Kenneth Brower
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Brower is an American nonfiction writer.
He is best known for his many books about the environment, national parks, and natural places, many of them in hundreds of libraries and by major publishers, including several titles in the series The Earth's Wild Places published by the Friends of the Earth
in the 1970s. His most widely read book, on Yosemite, is in over 1200 worldCat libraries. Many of his books have been published by the National Geographic Society
. Several of his books have been translated into Japanese, German, Spanish, and Hebrew. He is the oldest son of the late environmentalist
David R. Brower
.
He is also known for being the author of The Starship and the Canoe, a comparison of the lives of scientist Freeman Dyson
and his 'rebellious' son George Dyson
. According to WorldCat, it is in 553 libraries. It has also been translated into Korean, Polish, Japanese, and Chinese.
At a Long Now Foundation talk on October 5, 2005 an audience member asked Freeman if there were any questions he'd like to ask of his children George
and Esther
, who were together giving a talk. He answered that he was curious how George went from rebellious teenager to respected colleague. George answered that it was because of Kenneth Brower. Roughly, he said If you write a book describing a rebellious teenager about the only way they can then rebel is to become conventional.
A lesser known fact is that Kenneth Brower either helped his father David Brower
or outright edited many of the Sierra Club Books
from the famous Sierra Club Exhibit Format Series including "Navajo Wildlands" by Stephen C. Jett with photographs by Philip Hyde
. These books helped raise public awareness about the destruction of various wild places, brought a rapidly increasing flood of new members to the Sierra Club and to the environmental movement in general, besides reinventing the photography book and helping to establish color landscape photography as a fine art.
He is best known for his many books about the environment, national parks, and natural places, many of them in hundreds of libraries and by major publishers, including several titles in the series The Earth's Wild Places published by the Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
in the 1970s. His most widely read book, on Yosemite, is in over 1200 worldCat libraries. Many of his books have been published by the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
. Several of his books have been translated into Japanese, German, Spanish, and Hebrew. He is the oldest son of the late environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
David R. Brower
David R. Brower
David Ross Brower was a prominent environmentalist and the founder of many environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club Foundation, the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth , the League of Conservation Voters, Earth Island Institute , North Cascades...
.
He is also known for being the author of The Starship and the Canoe, a comparison of the lives of scientist Freeman Dyson
Freeman Dyson
Freeman John Dyson FRS is a British-born American theoretical physicist and mathematician, famous for his work in quantum field theory, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering. Dyson is a member of the Board of Sponsors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists...
and his 'rebellious' son George Dyson
George Dyson (science historian)
George Dyson is a scientific historian, the son of Freeman Dyson and Verena Huber-Dyson, brother of Esther Dyson, and the grandson of Sir George Dyson. He is the father of Lauren Dyson. When he was sixteen he went to live in British Columbia in Canada to pursue his interest in kayaking and...
. According to WorldCat, it is in 553 libraries. It has also been translated into Korean, Polish, Japanese, and Chinese.
At a Long Now Foundation talk on October 5, 2005 an audience member asked Freeman if there were any questions he'd like to ask of his children George
George Dyson (science historian)
George Dyson is a scientific historian, the son of Freeman Dyson and Verena Huber-Dyson, brother of Esther Dyson, and the grandson of Sir George Dyson. He is the father of Lauren Dyson. When he was sixteen he went to live in British Columbia in Canada to pursue his interest in kayaking and...
and Esther
Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson is a former journalist and Wall Street technology analyst who is a leading angel investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and commentator focused on breakthrough innovation in healthcare, government transparency, digital technology, biotechnology, and space...
, who were together giving a talk. He answered that he was curious how George went from rebellious teenager to respected colleague. George answered that it was because of Kenneth Brower. Roughly, he said If you write a book describing a rebellious teenager about the only way they can then rebel is to become conventional.
A lesser known fact is that Kenneth Brower either helped his father David Brower
David R. Brower
David Ross Brower was a prominent environmentalist and the founder of many environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club Foundation, the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, Friends of the Earth , the League of Conservation Voters, Earth Island Institute , North Cascades...
or outright edited many of the Sierra Club Books
Sierra Club Books
Sierra Club Books is the publishing division of the Sierra Club, founded in 1960 by then Sierra Club President David Brower. Volumes intended for club members had been published prior to 1960. In addition, books under their name had been published before 1960, but done through already established...
from the famous Sierra Club Exhibit Format Series including "Navajo Wildlands" by Stephen C. Jett with photographs by Philip Hyde
Philip Hyde (photographer)
Philip Hyde was a pioneer landscape photographer and conservationist. He attended Ansel Adams' photography program at the California School of Fine Arts, now the San Francisco Art Institute, beginning with the Summer Session in 1946 and enrolling in the full-time professional photography training,...
. These books helped raise public awareness about the destruction of various wild places, brought a rapidly increasing flood of new members to the Sierra Club and to the environmental movement in general, besides reinventing the photography book and helping to establish color landscape photography as a fine art.
Books
- Brower, Kenneth. Earth and the Great Weather: the Brooks Range. The Earth's wild places, 3. San Francisco: Friends of the Earth, 1971.ISBN 9780841501010
- Republished : New York, Seabury Press, 1975.
- Brower, Kenneth. With Their Islands Around Them. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1974. ISBN 9780030131219
- Brower, Kenneth. The Starship and the Canoe ISBN 9780030391965. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978.
- Brower, Kenneth, and Robert Wenkam. Micronesia: Island Wilderness. The Earth's wild places, 8. San Francisco: Friends of the Earth, 1975. ISBN 9780913890134
- Brower, Kenneth, and Harri Peccinotti. Micronesia, the Land, the People, and the Sea. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1981. ISBN 9780807109922
- Brower, Kenneth. A Song for Satawal. New York: Harper & Row, 1983. ISBN 9780060150938
- Brower, Kenneth. Yosemite: An American Treasure. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1990. ISBN 9780870447945
- Brower, Kenneth. One Earth: Photographed by More Than 80 of the World's Leading Photojournalists. San Francisco: Collins Publishers, 1990. ISBN 9780006376606
- Brower, Kenneth. Realms of the Sea. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1991. ISBN 9780870448560
- Brower, Kenneth. American Legacy: Our National Forests. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society 1997. ISBN 9780792242307