May 2022 Book Club: AMERICAN ZION

After a nearly four-year hiatus, the Mountain & Prairie Book Club is back!

In honor of my recent podcast conversation with historian and conservationist Betsy Gaines Quammen, the May 2022 Book Club Selection is:

American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, & Public Lands in the West.

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Head over to the Mountain & Prairie Goodreads page to join in on the discussion.

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If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to listen to my conversation with Betsy.

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You can also watch her TED talk:

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And here are my thoughts on the book, as written in my March-April 2022 book recommendations email:

“This book had been high on my need-to-read list since its publication back in the spring of 2020. Nearly all of my friends who work in public lands conservation/advocacy had repeatedly told me that I needed to read it immediately. Well, I quit procrastinating and finally did, and I loved it. It’s the story of the Mormon settlement of the American West, and how certain subsets of the religion have shaped many of the present-day battles over public lands around the country. What I appreciated most about American Zion is how it connected the dots between the many books, podcasts, and articles I’ve consumed over the years about everything from the Mormons’ cross-country journey in search of their “Zion,” all the way to the recent Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation by the Ammon Bundy and his lackeys. The book offers a clear, fair narrative that gave me a new appreciation for the power of belief and the ripple effects that a few charismatic individuals can have on entire societies.“

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I’ll look forward to discussing the book with you all over on Goodreads!!