Our Natural History: The Lessons of Lewis and Clark

Rating:
Summary: Not a good read
Review: Besides reading this work by Dr. Botkin, I also had the "pleasure" of attending one of his lectures on the subject of this book. Neither impressed me. He leaves the reader with many unanswered questions.

Rating:
Summary: Our Natural History
Review: Dr. Botkin has a superb ability to ascertain the broad parameters of a topic and then clearly and concisely delineate the details. He has the all-too-rare ability to cut through the complexities of a problem, reducing them to clear,understandable terms. This skill is of inestimable value in identifying ways to cope with, if not solve, seemingly insoluble problems.

His use of baseline information provided by the journals of Lewis and Clark enables a reader to appreciate just how dramatically conditions have changed in the two centuries since the expedition penetrated and then methodically reported on what lay along and beyond the "wide Missouri."

The book is interesting, well written and a valuable resource for those interested in the changes wrought by the the settlement of the Louisiana Purchase.

Rating:
Summary: An innovative look at Lewis and Clark
Review: Unlike the previous reviewer, I find a book to be a fantastic success if it raises new questions and new perspectives for me. In this case, Dr. Botkin provides a very accessible natural history perpective on the Lewis and Clark Trail...greatly needed as popular interest ramps up with the bicentennial upon us. Whether your interest is in the rivers, plants, or animals of the trail, you will find thought-provoking reading here. It might even raise some questions for you!

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Rating:
Summary: The Lewis and Clark Journals: A Light On Today's Problems
Review: Using the journals reporting the manifold findings of the Lewis And Clark Expedition, Dr. Botkin has contrasted the explorer's findings with today's conditions along the L&C Trail. He has a superb ability to ascertain the the broad parameters of a topic and then clearly and concisely delineate the details. He has the all-too-rare ability to cut through the complexities of a problem so as to reduce them to clear, comprehensible terms.This skill is of inestimable value in identifying ways to cope with, if not solve, seemingly insoluble problems.