristinely beautiful. Undaunted Courage is a stunningly told action tale that will delight readers for generations. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River to the Rockies, over the mountains, down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, and back. Lewis was the perfect choice. He endured incredible hardships and saw incredible sights, including vast herds of buffalo and Indian tribes that had had no previous contact with white men. He and his partner, Captain William Clark, made the first map of the trans-Mississippi West, provided invaluable scientific data on the flora and fauna of the Louisiana Purchase territory, and established the American claim to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Ambrose has pieced together previously unknown information about weather, terrain, and medical knowledge at the time to provide a colorful and realistic backdrop for the expedition. Lewis saw the North American continent before any other white man; Ambrose describes in detail native peoples, weather, landscape, science, everything the expedition encountered along the way, through Lewis's eyes. Lewis is supported by a rich variety of colorful characters, first of all Jefferson himself, whose interest in exploring and acquiring the American West went back thirty years. Next comes Clark, a rugged frontiersman whose love for Lewis matched Jefferson's. There are numerous Indian chiefs, and Sacagawea, the Indian girl who accompanied the expedition, along with the French-Indian hunter Drouillard, the great naturalists of Philadelphia, the French and Spanish fur traders of St. Louis, John Quincy Adams, and many more leading political, scientific, and military figures of the turn of the century. This is a book about a hero. This is a book about national unity. But it is also a tragedy. When Lewis returned to Washington in the fall of 1806, he was a national hero. But for Lewis, the expedition was a failure. Jefferson had hoped to find an all-water route to the Pacific with a short hop over the Rockies-Lewis discovered there was no such passage. Jefferson hoped the Louisiana Purchase would provide endless land to support farming-but Lewis discovered that the Great Plains were too dry. Jefferson hoped there was a river flowing from Canada into the Missouri-but Lewis reported there was no such river, and thus no U.S. claim to the Canadian prairie. Lewis discovered the Plains Indians were hostile and would block settlement and trade up the Missouri. Lewis took to drink, engaged in land speculation, piled up debts he could not pay, made jealous political enemies, and suffered severe depression. High adventure, high politics, suspense, drama, and diplomacy combine with high romance and personal tragedy to make this outstanding work of scholarship as readable as a novel.