Steep Passages: A World-wide Eco-Adventurer Unlocks Nature's Spiritual Truths [Paperback]

David Lee Drotar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2002

"Life's transitions are sometimes icy, often scary. The more we think about them, the more difficult they seem," writes David Lee Drotar in this collection of penetrating essays. Where others may see only trees or waterfalls, Drotar sees broader psychological, social and sometimes political implications in the outdoor adventures he pursues.

Steep Passages skillfully draws parallels between the natural world and the people who are finding their way through it. Whether describing the unusual reproductive mechanisms of lizards in the Galapagos Islands, dialoging with French teenagers about American television, or chronicling his September 11 experiences on the Rideau canal in Canada, Drotar's engaging stories yield surprise and meaning around every bend in the trail.

At a time when we're all less sure about where our lives are headed, Steep Passages takes us on a literary journey that is destined to become a classic of modern nature writing. From the ski slopes of New England to the mountain bazaars of Africa, Drotar weaves powerful sensory images, history and metaphor in an almost mystical narrative that crosses all cultural boundaries and captures the essence of what it means to be human.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...It is really about being alive in the world today." -- Hope Farm Press & Book Shop

"I'm hoping they can get Clint Eastwood for the audiotape. It will sound great in my Land Rover." -- From New Orleans Times-Picayune

"I'm hoping they can get Clint Eastwood for the audiotape. It will sound great in my Land Rover." -- New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Steep Passages is savored like a good meal that a dear friend prepares." -- Espaces, Quebec's largest outdoor magazine

Among recommended new nature books by regional authors. -- Albany, New York, Times Union

Author segment on "The Round Table" April 22, 2003 (Earth Day). -- National Public Radio

Recommended reading for recipients of the Beagle II Award, a scientific discovery and exploration program of Stanford University. -- Stanford University

About the Author

David Lee Drotar is the award-winning author of seven books including Hiking: Pure & Simple, the first complete book devoted exclusively to hiking. His work appears widely in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Toronto Globe & Mail, New York Post and other major publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Brookview Pr (February 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970764901
• ISBN-13: 978-0970764904
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,303,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provocative, December 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Steep Passages: A World-wide Eco-Adventurer Unlocks Nature's Spiritual Truths (Paperback)

This book left me spellbound. Drotar has a true talent for telling tales that move on several levels. A river journey in Southeast Asia becomes a backward journey in time... Riding a horse through the Adirondacks leads to deeper insights about the precarious nature of our daily lives... A ski expedition reveals truths about the frightening transitions we all face. The eighteen essays, categorized by season, span the globe, yet they all affirm our connection with nature and with each other. And, somehow, Drotar manages to accomplish this with without ponderous prose or heavy-handing philosophizing. Tuck this book in your backpack for thoughtful reading during your own travels, or keep it on your bedside table to inspire your dreams.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enticing Collection of Short Stories, May 16, 2002

By 

Gary J. Jakacky "nagaisan" (Pittsfield, Ma United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Steep Passages: A World-wide Eco-Adventurer Unlocks Nature's Spiritual Truths (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book immensely. Drotar whisks us around the world in these captivating essays, riding an icebreaker in Finland at one moment, a mountain bike in Wales the next. Every person, every place, every event reveals so much more to Drotar than it does to most of us. Ski runs become metaphors for life's challenges. A night sky helps Drotar discover the planet beneath his feet. The author dances thru time and space in a way that bewitches the reader and enriches his travel experience. Struggles for democracy in Myanmar--and America--are reflected in a prism where time, Zen and Buddhist like, flows backwards. Landowners in the pacific northwest embrace redwoods and a new ethic. His characters come to life on the page: Cowboys at a roundup in Wyoming, rangers with eagle eyes in the Catskills, children in Quito carrying bundles of dignity amidst urban squalor.

Few writers can weave their thoughts and meaning into a travel experience without destroying the tempo or becoming preachy, but Drotar accomplishes both.

5.0 out of 5 stars Intensely Rich Images and Inner Messages on Life, April 4, 2002

By 

Kelly M. Becker (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steep Passages: A World-wide Eco-Adventurer Unlocks Nature's Spiritual Truths (Paperback)

Steep Passages took me on a wild ride through nature, exotic places, and fascinating people. There were times when I felt as though I was right along side Drotar, feeling the cool winter wind on my face or tasting the salty sea air. The descriptions in the book are so intensely rich and full of life that at times you can't believe that one person has experienced what so many only dream of. From chapter to chapter, Steep Passages keeps you craving for more and more and in the mean while Drotar's inner messages on life, often make you reflect on whom you are and what you're doing with yours. It's a book that I could read over and over again and each time immerse myself into a scene that many of us only dream about feeling, tasting and believing.