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Title: A Natural History of the Chicago Region (Center Books on Chicago and Environs) by Joel Greenberg, University of Chicago Press ISBN: 0-226-30648-8 Publisher: University of Chicago Press (Trd) Pub. Date: June, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Uplifting, depressing, and then finishing with hope!
Comment: Being born and raised in Lake County Indiana, I had now idea of what the region was really like before Europeans arrived. In a world now that is predominated by concrete, steel and noise, the pristine nature must have been staggering when Fr. Marquette first arrived. However, after Europeans settled in the region, what they did was absolutely tragic. American history often focuses on the depletion of the natural resources west of the Mississippi River, especially the Bison. I was amazed just how efficiently humans exploited the Chicago region, it almost pales in terms of Western US history. This is a well written and documented book of the complete exploitation of the entire area and every possible ecosystem. Reading about it made me depressed. But I also was amazed how many species (>90%) still can be found. Many people fought outrageously lopsided battles to save a few acres here and there. Had it not been for these forward thinking people, surely little or none of the praries, woods, wetlands and dunes would be left. Anyone reading this book should think twice and then again about killing the next snake they see in their garden, or dumping out that last bit of herbicide from their lawn sprayer. Thanks Mr. Greenburg for sharing your labor of love with us.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Unique Masterpiece
Comment: What makes this book unique and so valuable is that it pulls together a wide diversity of material into a unified whole. To access equivalent information one would have to consult hundreds of separate sources (indeed, the bibliography includes approximately 500 entries.) Greenberg paints a complete picture of the natural history of the greater Chicago area, from southwestern Michigan around the lake into southeastern Wisconsin, with a wide-ranging view of the geology, ecosystems, flora, and fauna. I have been a resident of this area for 50 years and always had a keen interest in nature, but reading this book I realized how little I actually knew about my surroundings. I was saddened at many points while reading of what has been destroyed here in the past 300 years. Greenberg's accounts of this violence are neither shrill nor hand-wringing, and he injects hope for what can yet be saved and how. This wonderful book has a place on the shelves of all nature lovers in the greater Chicago area, and is an absolute must for all public and school libraries!
Rating: 5
Summary: An Eye Opening Triumph!
Comment: If I could select one regional work that should be required reading for all high school seniors of the region, this would be it. Greenberg's ability to tell this incredible story simultaneously on both the historical and natural levels, while maintaining continuity, is by itself, fascinating. How one region of such incredibly diverse land and seascapes, flora, fauna and natural beauty could be ravaged, wasted and in some cases recovered makes riveting reading. The wetlands of the Kankakee and Calumet may have been as diverse and abundant with wildlife as any areas this continent has ever seen. His descriptions of these areas, as well as descriptions of the great prairies and the dunes and the battles that were fought to save them need to be taught as we teach any core discipline. Having spent most of life in the Chicago region, I am amazed at how little most of us know of our own natural past. As both a historical essay and a reference volume, A Natural History of the Chicago Region is a remarkable work and just great reading.
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Title: Geology Underfoot in Illinois by Ray Wiggers, Raymond Wiggers ISBN: 087842346X Publisher: Mountain Press Publishing Company Pub. Date: November, 1996 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History by Libby Hill ISBN: 189312102X Publisher: Lake Claremont Press Pub. Date: August, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways by David Solzman ISBN: 0829410236 Publisher: Loyola Pr Pub. Date: 17 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Nature of Chicago: A Comprehensive Guide to Natural Sites in and Around the City by Isabel S. Abrams ISBN: 1556523122 Publisher: Chicago Review Press Pub. Date: July, 1997 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Windy City Wild: Chicago's Naural Wonders by Robert Shaw, Jason Lindsey, Bill Kurtis ISBN: 1556524161 Publisher: Chicago Review Press Pub. Date: November, 2000 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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