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The Art of Seeing Things: Essays Hardcover – January 1, 2001

by John Burroughs (Author), Charlotte Zoe Walker (Editor)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
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Burroughs, a naturalist and contemporary of John Muir, wrote dozens of essays contemplating a variety of topics, incorporating, nature, religion, and the practicalities of farming and conservation. Walker (English, State U. of NY College at Oneonta), in her introduction and compilation, emphasizes the diversity of his writings, and illustrates how his perception of nature permeated all life experiences. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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  1. Print length
    282 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Syracuse Univ Pr
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0815628803
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0815628804
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An American essayist and naturalist, Burroughs wrote 28 books between 1867 and 1922; his career was a product of turn-of-the-last-century America's desire for a steady diet of nature writing. This selection from Syracuse's complete set of his works is divided into eight sections "Perception and the Natural World," "Farming and Rural Life," "Far from Home," "Science and Field Study" and "Autobiography" among them. Many of the earlier essays present us with Burroughs's direct observations of the natural world, the lives of animals in the wild and those on and around his farm in particular. The title essay exhorts readers to drop out, turn on and tune in without abusing any substances. Burroughs's childhood on a dairy farm (circa 1840), his attempt to hear the song of the nightingale while on a trip to England in 1882 and a fascinating description of icebergs forming from an Alaskan glacier figure in elsewhere. And he writes with the enthusiasm and boldness of his friend Whitman's Song of Myself. But while buffs of the period will find a lot to like here, most readers will find long stretches tedious, and the particular selections not really substantiated. But the gems, when they turn up, make for worthwhile period reading. (Apr.)Forecast: University libraries, particularly those serving schools with naturalism and ecology programs, will find this book a convenient way to have some Burroughs without committing to the full set. Smaller and specialty stores in rural areas might also keep the paperback on hand for weekenders and others.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Syracuse Univ Pr; First Edition (January 1, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 282 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0815628803
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0815628804
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

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  1. John Burroughs

    John Burroughs

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  2. Charlotte Zoe Walker

    Charlotte Zoe Walker

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    In addition to my first novel, CONDOR AND HUMMINGBIRD, I've published numerous essays and short stories, including "The very Pineapple," which won the O. Henry Award in 1991, and "Goat's Milk," which was listed among "100 Distinguished Stories" in BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 1993. I'm currently nearing completion of my medieval novel, GRAY FACE AND EVE, and a creative nonfiction book, DAVID'S VIOLIN. I taught creative writing and women's studies at SUNY Oneonta for thirty five years, and am a former NEA Creative Writing Fellow. I live on a country hillside with my dear husband, Dutch ironsmith Roland Greefkes-- and, despite my complete lack of talent, I love learning to play the cello. You can read more about my work at my website, www.charlottezoewalker.com

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
32 global ratings
John Burroughs, his book, his love of the outdoors...make it yours.
5 Stars
John Burroughs, his book, his love of the outdoors...make it yours.
Great Book! Burroughs has a way of making you feel you're right there with him. Thoreau would be proud! Anybody who loves the outdoors, being in nature, walking an early morning will love this book also. I'd recommend it to anyone/everyone.
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Top reviews from the United States

feels like far
5.0 out of 5 stars A well-rounded account of Burroughs thought process...
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
The best of JB in one handy paperback volume. Topics contained within this book range far and wide and are sure to please most any Burroughs fan. Highly recommended.
7 people found this helpful
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thereader
5.0 out of 5 stars John Burroughs, his book, his love of the outdoors...make it yours.
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great Book! Burroughs has a way of making you feel you're right there with him. Thoreau would be proud! Anybody who loves the outdoors, being in nature, walking an early morning will love this book also. I'd recommend it to anyone/everyone.
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thereader
5.0 out of 5 stars John Burroughs, his book, his love of the outdoors...make it yours.
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015
Great Book! Burroughs has a way of making you feel you're right there with him. Thoreau would be proud! Anybody who loves the outdoors, being in nature, walking an early morning will love this book also. I'd recommend it to anyone/everyone.
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11 people found this helpful
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Ladycicero
4.0 out of 5 stars Early conservationist
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2021
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John Burroughs deserves to be better known! He was an early proponent of what we now call environmentalism. An intimate friend of Walt Whitman, as well as Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, he exchanged ideas and traveled with all of these men. From his humble beginnings on a farm, through his years as a public servant, he observed nature and wrote movingly of his observations. There is a John Burroughs Society, an annual award for nature writing given in his name, and his cabin on the Hudson is a National Park Site. This book is a good distillation of his voluminous output.
3 people found this helpful
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becky hutchinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2017
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Very nicely bound and presented.. I am enjoying it immensely.
4 people found this helpful
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Edward Kanze
5.0 out of 5 stars Burroughs at his best!
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2001
This is the anthology readers and scholars of John Burroughs (1837-1921) have been waiting for. Charlotte Walker, a professor of English at the State University of New York at Oneonta, has gathered selections from Burroughs's vast oeuvre and assembled them in a handsome volume. The words are set in modern type, and the subject matter is as fresh and timely as ever. Burroughs is often remembered as a naturalist, but he was much more than that: a perceptive and accessible literary critic, a philosopher, a radical thinker who advocated the overthrow of traditional religions in favor of an open-eyed nature worship steeped in science and wonder. Earlier anthologies of Burroughs's work have tended to ignore or suppress his thorny and provocative side, but Walker gives us the man in all his dimensions. As the author of a concise biography of Burroughs, I was pleased to open this collection and find it crowded with favorites---philosophical essays such as "Faith of a Naturalist," travel pieces such as "A Hunt for the Nightingale," an excerpt from "Our Rural Divinity" (about the dairy cow!), perceptive criticism of Emerson and Thoreau, studies of Catskill farm life, and more. This book makes a fine addition to any library and offers the best intorduction to Burroughs in print. Bravo! Highly recommended!
56 people found this helpful
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