Customer Reviews

Shouting at the Sky: Troubled teens and the promise of the wild

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Having a child who attended Aspen Achievement Academy I know first hand how real this book is. The Aspen experience saved her life and this wonderful book enabled those of us at home to relate to what she was going through step by step. I couldn't read more than 2 chapters at a time, I was always crying. This book is heartfelt, emotional and respectful of the program and all those involved with it. It is wonderful reading.

Gary Furgason did an excellent job of relating the expereince of being in a 7 week wilderness program. My son went to this program last year and I felt like I could re-live our expereince of the program. This book would be helpful to those parents thinking of sending their teen to a therapeutic wilderness program. It is very in-sightfull and accurate. Thank you Gary:-)

Having recently sent my son off to a therapeutic wilderness program, I was very grateful for the excellent view this book gave me about my son's experience. Other reviewers have criticized this book for being too "Shirley MacLaine" in its description of the program. But my viewpoint is quite different. I saw the same results that the author reported. My son was transformed from an angry, defiant, miserable young man to a strong, trusting teen. We aren't at the end of the journey for my son, but I can't begin to tell you how beneficial the wilderness program was to my son. Although the author's descriptions of his experiences with the troubled teens may sound unbelievable or simply trite, they are undoubtedly true. If you are a parent of a troubled teen, this book will give you an excellent view of an alternative treatment program.

I was sent to Aspen Achievement Academy shortly after my 17th birthday. At first, I could not imagine what such a program could do for me. It turned out to be the best experience I've ever had. I learned about myself, gained confidence, and made friends who I plan to keep forever. Gary Ferguson is one of those friends. He encourages and supports me. I don't think it's fair to condemn wilderness programs until you have personally experienced them. It was magic for me.

Having worked for several wilderness programs, I felt this book was well written and actually gave credit to the success of wilderness therapy programs. The therapeutic process was well explained from the group and one on one counseling to the metaphoric use of the wilderness component. A worthwhile book for parents, counselors, students, and especially wilderness instructors or therapists. Hope to see more books like this.

I was amused to read John from Arizona's blanket condemnation of wilderness programs. While he's right that there are some bad ones out there (in his book Ferguson goes so far as to suggest there may be more bad ones than good ones), there are great ones, too. I know because I have a younger brother, a former heroine addict, who went to such a program in Oregon three years ago. He says the people there were kind and generous; he also says that it saved his life. I find it depressing that people are so quick to pass judgement on things that they have little or no personal experience with. To suggest that we should shut down all wilderness programs instead of just running out the bad ones out (as we do with bad day care centers, nursing homes, teachers, etc.), gives new definition to the idea of being brainwashed. This book is filled with an incredibe amount of hope. Then again, those too cynical or afraid to believe will never find it.

It is indescribable in words to express how deeply Gary Ferguson's book affected me. I began to read it on our way home after leaving my 16 year old son at Aspen. I could hardly put it down. In the five hour drive home I experienced sadness at leaving my son, resolve that we had made the right decision and even more importantly, comfort---reading about the outdoors, the staff and the groups of kids that Gary interacted with brought me so much comfort and hope. Upon arriving home, I picked up this book the following day and finished reading it. Now that my son has been gone three weeks I can identify with the stages of the program and well as his changes in outlook. I am so grateful that Mr. Ferguson took the time to prepare and write this excellent book. All those naysayers heaving criticism upon this book have obviously NOT had this heartwrenching experience of trying to save a troubled teen!