Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Living Great Lakes


What is there to do now that winter is setting in? The long winter nights give us a chance to reflect and plan for next summer.

I've been reading a great book about the Great Lakes called "The Living Great Lakes." I have to recommend this book to everyone.

Traverse City author Jerry Dennis wrote this book in 2003 describing a trip he made in 2000. He sailed from Traverse City to Bar Harbor Maine aboard the Malabar, a 100 foot tall-masted schooner that was moving to her new home after being a teaching ship in Traverse City.

Dennis expands his book to include chapters on all 5 Great Lakes. This is more than a story but rather a study on the Great Lakes including history, geology, and biology. This is not a textbook study. Dennis writes with a poet's eye for details and his love for the lakes is very evident.

I will expand on the book in future posts. Please let me know if you have read this book or plan on reading it. I'd love to post reactions from readers. Maybe we could be a cyber-book discussion group.

2 comments:

Sue Woodruff... said...

Hi Brenda,
I love your blog! I've always been fascinated with the ships and shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Living on Lake Michigan all my life has taught me how important the lakes are to our area. Keep the blog going - the information you share and the personal account of living on the lake is really interesting. You write in such warm, meaningful way.
Sue

Soo Boat Watcher said...

Thanks Sue for the comment. There are so many fascinating aspects to the Great Lakes. I sometimes think that in Michigan we take them for granted. I'm learning so much more through this blog, my reading and using Google alerts with the words Great Lakes. I'm especially interested in the environmental issues facing this area and I'm excited that our new president lives on Lake Michigan. That has to help!