Tahoe Beneath the Surface: The Hidden Stories of America's Largest Mountain Lake | History & Ecology of Lake Tahoe | Perfect for Nature Lovers & Travel Enthusiasts
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Product Description
Lake Tahoe transformed America, and not just once but many times over—from the earliest Ice Age civilizations to the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe. It even played a hidden role in the American conquest of California, the launch of the Republican Party, and the birth of John Steinbeck's first novel. Along the way, Lake Tahoe found the time to invent the ski industry, spark the sexual revolution, and win countless Academy Awards. Tahoe beneath the Surface brings this hidden history of America's largest mountain lake to life through the stories of its most celebrated residents and visitors over the last ten thousand years. It mixes local Washoe Indian legends with tales of murderous Mafia dons, and Rat Pack tunes with Steinbeck novels. It establishes Tahoe as one of America's literary hot spots by tracing the steps of more than a dozen authors including Bertrand Russell, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Michael Ondaatje. Tahoe beneath the Surface reveals how the lake transformed the lives of conservationists like John Muir, humorists like Mark Twain, and Hollywood icons like Frank Sinatra. It even touches upon some of the darker aspects of American history, including anti-Chinese racism and the Kennedy assassination.Despite the impact Lake Tahoe has had on America, environmental threats loom large, and Tahoe Blue—a term that Lankford uses to encompass the whole range of life, beauty, and meaning the lake represents—grows increasingly vulnerable. In Tahoe beneath the Surface, human history and natural history combine in a most engaging way, one that will both inform and inspire all who would keep Tahoe blue.
Customer Reviews
Beneath the surface of the cover of this book, lies a message that will astonish audiences about Lake Tahoe and what is happening to it. Scott Lankford, a former professor and a current mentor of mine, has successfully convinced me to pay more attention to issues such as global warming, climate change, and environmental degradation. Anyone who is interested in this book should be convinced to read it.When I first began reading this book, I was intrigued about what my former professor did before coming to California to teach English composition and writing. Diving into the first few pages, I was surprised to learn that my former professor had spent nearly 10 years working part-time around the lake. What seemed like a small detour became an entirely different expedition for him to have experienced. Hearing his experience has ensured me that my life after college will be full of adventures to unknown territories.As a college student studying in the sciences, I am greatly concerned about the well-being of planet Earth and its inhabitants. I see parks and landscapes become demolished; I see animals of all kinds of species become extinct before my very eyes. In addition, I have concerns of how others currently perceive the situation. I see friends from my previous high school travel to Lake Tahoe every year. None of them have a clue about what is going on and what is happening to it. No matter how hard I try to convince them to pay attention about the current issues, I am always given a silent response.This book helped me break through their silence. This book, while not solely based on environmental degradation, talks about the history of Lake Tahoe and its impact on American society. In the book, Scott Lankford illustrates how Lake Tahoe has been shared by a variety of people. The book has ancient stories over the past many years. Its aesthetics has impacted the lives of famous individuals, such as Mark Twain, and its presence continues to influence the lives of many people today. I managed to share content about the book with other people while successfully pulling their attention away from a variety of distractions.Furthermore, the author creatively illustrates readers the importance of losing Lake Tahoe. Environmental changes are becoming more noticeable and current scientific research points that the lake is dying. We need more people to understand the issue going on and we need more people to help resolve the problem.I am grateful for having time to have read this book. It has given me the opportunity to realize the importance of Lake Tahoe and its history. More importantly, I am more grateful for having Scott Lankford as teacher. He has given me the opportunity to perceive the world differently. He has expanded my vision about what I want to do in the future.We can all continue to question about our future and stress about our lives. We can all go back to our smart phones; we can become excited about how the new iPhone doesn’t have headphone jack. We can all sit and watch our home turn into dust and ruins. But “come hell or high water, we’ll need these ancient stories to survive.”
