Park it, baby

Just in time for summer, the affordable paperback version of this companion book to Ken Burns’ documentary hits the stores. The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is a breath of fresh outdoor air for those who may be pessimistic about what government can do. The authors’ best asset is their passion for America and the working-class citizens that shaped our history. The images are absolutely spectacular, but what sticks with the reader the strongest comes from the afterword by Duncan, “The Best Day.” Instead of closing with where our national parks are going today, Duncan tells of a family trip to Glacier National Park in 1998. Every reader will take something different from this essay and this book, but one thing is clear: It’s not hard to rediscover love for our great nation. All that’s necessary is a little exploration and a sense of adventure.