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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell Paperback - 2004 - 1st Edition

by John Wesley Powell; William Debuys (Editor)

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Reader reviews for Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell

From the publisher

John Wesley Powell was an American original. He was the last of the nation's great continental explorers and the first of a new breed of public servant: part scientist, part social reformer, part institution builder. His work and life reveal an enduringly valuable way of thinking about land, water, and society as parts of an interconnected whole; he was America's first great bioregional thinker.

Seeing Things Whole presents John Wesley Powell in the full diversity of his achievements and interests, bringing together in a single volume writings ranging from his gripping account of exploring the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon to his views on the evolution of civilization, along with the seminal writings in which he sets forth his ideas on western settlement and the allocation and management of western resources.

The centerpiece of Seeing Things Whole is a series of selections from the famous 1878 Report on the Lands of the Arid Region and related magazine articles in which Powell further develops the themes of the report. In those, he recommends organizing the Arid Lands into watershed commonwealths governed by resident citizens whose interlocking interests create the checks and balances essential to wise stewardship of the land. This was the central focus of John Wesley Powell's bioregional vision, and it remains a model for governance that many westerners see as a viable solution to the resource management conflicts that continue to bedevil the region.

Throughout the collection, award-winning writer and historian William deBuys brilliantly sets the historical context for Powell's work. Section introductions and extensive descriptive notes take the reader through the evolution of John Wesley Powell's interests and ideas from his role as an officer in the Civil War through his critique of Social Darwinism and landmark categorization of Indian languages, to the climatic yet ultimately futile battles he fought to win adoption of his land-use proposals.

Seeing Things Whole presents the essence of the extraordinary legacy that John Wesley Powell has left to the American people, and to people everywhere who strive to reconcile the demands of society with the imperatives of the land.


First line

EARLY IN THE afternoon of May 24, 1869, a crowd assembled on the banks of the Green River, in Wyoming Territory, just downstream of the bridge where the Union Pacific Railroad crossed the Green.

Details

  • Title Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell
  • Author John Wesley Powell; William Debuys (Editor)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition number 1st
  • Edition 1
  • Pages 388
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Island Press, Washington, DC
  • Publication date January 1, 2004
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9781559638739 / 1559638737
  • Weight 1.31 lbs (0.59 kg)
  • Dimensions 9 x 6 x 1 in (22.86 x 15.24 x 2.54 cm)
  • Category Nature
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2001001809
  • Dewey Decimal Code 550.92

About the author

William deBuys is a historian, conservationist, and writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His books include Enchantment and Exploitation (University of New Mexico Press, 1989), River of Traps (University of New Mexico Press, 1996), and Salt Dreams (University of New Mexico Press, 1999).
John Wesley Powell (1834 - 1902) was a US soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He is famous for the 1869 Powell Geographic Expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers that included the first known passage through the Grand Canyon.

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Seeing Things Whole The Essential John Wesley Powell

Seeing Things Whole The Essential John Wesley Powell

by Powell, John Wesley & William Debuys

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Island Press. Fine. 2001. First Edition :. Softcover. 1559638737 . Octovo in wraps, tight binding, crisp pages, edges knife-sharp, else AS NEW. Solid copy. "...the preeminent interpreter of the American West.." ; Pioneers Of Conservation; 8.8 X 5.4 X 1.1 inches .
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

by Powell, John Wesley

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Island Press, 2004. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

by Powell, John Wesley

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Island Press, 2004-01-01. 2nd. paperback. Used: Good. 6.00x1.00x9.00. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

by Powell, John Wesley

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Island Press, 2004-01-01. 2nd. paperback. Good. 8.9X5.5X1.2. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

by Powell, John Wesley

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Island Press, 2004-01-01. 2nd. paperback. New. 6.00x1.00x9.00. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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NZ$89.26
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

by Powell, John Wesley

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paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
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Seeing Things Whole – The Essential John Wesley Powell
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Seeing Things Whole – The Essential John Wesley Powell

by Debuys, William Eno (Editor)

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Island Pr, 2004. Paperback. New. 1st edition. 320 pages. 8.50x5.50x1.00 inches.
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)
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Seeing Things Whole: The Essential John Wesley Powell (Pioneers of Conservation)

by Powell, John Wesley; deBuys, William [Editor]

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781559638739 / 1559638737
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Island Press, 2004-01-01. paperback. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!
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