The Great Western Divide (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "We're going to talk about God here and that's a pretty dangerous thing to do..." (more)
Key Phrases: Moro Rock, Dutch Bill, Mineral King (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

... intensely personal and spiritual journey throughout the California landscape...An unusual look at the natural world and the human mind. -- Fred Klein, Santa Barbara News-Press, August 7, 2005

...Intensely personal and spiritual journey throughout the California landscape….An unusual look at the natural world and the human mind. -- Fred Klein, Santa Barbara News-Press, August 7, 2005

...Intensely personal and spiritual journey throughout the California landscape….An unusual look at the natural world and the human mind. --Fred Klein, Santa Barbara News-Press, August 7, 2005

The book is rarely pretentious, thoroughly readable, and successful in conveying a message from which more of us could learn. -- Matt Kettman, Santa Barbara Independent, August 11, 2005

…Rarely pretentious, thoroughly readable, and successful in conveying a message from which more of us could learn. -- Matt Kettman, Santa Barbara Independent, August 11, 2005

…Rarely pretentious, thoroughly readable, and successful in conveying a message from which more of us could learn. --Matt Kettman, Santa Barbara Independent, August 11, 2005

Product Description

Imagine a nightlong campfire somewhere on the Kaweah River surrounded by, among others, Lao Tsu, Joseph Campbell, Clarence King (the first man to map the Great Western Divide), and Chappo, the last chief of the Potwisha. Hanging around the fringes, between the light and the dark, are Coyote and Crow. These are the spirits that inform the book as it continually poses the question, “Who are we really?” throughout the long dark night that moves toward dawn. In a panoramic vision that extends from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the lake-encrusted, high granite peaks above the timberline of the Sierra Nevada, John Spivey takes the reader on a tour of the California landscape. The tour also includes the topography of our minds as it explores the valleys and peaks, the crags and meanders of the way we are. Spivey draws on his heritage as a descendent of one of the pioneer families of the Kaweah watershed of the Sierra Nevada. The book intertwines family tales of loss, Christian myth, Zen/Taoist stories and the history of the Yokuts Indians into a potent Pacific Rim brew of what it means to walk the dusty human road.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: CrowsCry Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976569108
• ISBN-13: 978-0976569107
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #713,418 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite read this year, August 24, 2005

By	Billy Goodnick "Cultural omnivore" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews

The book is partly autobiographical, going back several generations to his roots in the San Joaquin Valley farmlands and the still-unspoiled lands around him. The story is subtly spiritual in his weaving of geography, Native American cultures, and our current views of development. He does all of this in an honest and witty way, while revealing his own intellectual conflicts.

The subject matter is compelling, his story-telling is gentle and engaging, and his use of language conveys depth of thought in a direct, economical writing style. It's one of those books you can savor just for its craftsmanship.

He's had some great reviews in the local media. It seems he's tapped into a subject (much of it regarding being transplanted to Santa Barbara) that will resonate with many readers.

John Spivey is a teacher at Santa Barbara Middle School. With a son entering the 10th grade this year, I feel like I missed a fabulous opportunity by not having him in a classroom with John. I can think of no higher praise.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book, August 24, 2005

By	Anne Chen (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an intensely personal story that is compelling in its discussion about our vanishing wilderness and our true identity. The simple observations that John Spivey makes as he tells the stories of his land and his life are brilliant. Many times as I was reading the book, I had to stop and say, "Wow!" and marvel at how Spivey is able to articulate the truth. At other times, I found the questions he poses in the book to be so thought-provoking that I had to pause before continuing with the narrative. This is a bold book, rich in myth and steeped in the history of the Great Western Divide. Spivey has the courage to "tell it like it is."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a gift to all of us, August 24, 2005

By	Edith Wren (Berks County, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I felt like I was being taken into a beautiful, enlightened dream without losing track of myself as a flawed, hurting real person. And all the while I felt safe in the company of the authow who was present as himself, also a flawed, hurting human, and yet as a soul-baring evolved seeker/finder, like all of us. It was an incredible gift to me to read this - thank you Mr. Spivey