Reflections from the North Country

1998
Author:

Sigurd F Olson
Illustrations by Les C. Kouba

Olson’s wilderness philosophy, now in paperback for the first time.

Illustrated by Leslie Kouba

Written in the last years of his life, Reflections from the North Country is often considered Sigurd Olson’s most intellectually significant work. In an account alive with anecdote and insight, Olson outlines the wilderness philosophy he developed while working as an outspoken advocate for the conservation of America’s natural heritage.

Olson speaks in the tradition of Thoreau, but with a voice uniquely his own. This collection of essays is a distillation of observations, experiences, and reading-appropriately titled Reflections, for like a stream, it absorbs and reflects the glint and sparkle of eternal wild nature. Olson is at his best writing of the wonder and awareness with which a child sees nature.

Library Journal, 1969

Written in the last years of his life, Reflections from the North Country is often considered Sigurd Olson’s most intellectually significant work. In an account alive with anecdote and insight, Olson outlines the wilderness philosophy he developed while working as an outspoken advocate for the conservation of America’s natural heritage.

Based on speeches delivered at town meetings and government hearings, this book joins The Singing Wilderness and Listening Point as the core of Olson’s work. Upon its initial publication in 1976, Reflections from the North Country, with Olson’s unique combination of lyrical nature writing and activism, became an inspiration to the burgeoning environmental movement, selling over 46,000 copies in hardcover.

In this wide-ranging work, Olson evokes the soaring grace of raven, osprey, and eagle, the call of the loon, and the song of the hermit thrush. He challenges the reader to loosen the grasp of technology and the rush of contemporary life and make room for a sense of wonder heightened by being in nature. From evolution to the meaning and power of solitude, Olson meditates on the human condition, offering eloquent testimony to the joys and truths he discovered in his beloved north-country wilderness.

ISBN 0-8166-2993-5 Paper $14.95 COBE
192 pages 12 line drawings 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 September
Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series
Translation inquiries: Knopf

Sigurd F. Olson (1899-1982) was one of the greatest environmentalists of the twentieth century. An award-winning conservation activist and best-selling author, Olson introduced a generation of Americans to the importance of wilderness. He served as president of the Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association and was honored by the Sierra Club and National Wildlife Federation for his work. Olson’s nine books frequently appeared on best-seller lists across the nation.

Olson speaks in the tradition of Thoreau, but with a voice uniquely his own. This collection of essays is a distillation of observations, experiences, and reading-appropriately titled Reflections, for like a stream, it absorbs and reflects the glint and sparkle of eternal wild nature. Olson is at his best writing of the wonder and awareness with which a child sees nature.

Library Journal, 1969

Olson’s book seems as fresh as words written yesterday. His ‘reflections’ are not fast-breaking news or up-to-the-minute. They are beyond the news of the day, the year, and the decade, timeless in their beauty, command and consequence. His reverence for the fragile, holy earth is evident from one sentence to the next, making each sentence a holy pleasure to read.

Turtle River Press

In his writings, Olson touches deep emotions and inspires his readers to share in the wonders of the outdoors.

Windy City Sports

In his writings, Olson touched deep emotions and inspired his readers to share in the wonders of the out-of-doors.

Sports Etc