Bargaining for Eden: The Fight for the Last Open Spaces in America / Edition 1

by Stephen Trimble

Overview

Beginning with an Olympic ski race in northern Utah, this heartfelt book from award-winning writer and photographer Stephen Trimble takes a penetrating look at the battles raging over the land—and the soul—of the American West. Bargaining for Eden investigates the high-profile story of a reclusive billionaire who worked relentlessly to acquire public land for his ski resort and to host the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. In a gripping, character-driven narrative, based on extensive interviews, Trimble tells of the land exchange deal that ensued, one of the largest and most controversial in U.S. history, as he deftly explores the inner conflicts, paradoxes, and greed at the heart of land-use disputes from the back rooms of Washington to the grassroots efforts of passionate citizens. Into this mix, Trimble weaves the personal story of how he, a lifelong environmentalist, ironically became a landowner and developer himself, and began to explore the ethics of ownership anew. We travel with Trimble in a fascinating journey that becomes, in the end, a hopeful credo to guide citizens and communities seeking to reinvent their relationship with the beloved American landscape.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520261716
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	07/28/2008
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Writer, photographer, and naturalist Stephen Trimble has won awards for his nonfiction, his fiction, and his photography, including the Ansel Adams Award from The Sierra Club. His books include The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin, The People: Indians of the American Southwest, The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places (with Gary Nabhan), and Testimony: Writers of the West Speak on Behalf of Utah Wilderness (co-compiled with Terry Tempest Williams).

Table of Contents

Becoming Earl

PART I: BEDROCK
Little America
Mountain of Dreams
The Prophets of Place

PART II: THE GOOD BUSINESSMAN
The Last Resort
The Rules of the Game
Museum of Improprieties
Track Hoe
Pneumonia Road
Public Trust

PART III: THE MIDDLE-AGED WEST
Ninety-Nine Seconds
Farmers in Eden
Crazy Grace
Devil's Bargains
The Woes of Wayne County
Credo: The People's West

Notes
Acknowledgments
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A compelling read."—American Scientist

"The case Trimble makes is well illustrated, and also troubling testimony to the speed with which a birthright is now slipping away."—Boston Globe Book Section

"Bargaining for Eden often reads like a novel."—Earth Island Journal

"A compelling and important book for all of us who are concerned about the future of our remaining open spaces."—High Uintas Preservation Council

Editorial Reviews

Bargaining for Eden often reads like a novel.

Earth Island Journal - Audrey Webb

A compelling and important book for all of us who are concerned about the future of our remaining open spaces.

High Uintas Preservation Council - Nick Carling

A compelling read.

Susan L. Smithn Scientist

The case Trimble makes is well illustrated, and also troubling testimony to the speed with which a birthright is now slipping away.

Boston Globe Book Section - Rick Bass

“A compelling read.

American Scientist - Susan L. Smith