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Alston Chase
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Playing God in Yellowstone: The Destruction of America's First National Park (with an Epilogue by the Author) Paperback – December 17, 1987

by Alston Chase (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 43 ratings
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Chase asserts that Yellowstone is being destroyed by the very people assigned to protect it: the National Park Service. Named as one of “ten books that mattered” in the 1980s by Outside magazine and a book of continuing crucial relevance. Index; map.
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  1. Print length
    480 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 17, 1987
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 1.22 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0156720361
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0156720366
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The head of an education program at Yellowstone, Chase charges that the overriding priority of the national park's staff is the safety of the visitors and that current wildlife management stresses an "intact ecosystem," meaning that diseased animals are allowed to roam, among other problems. PW called this "explosive."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Paperbacks; First Edition (December 17, 1987)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0156720361
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0156720366
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.22 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 43 ratings

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Alston Chase

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
43 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Terry
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone who wants to understand the failure of modern "environmentalism".
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book lays out the failure of the National Park Service and the modern "environmentalist" movement to properly care for the Yellowstone National Park Ecosystem. The consistent failure of these so-called environmentalists to manage the wildlife and the ecosystem of Yellowstone and eventually KILL most of the wildlife is a crushing indictment of these idiots and their moronic policies. Please read this book and ask yourself the simple question: "Are the inmates running the asylum?" You will be deeply disturbed by the picture that emerges of Yellowstone and the National Parks in general after reading this book!
4 people found this helpful
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Murray D
5.0 out of 5 stars How not to manage a National Park
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
How can so many 'experts' in their fields be so dumb? We have many clever wildlife biologists and wildlife managers but as soon as they settle into a snug bureaucracy they take on a mantle of power and invincibility. I suppose that climbing the corporate ladder is much more important than giving our suffering wildlife a sorely needed voice. This book is old now but has many lessons which can be learned and applied to this day. Do not read this book if you are easily exasperated.
4 people found this helpful
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Struan
5.0 out of 5 stars As sad as it is
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2014
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As sad as it is, this was a very truthful expose on how the National Park Service has systematically killed bears, wolves, coyotes etc... in Yellowstone and have always lied about it to the public. I personally have been to Yellowstone hundreds of times (no exaggeration) and have personally witnessed much of the destruction described in this book. If you love Yellowstone as much as I do, this book will open your eyes, make you angry and even sick. Shame on the National Park Service!!!
5 people found this helpful
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Steve K
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product and great seller.
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021
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The product I received was exactly as described.😀. Delivery time was within the range described. Very happy.
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Buckeye6
1.0 out of 5 stars Not Satisfied/ Book Not Rated Correctly
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2021
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Book listed as "Very Good". A book rated as VG is not missing dust cover, have writing in it, or have signs of wear. should have been listed as "Good" and missing dust cover should have been disclosed.
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Bill Baehr
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it before you go to Yellowstone/Grand Teton
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
I've worked in the Yellowstone area for 11 seasons and reading this book gave me greater understanding of what is going on with the parks flora and fauna. This book should be in every NPS bookstore but don't expect to see it.
4 people found this helpful
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Arthur Digbee
4.0 out of 5 stars A justifiably important book
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2009
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This was a big-impact book when released. It remains relevant and important, though outdated in some respects. As the title suggests, Chase accuses the National Park Service of having "destroyed" Yellowstone. That's too strong a charge, but "mismanaged" is certainly true, and Chase documents his case very thoroughly.

Chase first documents the destruction of the Northern Range. The Park Service helped eliminate wolves and favored bison and elk. This harmed not only other ungulates (bighorn sheep, deer, moose) but also beavers and beaver dam communities. He gives little attention to the rest of the park, such as the Thorofare or Belcher regions, or even Yellowstone Lake. He's also focused almost exclusively on mammals, though research since the 1970s also documents effects on songbirds, amphibians, invertebrates, and others.

This destruction stems from the Park Service itself. Yellowstone is managed by a misguided, unprofessional agency staffed by law enforcement rangers. These rangers know nothing of science and do not care to learn more. Research always yields to visitor protection, and science makes up only two percent of the budget.

Chase argues that Park Service policy is supported by environmentalists. Because of a mistaken ideology of preservation that excludes humans from the natural world, the environmentalists want a hands-off approach. This approach, Chase insists, neglects the ubiquitous human impact on nature throughout the Greater Yellowstone Area. However, this part of the argument rests much more on Chase's particular values than on any science or social science, and is the part of the book most amenable to criticism.

The book's greatest strength is its critique of the park bureaucracy. He poses this as a critique of ecology, and regularly equates the unscientific policy of "natural regulation" of elk with the scientific field of conservation biology (as it was becoming known as he was writing). That's not tenable.

In fact, the field of conservation biology now includes scientists working on restoration ecology, which is part of the approach that Chase himself advocates. In saying this, I enjoy two decades of hindsight, which should not detract from the book. It's an essential point of reference for debates over wilderness, national parks, ecosystem management, and the bureaucracy.
13 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars as described
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
purchased for my daughter. good value and as described
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Top reviews from other countries

Pebble Skimmer
4.0 out of 5 stars Passion for his subject
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2008
Verified Purchase
This was an enjoyable and interesting read mostly because it seemed to me the author had passion for his subject.

It is a history of the Yellowstone Park, National Park Service, the American Environmental Movement and the Natural History of the Western United States. It looks at the people behind the policies and decisions. A rare critical analysis of those policies that were endorssed by the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior and such organizations as the Sierra Club, WWF and the Audubon Society. If any thing, there was too much of the people and politics.

It covers the stories of numerous animals of Yellowstone. Such as the Beaver, Wolf, Elk, Mountain Lion, and Bison. Surprisingly little research was ever done by the time the author wrote the book. Some of the stories and anecdotes are what made this book the more interesting. Also, the look at the history of geological work in the park. The story of the dog diving into hot water and his poor owner high light the power of the place.

The author is somewhat critical of the way the Park was run and the development of the environmental movement. He is a true naturalist looking for evidence rather than trying to make it fit policy. He explores the founding philosphies behind each movement and how they evolved. The consequences were dire for Yellowstone. Most of it revolves around "Natural Regulation" and the problems this caused for Biologists studying Grizlies and the invasion of foreign species. And the Elk! Should they be in the Park at all?

A great read with many lessons for today when mixing science and politics, or balacing wild places with people.

I was lead to this book by the bibliography in the back of  State of Fear
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