John Muir’s Followers (1,305)

John Muir

Born

in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

April 21, 1838

Died

December 24, 1914

Website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir

Genre

Outdoors & Nature, Science, Naturalism

Influences

John Burroughs, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thomas Carly ...more

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John Muir (1838 – 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. One of the best-known hiking trails in the U.S., the 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, was named in his honor. Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier. John Muir (1838 – 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. One of the best-known hiking trails in the U.S., the 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, was named in his honor. Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier.

In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life.

Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth".

Muir was extremely fond of Henry David Thoreau and was probably influenced more by him than even Ralph Waldo Emerson. Muir often referred to himself as a "disciple" of Thoreau. He was also heavily influenced by fellow naturalist John Burroughs.

During his lifetime John Muir published over 300 articles and 12 books. He co-founded the Sierra Club, which helped establish a number of national parks after he died and today has over 1.3 million members. Author Gretel Ehrlich states that as a "dreamer and activist, his eloquent words changed the way Americans saw their mountains, forests, seashores, and deserts." He not only led the efforts to protect forest areas and have some designated as national parks, but his writings gave readers a conception of the relationship between "human culture and wild nature as one of humility and respect for all life," writes author Thurman Wilkins.

His philosophy exalted wild nature over human culture and civilization. Turner describes him as "a man who in his singular way rediscovered America. . . . an American pioneer, an American hero." Wilkins adds that a primary aim of Muir’s nature philosophy was to challenge mankind’s "enormous conceit," and in so doing, he moved beyond the Transcendentalism of Emerson and Thoreau to a "biocentric perspective on the world."

In the months after his death, many who knew Muir closely wrote about his influences. ...more

Combine Editions
John Muir’s books

Average rating: 4.08 · 23,140 ratings · 2,235 reviews · 548 distinct works • Similar authors

	My First Summer in the Sierra 4.06 avg rating — 6,648 ratings — published 1911	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Travels in Alaska 3.91 avg rating — 2,186 ratings — published 1915 — 255 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wilderness Essays 4.09 avg rating — 1,661 ratings — published 1980 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures by John Muir, Lee Stetson (Compiler), Fiona King (Illustrator) 4.13 avg rating — 1,432 ratings — published 1994 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stickeen: A Nature Book About John Muir and His Trusty Dog's Adventure by John Muir, Donnell Rubay, Christopher Canyon (Illustrator) 4.31 avg rating — 1,345 ratings — published 1897	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Yosemite 4.03 avg rating — 1,433 ratings — published 1912 — 57 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Thousand-Mile Walk To The Gulf 3.87 avg rating — 1,455 ratings — published 1916 — 151 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mountains of California by John Muir, Gretel Ehrlich (Foreword) 4.11 avg rating — 1,162 ratings — published 1894	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wilderness World of John Muir by John Muir, Edwin Way Teale (Editor) 4.30 avg rating — 1,096 ratings — published 1954 — 19 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nature Writings: The Story of My Boyhood and Youth / My First Summer in the Sierra / The Mountains of California / Stickeen / Essays by John Muir, William Cronon 4.28 avg rating — 923 ratings — published 1997 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John Muir…

Quotes by John Muir (?)

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
― John Muir

tags: animals, caring, earth, forests, nature, plants, trees, wilderness

3648 likes

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
― John Muir

tags: inspirational

2942 likes

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
― John Muir

tags: nature

2520 likes

See all John Muir's quotes »

Polls

Maandboek augustus 2021: Een boek waarin de geschiedenis van een bepaalde stad, regio of land aan bod komt

Hoe duur was de suiker? van Cynthia McLeod - 260 pagina's

22 votes, 21.8%

De Bourgondiërs. Aartsvaders van de Lage Landen van Bart van Loo - 607 pagina's

22 votes, 21.8%

De tunnel van Anna Woltz - 232 pagina's

10 votes, 9.9%

De gifhouten bijbel van Barbara Kingsolver - 566 pagina's

9 votes, 8.9%

Liefde & Gelato van Jenna Evans Welch - 320 pagina's

8 votes, 7.9%

In de wildernis van John Muir - 197 pagina's

6 votes, 5.9%

New York Edward Rutherfurd - 862 pagina's

5 votes, 5.0%

Venetië: de stad, de leeuw en het water van Cees Nooteboom - 272 pagina's

5 votes, 5.0%

Wildevrouw van Jeroen Olyslaegers - 416 pagina's

4 votes, 4.0%

Het derde geheim van Steve Berry - 351 pagina's

4 votes, 4.0%

De Wadden: een geschiedenis van Mathijs Deen - 336 pagina's

2 votes, 2.0%

Ruby Rood van Linzi Glass - 255 pagina's

2 votes, 2.0%

De Parijzenaar van Isabella Hammad - 600 pagina's

1 vote, 1.0%

Londen van Edward Rutherfurd - 832 pagina's

1 vote, 1.0%

Hier van Richard McGuire - 308 pagina's

0 votes, 0.0%

101 total votes

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John Muir’s Followers (1,305)

John Muir

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John Muir’s books