John Muir’s Followers (661)

More followers…

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

edit data

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: 4.13 · 10,816 ratings · 906 reviews · 254 distinct works · Similar authors

	My First Summer in the Sierra 4.13 avg rating — 3,533 ratings — published 1911 — 98 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
	Travels in Alaska 3.96 avg rating — 1,066 ratings — published 1915 — 105 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 (Editor) 4.30 avg rating — 647 ratings — published 1997 — 3 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) 4.12 avg rating — 786 ratings — published 1894 — 92 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 Wilderness World of John Muir by John Muir, Edwin Way Teale (Editor) 4.32 avg rating — 584 ratings — published 1954 — 6 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 by John Muir, Peter Jenkins (Introduction) 3.96 avg rating — 593 ratings — published 1916 — 48 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 Yosemite 4.11 avg rating — 670 ratings — published 1912 — 66 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: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog by John Muir, Donnell Rubay, Christopher Canyon (Illustrator) 4.28 avg rating — 669 ratings — published 1909 — 59 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 Story of My Boyhood and Youth by John Muir, Vernon Carstensen (Foreword) 4.12 avg rating — 409 ratings — published 1913 — 63 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 4.20 avg rating — 323 ratings — published 1980 — 7 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

3028 likes

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

tags: inspirational

2778 likes

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

tags: nature

2133 likes

See all John Muir's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Buying Addic...: May 2011 Purchases	187	188	Jun 02, 2011 12:36PM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2012-2013: Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2526	767	Feb 28, 2013 09:01PM
The History Book ...: 16. WHAT GOD HATH WROUGHT- AMERICAN RENAISSANCE, CHAPTER 16 (613 - 657) ~ February 11th - February 17th; No Spoilers, Please	19	57	Mar 30, 2013 06:58AM
The History Book ...: 1. THE METAPHYSICAL CLUB ~ June 26th ~ June 30th ~~ Part One - Chapters I ~ (3 - 22); Preface ~ (ix - xii) No-Spoilers, please	56	109	Sep 06, 2013 10:01AM
The History Book ...: 2. THE METAPHYSICAL CLUB ~ July 1st - July 7th ~~ Part One - Chapter Two ~ (23 - 48) ~ The Abolitionist ~No-Spoilers, please	40	143	Sep 07, 2013 10:31AM
The History Book ...: 4. THE METAPHYSICAL CLUB ~ July 15th - July 21st ~~ Part Two - Chapter Four ~ (73 - 96) ~ The Man of Two Minds~No-Spoilers, please	38	49	Sep 08, 2013 07:25AM
The History Book ...: 3. THE METAPHYSICAL CLUB ~ July 8th - July 14th ~~ Part One - Chapter Three ~ (49 - 72) ~ The Wilderness and After ~No-Spoilers, please	51	131	Sep 08, 2013 04:46PM
The History Book ...: 10. THE METAPHYSICAL CLUB ~ August 26th - September 1st ~~ Part Four - Chapter Ten ~ (235- 254) ~ Burlington ~No-Spoilers, please	44	125	Sep 14, 2013 06:12PM
Coffee & Books: January 2014: Biographies!	51	119	Feb 01, 2014 07:32AM

More…

John Muir’s Followers (661)

John Muir

Combine EditionsJohn Muir's Books

Quotes by John Muir

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
John Muir's Books