The Living Great Lakes

THE LIVING GREAT LAKES is the most complete book ever written about the history, nature, and science of the remarkable lakes at the heart of North America. From the geological forces that formed them to the industrial atrocities that nearly destroyed them, to the greatest environmental success stories of our tmie, the lakes are portrayed in all their complexity. The book, however, is much more than just history. It is the story of the lakes as told by biologists, fishermen, sailors, and others whom the author grew to know while traveling with them on boats and hiking with them on beaches and islands. 

    Woven into the book is a personal journey of a four-week voyage through the lakes and beyond as a crewmember on a tall-masted schooner, and a memoir of a lifetime spent on and near the lakes. Through storms and fog, on remote shores and city waterfronts, the author explores the five Great Lakes in all seasons and moods and discovers that they offer a surprising and bountiful view of America. The result is a meditation on nature and our place in the world, a discussion and cautionary tale about the future of water resources, and a celebration of a place that is fragile and robust, diverse, rich in history and wildlife, often misunderstood, and worthy of our attention.