Is a river alive? / Robert Macfarlane.
"Hailed in the New York Times as "a naturalist who can unfurl a sentence with the breathless ease of a master angler," Robert Macfarlane brings his glittering style to a profound work of travel writing, reportage, and natural history. Is a River Alive? is a joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognized as such in imagination and law. Macfarlane takes readers on three unforgettable journeys teeming with extraordinary people, stories, and places: to the miraculous cloud-forests and mountain streams of Ecuador, to the wounded creeks and lagoons of India, and to the spectacular wild rivers of Canada -- imperiled respectively by mining, pollution, and dams. Braiding these journeys is the life story of the fragile chalk stream a mile from Macfarlane's house, a stream who flows through his own years and days. Powered by dazzling prose and lit throughout by other minds and voices, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, challenge perspectives, and remind us that our fate flows with that of rivers -- and always has."-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780393242133
- ISBN: 0393242137
- Physical Description: ix, 374 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, New York : W.W. Norton & Company, [2025]
- Copyright: ©2025
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-345) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Prologue: The Springs -- Introduction: Anima -- Part I The River of the Cedars (Eucador). The Springs (Winter) -- Part II Ghosts, Monsters and Angels (India). The Springs (Spring) -- Part III The Living River (Nitassinan/Canada). Epilogue: The Springs (Autumn).
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Available copies
- 38 of 50 copies available at NC Cardinal.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 2 current holds with 50 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richlands Branch Library | 577.64 MAC (Text) | 36015000762373 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Albemarle Main Library | 333.916 Mac (Text) | 31010000894412 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Albert Carlton - Cashiers Community Library | 577.6 M (Text) | 39493110143916 | Adult Nonfiction | Checked out | 08/20/2026 |
| Alexander Main Library | 577.64 Macfarlane (Text) | 34269001464800 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Ashe County Public Library | 577 MAC (Text) | 50503300494152 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Beaufort Main | 333.72 MACFA (Text) | 34208900250589 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Cleveland County Main Library | 577.6 MAC (Text) | 22281500161356 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Cliffdale Library | 577.64 MAC (Text) | 31781069131991 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Corolla Library | 333.72 MAC (Text) | 39488600190260 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| East Asheville Library | 577.64 MAC (Text) | 0020660480391 | Adult New Nonfiction | Checked out | 08/05/2026 |
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Summary:
"Hailed in the New York Times as "a naturalist who can unfurl a sentence with the breathless ease of a master angler," Robert Macfarlane brings his glittering style to a profound work of travel writing, reportage, and natural history. Is a River Alive? is a joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognized as such in imagination and law. Macfarlane takes readers on three unforgettable journeys teeming with extraordinary people, stories, and places: to the miraculous cloud-forests and mountain streams of Ecuador, to the wounded creeks and lagoons of India, and to the spectacular wild rivers of Canada -- imperiled respectively by mining, pollution, and dams. Braiding these journeys is the life story of the fragile chalk stream a mile from Macfarlane's house, a stream who flows through his own years and days. Powered by dazzling prose and lit throughout by other minds and voices, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, challenge perspectives, and remind us that our fate flows with that of rivers -- and always has."--
