Isabelle Arsenault Arsenault itibaren Goonhavern, Truro, Kornwalia TR4 9QF, Wielka Brytania itibaren Goonhavern, Truro, Kornwalia TR4 9QF, Wielka Brytania

3/24/09 I bought this book at my local vegan restaurant, Spiral Diner in Oak Cliff/Dallas. I am really looking forward to reading it, maybe this summer. 9/6/11 First of all, I really admire this author, not only for the work he is currently doing in prairie conservation, but also because of the journey he took to get where he is today. That said, I had some problems with the book. The title is very apt - the first half is his life in the ghetto (not only the real ghetto of his neighborhoods and life of crime, but also the social and emotional ghetto of one that he lived through). The second half is the part where he becomes a plainsman and embraces a new life purpose. That's the part that gets a little sketchy for me - I have not spent as much time in the plains as he has, but I have spent quite a bit of time out West and not once have I seen some of the scenes he describes, which he insinuates are common place, such as deer and antelope tangled up to die in barbed wire fences. I'm not saying that doesn't happen ever, but he seems to have combined many experiences into single instances, which ends up exaggerating what's going on. Ultimately I think that undermines his message, I think we have plenty of testimonials, facts and statistics to show the decline of wild lands. The other thing that really got on my nerves was how often he misspelled words in Spanish, I blame poor editing for that, but being a native speaker myself it just hurts to see that in print. That said, I am going to check out his website and programs and will consider volunteering or donating because I really believe in the work he is doing. All in all, I think his book is a compelling read.

I must have been feeling sappy, but I loved this and remember lying up reading it.