The Necessity of Empty Places [Paperback]

Paul Gruchow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1989

An evocative personal narrative that takes us to some of America's least traveled corners in Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gruchow ( Journal of a Prairie Year ) here captures the unconventional beauty of the West with landscapes of the U.S. and presents a compelling case for their preservation. Indicting our cultural penchant for reshaping nature ("Our backyards have become as regular and predictable as our McDonalds"), the author contends that we are putting ourselves on the endangered species list: "We may have lost our awe of nature, but its power remains, and to the extent that we are unmindful of that power, we are less, not more, secure." The book is primarily a celebration of those rugged places that still permit us to see that power. The occasional digressionsan anecdote about John Berryman or a hymn remembered from boyhoodserve to refresh rather than obstruct, and are neatly tied in with the main narrative. Whether tracing the remnants of the Oregon Trail or traversing the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, Gruchow describes, instructs and reflects with the self-assurance of one in complete command of his subject.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This series of interconnected essays reflects one man's exploration of natural places, from the plains of his native Minnesota to the mountains of Wyoming. Gruchow mixes his observations of the natural world with philosophical meanderings, often condemning our present age for its excesses and creeping homogeneity. Among the chapters are descriptions of a modern tour along the old Oregon Trail, walking expeditions into the Bighorn Mountains, and the migration of sandhill cranes. Some of Gruchow's observations are mundane; many are arresting. For all libraries with active natural history collections. Randy Dykhuis, Grand Rapids P.L., Mich.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (November 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312038895
• ISBN-13: 978-0312038892
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,775,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Outdoors & Nature > Nature Writing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why People Should Be Outdoors, April 6, 2003

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Necessity of Empty Places (Paperback)

This book is an enjoyable mix of travelogue and environmental philosophy, but the travelogue portion is more limited than it seems at first glance. A few chapters describe Gruchow's visits to interestingly empty places in Minnesota and Nebraska, but most of the rest of the book deals with two backpacking trips in the mountains of Wyoming. In each chapter Gruchow's writing evolves quickly from a scenery-based travelogue to soul searching and very in-depth musings on mankind's place in nature. The book essentially becomes a series of essays on why people have become disconnected from nature in the modern world, and should spend far more time in the empty spaces that Gruchow enjoys visiting. His thoughts on these matters are deeply philosophical with a real talent for big-picture analysis on the state of human society. Some great examples are Gruchow's use of the population distribution of robins to describe how corporate America is homogenizing our natural diversity (chapter 9), and a staring contest with a trout in a mountain lake that kicks off a wave of social and personal philosophy (chapter 18). Gruchow's writing has the tendency to get drifty and to go off on very long and mundane tangents - beware of sections that are written in the second person especially. But this style of writing (and thinking) is what happens when you're alone in nature with nothing but your thoughts. Gruchow proves that more people should experience this state of mind.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thoughtful, Inspiring, and Unique Work, July 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Necessity of Empty Places (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed The Necessity of Empty Places. It's vivid desciptions of the praririelands of the US and it's thought provoking insights into the relationship that humans have with their environment make the book a satisfying page-turner. Bits of humor and humility keep the book fun and refreshing

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to be discovered, October 16, 2007

By 

J. Colitto - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Necessity of Empty Places (Paperback)

This book is a series of word paintings of wilderness, no story here. I found it an antidote to a busy life. If you can't get outdoors, live in the city perhaps, it's a way to escape without going anywhere, like good books are. Some of the images he paints have me planning a vacation to places I wouldn't have otherwise wanted to visit, like Nebraska (no offense meant to Nebraskans, I'm sure it's a great state). Halfway through the book I got curious about the writer and looked him up. It was devastating to learn he could see such beauty in the world but not enough to keep living. I had to put the book away for a while, but I still read it when I need a dose of nature.