20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I couldn't have told the story better . . ., December 11, 1999
Gary's book doesn't deseve the criticism it receives from many of the apathetic cynics at Amazon. As a former staff member at AAA I've struggled to tell my story to everyone I encounter - now I pass around a copy of shouting at the sky. I suppose I read it from a different perspective than most, but what Gary has created within the content of his narraration is an accurate portrayal unclouded by imagination or corporate whoredom. He doesn't attempt to sell Aspen, there is no need - a larger population at the program would only detriment from it's effectiveness. He is telling the stories of the lives of troubled youth and what they chose to receive from this program. Truth be told, every time I feel myself struggling with life I pick up the book and treat it as my memoirs of a magical time that not only changed the lives of those youth that I worked with but my life as well. "Shouting at the Sky" should serve as a pedagogical work to be included in every teachers' library. The wilderness may serve as the vehicle for the transformation of the lives written about within the text - but these experiences can easily crossover into the real world. Thank you Gary - your gift of story-telling warms my heart.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Proud Aspen Graduate, October 14, 2004
It pains me to read these reviews seeing how disappointed some people were with this book. Not only was I sent to Aspen when I was only 14, but to be honest the experience has changed my life indefinitely. Not only is the author accurate, but by reading the book, I was able to reconnect to the wilderness. I only hope that one day I will have the ability to go back and work at Aspen and help troubling youth, like the staff there helped me.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nature Writer Discovers Human Nature, October 29, 2003
We've heard the stories about youth who die in therapeutic wilderness programs. We also hear about young men and women dying during military basic training, in senseless automobile accidents, and from their involvement in various unlawful activities. The negative stories get the public exposure...and persist.
How much do we hear about therapeutic wilderness programs that have turned youth around, literally saved their lives? How many stories do we see in the papers about the thousands of fine men and women who complete military basic training with pride and perform so well protecting our country? A very small percentage of students are ever involved in automobile accidents or unlawful activity.
There is good news, and we need to listen and spread the word. Gary Ferguson heard about the powerful work done by Aspen Achievement Academy, a highly reputed outdoor program designed to turn around troubled youth. Based in Loa, Utah, several hours south of Salt Lake City, the Academy runs a program that reaches deep inside the young men and women who are sent there--often against their will. These troubled teens have acted out their anger and confusion by doing drugs or alcohol, harming others or themselves, and engaging in other extremely anti-social behaviors. They are sent to Loa by parents at the end of their rope, therapists and counselors, and sometimes legal situations. They don't want to go, yet they are transformed in spite of their initial resistance. A couple of months in the desert and the woods, under the close supervision of trained counselors who care about them produces incredible turnaround results.
The young people experience a wide range of insights, surrounded by caring and loving people whose job it is to keep them safe and give them an environment where they can find themselves and grow. Curious, and perhaps a bit suspicions, nature writer Gary Ferguson made arrangements to become trained as a counselor and experience what the teens--and their staff support people--go through every day.
Shouting at the Sky is a beautifully crafted story about journeys. Spending time with a girls' group and a boys' group, Ferguson observes, listens, participates, and creates a moving journal of the experience. Readers will share the life-changing shifts of troubled teens, the dedication and stress of staff, and Ferguson's personal transformation as he is influenced by troubled youth practically fighting for their lives.
The nature writer comes out-in the flowerly language that feeds the reader's imagination--and in the appreciation of the environments in which the young people function. Sometimes the depth of the writer's ability to use the English language to paint pictures gets in the way of the message, but the message burns its way through. Ferguson learned about human nature in the weeks that he actually spent with the youth and the staff counselors.
The stories are often gripping, moving, and heart-warming. I was inspired to keep reading, didn't want to put the book down. If you have children who might be described as troubled youth, read this book. If you're a teacher, counselor, or therapist working with youth, read this book. Having spent some time in Loa learning more about Aspen Achievement Academy, I can tell you that this book is accurate and well worth the read.
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