Book Club Selection: “All the Wild That Remains” by David Gessner

March-April Book Club Selection: “All the Wild That Remains” by David Gessner

When I’ve asked podcast guests to named their favorite books, time and again they reference titles by Wallace Stegner and Edward Abbey. No matter your political persuasion, occupation, or personal background, if you love the West, you’ve likely been influenced by at least one of these men’s work. Love them or hate them, these two men have defined much of the modern-day narrative surrounding the American West.

On the surface, the two men couldn’t have been more different. Abbey was by most accounts a hard-drinking, womanizing, take-no-prisoners environmental warrior who would consider any means, no matter how nefarious, to achieve his desired ends. Stegner was just the opposite—a proper, dignified Stanford college professor who expressed his love for western landscapes in a much more measured, within-social-norms approach. Fascinating men who were as personally complicated as they were influential.  

We need to learn more about them! So the March-April book club selection is:

All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West by David Gessner

All the Wild That Remains is a double biography of the two men, written by the ultra-talented (and ultra-hilarious) David Gessner. Gessner not only provides the basic, expected biographical narrative, but also thoroughly analyzes the contradictions and complexities of the two men. I read the book two years ago* and absolutely loved it. It opened my eyes to just how thoroughly Stegner and Abbey have infiltrated all aspects of thought regarding the modern-day West. It also reminded me that no person is as simple as their manicured public image. (*My wife and I are expecting our second child in the next three weeks, so I picked a book I could revisit rather than try to read for the first time while in a sleep deprived stupor!)

It’s worth nothing that Gessner is a proud environmentalist, so some of his ideas on the development of the West and its resources may come across to some as a bit biased. But we’re all biased in one way or another, so I’d recommend approaching the book with an open mind, just as you did with American Wolf.

For further reference, here’s an informative book review from the Wall Street Journal. It gives a solid overview of what you can expect. I’m very excited to discuss with all of you and hear your reactions to Gessner, Stegner, Abbey, and their roles in the West!

If you’d like to participate:

• Grab a copy of All the Wild that Remains—purchase it from Amazon or your local bookseller, or check it out from your local library. Start reading.
• Head over to our Goodreads Group. Create an account, then join in the conversation in the online discussion forum. As you read, give your feedback on the book, pose questions to the group, and share your first-hand experience reading Stegner and Abbey. The only way this works is with lot of participation from lots of people, so the more the better.
• Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement on Goodreads regarding a live online discussion of the book via Google Hangouts. The number of video participants will be limited to 25, but any number of people can interact with the discussion by typing. This event will likely happen at the end of April, and I will set the exact date and time early that month.

Mountain & Prairie Book Club – Goodreads Group

Not interested in Stegner, Abbey, or All the Wild That Remains? Then get started on the May-June Book Club selection: The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan.  This book will be read in conjunction with the Diablo Trust Book Club, a well-established book club facilitated by Diablo Trust, an Arizona land conservation organization. More details will be announced in early May.