"The Klamath Knot is a classic work of natural history, a wondrous meditation through time and space, and an intimate portrait of a miraculous stretch of land, forest, and mountain as botanically rich as any place in North America, as ecologically vital and important as any place on the planet."—Wade Davis, author of One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon Rain Forest "In Wallace's hands, evolution is never mechanical or abstract; it is always seen operating in particular sites and species. As a stylist and a thinker Wallace is in a select class of writers who make science into literature."—Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia "For those of us who like David Rains Wallace's writing, it is good news indeed that his much-admired The Klamath Knot is back in print."—Sue Hubbell, author of Waiting for Aphrodite: Journeys into the Time Before Bones "A classic of natural history which will take its place alongside Walden and A Sand County Almanac."—G. Ledyard Stebbins, author of Variation and Evolution in Plants "The Klamath Knot is a marvelous book, one of the finest nature essays I have read, beautifully written, full of stimulating ideas and insights."—George B. Schaller, author of The Last Panda

“Wallace weaves science and mythology into a clear and entertaining story about the origin of California's deserts that invites the reader into a world of ancient mystery and modern revelation. This book will appeal to anyone who cherishes arid lands and their natural history.”-Bruce M. Pavlik, author of The California Deserts: An Ecological Rediscovery “David Rains Wallace explores the origins of the California desert with the endless curiosity of a naturalist, with the wit and wordplay of a fine essayist, and with the attention to detail of a lifelong scholar. He burrows toward the solution of the desert’s riddle by following two centuries of science; in doing so, Wallace writes a unique account of both the ecology of the Desert Southwest and the biologists who have devoted their lives to untangling its evolutionary history.”-Stephen Trimble, author of The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin “David Rains Wallace never fails to truly enter the world of which he writes. Here he tackles fiery heat, ancient lava flows, spiny plants, and scuttling reptiles, all in the service of asking some difficult “how’s” and “why’s.” I learned a lot about places and critters I thought I knew well from this marvelous book.”-Harry Greene, Cornell professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, author of Snakes: the Evolution of Mystery in Nature

Publisher Description

River of Renewal tells the remarkable story of the Klamath Basin, which spans the Oregon-California border, from the first human habitation of the region to restoration of the watershed and its wildlife after removal of the Klamath River's four hydroelectric dams.

Aquatic creatures.