Prairyeryth

I am a geologist and I frequently work in Chase County Kansas. I love Chase and the Flint Hills. I also know them in an inimate way from roaming the "Minimum Maintenance Roads" and spending days and nights in the towns. I found and bought this book at the Visitors Center in the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve". When I began reading it, I was blown away. The research Least Heat Moon put into this is staggering, as is his familiarity with both the people and places of Chase. This is a book you read slowly and savor. I would call it Art. I will add this too. I have swapped notes with Least Heat Moon about this book. The guy is "The real deal".

I have just spent 2 days exploring Chase County, Kansas. I had read the book PrairyErth and found myself drawn to explore it for myself. Driving along I50, I rejoiced at crossing the Chase County border. I had fun exploring the Chase County courthouse, eating at the Emma Chase cafe and meeting folks that have met Heat Moon. Seeing the small towns of Matfield Green, Bazaar and Wonsevu were particularly interesting. The historical museum in Cottonwood Falls was a highlight for me, Pat, who is one of the volunteers there was extremly helpful and I found everyone I met and spoke too in Chase County as well as the whole of Kansas, a joy to meet and talk too. I plan to read the book PrairyErth again and relive my 2 days spent in Chase County. I congratulate you Bill on a great book that placed in my soul a want to travel and discover Kansas for myself.

I read this book based on loving Blue Highways and recognizing Least Heat-Moon as a beautiful writer. I never thought that I would be enthralled with one county in one state; yet, I was truly engrossed each page of this book about one county in Kansas. Least Heat-Moon has a way of touching the minute specifics of the history of our country and does it in such a way that you feel you are there sipping tea or a beer with the neighbor next door each step of the way across the county. A wonderful study of Americana history and while the length of the book is possibly intimidating to many, those of us who really appreciate excellent writing will smile our way across the county inch by inch and wish there were more!

Ignorant, I found PrairyErth at a book-giveaway and would now have to count it among the best books I've ever read. The book is a thorough examination of a county that (possibly) many people would assume contains nothing but prairie grass. The point is how deep a map can be drawn of even the neglected places. Heat-Moon is amazing and inspiring, covering so many bases without over-stepping any of them. I had never even heard of Chase County but now I feel as though its every acre has been tattooed on my inner eyelids. Oh, and also: read it slow and steady. Pace yourself as Heat-Moon has..

Imagine my surprise to find a book by a major author about the county in Kansas where our family ranch is and in which both my parents grew up.Let me tell you this much: Heat-Moon portrays this land and its people accurately. The level of detail is sufficiently great that some people with only passing interest or shorter attention spans will find it too much, but by my lights he did what he set out to do.This book is a good way to understand the Midwest and we, its people. It demonstrates clearly what I've been saying for years: that those who drive through Kansas only at night on freeways at 80 mph should please keep driving--that way its unique character can be spared for those of us who appreciate it.Furthermore, the author is a pleasant man, whom (by ridiculous coincidence) I happened to encounter at a Greek restaurant in Seattle one day. He was approachable and gracious. It was nice to find that his real personality was not different from his self-portrayal in PrairyErth.