In his Grinnell: America’s Environmental Pioneer and His Restless Drive to Save the West, John Taliaferro tells the story of one of America’s first conservationists George Bird Grinnell.  The son of a New York merchant, Grinell saw a new vision for a nation in the tumult of the Industrial Age.  This biography details Grinell’s prolific life and his tireless work as a scientist, journalist, and historian.  His life and career straddled the pivotal moment where the old West met the new West at the American frontier.  The pioneer of American environmentalism, Grinnell was a towering figure and this book definitely did him justice.

Through and through, this is an excellent read for anyone who has an interest in the history of conservation in the American West.