In this solo episode, I share five books that fundamentally shaped my understanding of conservation, public lands, water, ranching, and the American West. These are the books that helped transform me from a ranch broker with a growing curiosity about conservation into someone who eventually devoted much of his career – and this podcast – to exploring the people and ideas shaping the landscapes of the West.

Along the way, I discuss Theodore Roosevelt, wildfire policy, regenerative grazing, Western water, and the history of conservation, while highlighting conversations from the Mountain & Prairie archive that connect to each book. Whether you're new to these topics or looking to deepen your understanding on anything from water to ranching to history, these books provide an excellent foundation. Enjoy!!

THE BOOKS:

• Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West by Sarah Dant
• The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan
• For the Love of Land: Global Case Studies of Grazing in Nature's Image by Jim Howell
• Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West by Heather Hansman
• The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley

THE RELATED EPISODES:

• Sara Dant - First and Second
• Rob Addington
• Good Fire, Bad Fire
• Jim Howell - First and Second
• Heather Hansman - First and Second
• Douglas Brinkley

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Freeflow Institute, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and the Well Done Foundation for their generous sponsorship.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 00:00 – Introduction & why these books matter
• 03:05 – Losing Eden by Sarah Dant
• 09:25 – The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
• 16:05 – For the Love of Land by Jim Howell
• 23:35 – Downriver by Heather Hansman
• 29:05 – The Wilderness Warrior by Douglas Brinkley
• 35:25 – Final thoughts & closing remarks

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