The Mountains Next Door [Hardcover]

Janice Emily Bowers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1991

The Rincon Mountains east of Tucson are a small and seemingly undistinguished range; rounded and arid, they are more a site for foothill walks than serious exploring. Yet these unassuming mountains disclose many wonders and curiosities upon close inspection, as Janice Emily Bowers discovered while conducting a botanical study there. Over the course of two years she made 38 excursions into the Rincons—some for two or three days at a time—and garnered not only plant specimens but thoughts along the way. The Mountains Next Door is the first book to describe and celebrate the natural history of these mountains that even longtime Arizonans may often take for granted. "I watched the seasons march through the canyons," writes Bowers, "followed the wildflower parade from February through November, and throughout it all realized that I could travel in the Rincon Mountains forever and never learn all they contained." It is also a book of meditations, as Bowers reflects upon the meaning of nature, the similarities between the scientific and creative processes, the value of wilderness in the face of urban encroachment, and other ideas. Participating in the long tradition of reflective natural history writing, she has produced a memorable book that depicts the delights and dilemmas of field botany as it explores the perennial struggle between science and mysticism that tugs at every naturalist's heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bowers ( Seasons of the Wind ), a botanist with the U.S. Geological Survey, attempts to reconcile two approaches to nature--the scientific and the philosophical--in this collection of essays. As a field botanist she must document her observations objectively; and during two years in the Saguaro National Monument, a 63,000-acre preserve in the Rincon Mountains of Arizona, she catalogued nearly 1000 species of flora. As a nature writer, however, she experiences the world on a more poetic level, and even the Rincon Mountains, lacking in scenic beauty and threatened by urban sprawl, are endlessly interesting to her. In her sensitive descriptions of wildflowers, grasses, cacti, sacred datura (a species of nightshade), frogs, mud turtles and the water that is essential to life yet scarce for much of the year, Bowers demonstrates how, through careful observation, we can discover significance in aspects of the natural world that seem at first glance unremarkable.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Botanist and author Bowers ( Seasons of the Wind , Northland, 1986; A Sense of Place: The Life and Work of Forrest Shreve , Univ. of Arizona Pr., 1988) made 38 excursions into Arizona's Rincon Mountains during the two years she spent compiling a flora of Saguaro National Monument, a 63,000-acre preserve. Her book, part field botanist's journal and part essay, evokes those mountains and her love for them as she discovered their natural treasures. Her book gives a taste of history, natural science, and personal philosophy--nature writing intended to reach the heart as well as the mind. Recommended for natural history collections and libraries covering the Southwestern United States.
-Katharine Galloway Garstka, Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 147 pages
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press; First Edition edition (July 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816512434
• ISBN-13: 978-0816512430
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,702,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fluid narratives and scientific passion, January 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mountains Next Door (Hardcover)

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my father-in-law, who very conscientiously purchased the book from a locally-owned, independent bookseller. What a delightful book it is! My husband and I read it together, and we very much enjoyed every page. Bowers writes beautifully, fluidly and with wonderfully astute scientific insight. It is always a pleasure to read the writings of a scientist so inspired by her work that she shares her passion with laypeople; scientific passion is nothing less than infectious, regardless of the discipline. Bowers' essays are accessible, insightful prose that leave the reader hungry for more. A pure delight to read.