Reflections from the North Country (Hardcover)

by Sigurd F Olson (Author), Leslie Kouba (Illustrator) "While I have known many frontiers over the continent, it is the era of the fur trade and exploration in the Northwest that has intrigued..." (more)
Key Phrases: perimeter men, intangible values, ancient rhythms, Hudson Bay, Lao Tzu

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (September 12, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394402650
• ISBN-13: 978-0394402659
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #787,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughful, compelling book useful in today's hectic world., November 3, 1998

By A Customer

Here in the late twentieth century as the pace of life seems to quicken daily, Sigurd Olson's "Reflections from the North Country" offers a calm refuge and thoughtful perspective with which to deal with our hectic world. Olson was an outdoorsman and sage, and has provided in this book a series of essays drawn from his lifelong love affair with the great out of doors.

The truly refreshing aspect of the book is its ability to drop a mantle of calm around the reader. In simple, evocative language supported by obvious deep thought Olson helps one reflect on the pace and values we keep today. Essay titles such as Timelessness, Great Silences, Search for Meaning, Harmony, Beauty, Freedom, Contemplation hint at the breadth of this book.

If interested in retreating from and reflecting on our world today, this is an excellent companion with which to do so. Though written more than twenty years ago, it is timeless in its ability to reach deep into our souls.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lure of Voyageurs, February 11, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

I first learned about Olson from a canoe instructer. On overnight camping trips he would often read a passage from Sigurd Olson to get us to reflect on the beauty of nature around us. Olson's work has a charisma that can not be found by any other writer. Reflections of The North Country was the first of Olson's books that I have had the privledge to read. I read the hardcover version, and found it to be food for the soal. In the hectic modern world that we live in today it is wonderful to learn from the wisdom of the ages, and get back to nature. Reflections is a compilation of beautifully writtin essays written by the late Sigurd Olson as he neared the end of his life. He looks back on the bygone era, and lure of the old French Canadian Voyageur, and describes many of his own voyages by canoe. I would recommend this book and others by Olson to anyone who loves the outdoors.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless, September 20, 2004

By	j. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reflections from the North Country (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series) (Paperback)

This book compiles some of Olson's best writings. In it, his last book, Olson further explores the concept of self-reflection and self-discovery through wilderness solace. His writing will be of interest to anyone who enjoys the outdoors (especially canoeing), but also readers who enjoy general contemporary philosophy.