Aldo Leopold: His Life and Work (Paperback)

by Curt D. Meine (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Leopold is the most significant conservationist of the last seventy years and this is the first full-scale biography, the first to make such extensive use of the Leopold papers.  Thus it makes available reams of material that can be found nowhere else.  There is no other book like this one."—Stephen Fox, author of The American Conservation Movement

 "This is a story well worth reading and, happily, it's good fun to boot.  The author has skillfully captured Leopold the man, the scientist, the philosopher—furthermore, anyone who begins to read it will soon be captured, too."—Gaylord Nelson

Product Description
This is a biography of one of the most significant conservationists of the past 70 years. It makes use of Leopold's papers to provide an account of his life as a both a scientist and a philosopher.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 654 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press (August 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299114945
• ISBN-13: 978-0299114947
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #432,929 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account of a personal odyssey, August 16, 2001

By	William Adair (Logan, UT USA) - See all my reviews

Aldo Leopold is widely admired for his contribution to the modern conservation movement and his seminal work, "A Sand County Almanac." In my own profession (wildlife ecology and management), it seems like a Leopold quotation carries the ultimate weight of authority (and they're much more common, since Meine and Knight's collection, "The Essential Aldo Leopold," came out).

For many years I admired the wise, kind-hearted old man who wrote The Almanac. Aldo Leopold became the most exalted member of my personal pantheon of saints. Aldo Leopold became inspiration incarnate, but lost his humanity in the process. He could do no wrong.

Then I read Curt Meine's biography. Leopold's famous essay, "Thinking Like a Mountain," chronicles only one of the many lessons learned in a life filled with equal parts reckless bravado and deep introspection. Leopold launched his career as a fortunate son, cocksure and itching to change the world, only to learn that real change takes patience, commitment, hard work, compassion, and an open mind willing to learn. Sound familiar?

I read Curt Meine's biography before I read Marybeth Lorbiecki's "Fierce Green Fire." To be honest, I enjoyed both, but found Meine's biography to be more fulfilling. If you want to understand where the Land Ethic really came from, pick up "His Life and Work."

7 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best on the life of Aldo Leopold - riveting!, May 7, 1998

By A Customer

If "Sand County Almanac" was your first taste of Leopold, you'll want to read Curt Meine's book. It's one of those books that you can't put down (if you are a true Leopold fan - if you're not - don't bother, you wouldn't appreciate it!