SC-Where Sky Begins

This book, like the great American prairie, is rich in structure and detail. It offers a little of everything- I especially became interested in John's description of the formation of prairie soils from the glacial legacy rich in calcium carbonate (a.k.a pheasant territory) to the rates of root decomposition. His flair for spicing up words gives us the pleistocene ice rivers grinding the rock flour that becomes 'loess' and Mantioba lime dragged half way down to Illinois to become "Black Prairie" Beyond that comes everything affected by prairie, and vica-verse- namely animals, plants and people. His view of a locust raid, for example, details an imbalance of nature but sums up the result as "quality" of prairie actions. But the breathtaking moment arrives when John shares his depth of perspective on human impact, we assume irreversible damage in an age of climate change, but as John says " Man may exhaust the prairie soils and send them to seas, but the age-long geologic processes will renew them. The only tragedy is not a lasting destruction of the land, but the destruction of our capacity to use and enjoy it" Finally, the image of 'Song Dog' or 'Prairie Wolf' epitomizes the longevity of a climax ecosystem. Madson writes that Coyote will also outlast us, having adapted to environmental changes faster than human, " She is master of her own fate" and will use all our relics as scent posts. Where then do we look for true staibilty? It is really already here. In Coyote, Bluestem and Sunflower.

I truly enjoyed this book. I heartly recommend it to anyone interested in the prarie.

The late John Madson was the equivalent of a later day Aldo Leopold. He was gifted in writing about the natural world and drawing a connection to mankind. This book does that for man and the tallgrass prairie. In this book, Madson examines man's relationship with the prairie and the creatures that call the prairie home. Madson presents a narative that is both insightful and entertaining and makes a strong case for why the tallgrass prairie should be preserved and restored.

I once got lost with John Madson in the Great Batchtown Swamp, but I never got stuck in any of his books -- he is a great outdoorsman and writer, who always takes your imagination somewhere interesting (and often useful). He wrote the best book ever on The Pheasant, a wee paperback that he dashed off in a couple of weeks but which has never been bettered. It must be natural talent, but as Lee Trevino said, I had to hit a million practice balls before my natural talent began to show through. Willy Newlands (Scotland)

As a kid growing up in post-war Chicago suburbia, I got to see farmlands give way to housing tracts. The question I asked was "What was here before the farms?" Madson has the answer--prairie. Practically a million square miles of prairie and the first European settlers never had an idea that a vast expanse of grassland stretched roughly from the eastern border of Illinois to the Rocky Mountains.Madson takes you to the prairie from an historical, personal, anecdotal, and geological perspective. You can practically see the prairie flora, feel the prairie air on your face, hear the prairie fauna calling you in this excellently written and touching book. Enjoy!