Dennis Kennedy

Peter Matthiessen is a favorite of mine. I recently finished his book about his two trips to the Antarctic called "End of the Earth," which I enjoyed immensely. Few of us will ever get to make a trip to Antarctica (and even if we wanted to, the realities of the trip seem a little daunting), so it's great to see this world through Matthiessen's eyes. He weaves history, nature studies and travelogue all together in what for me was a compelling read (I mean, I read until I had finished it in one sitting).

So, I couldn't wait to recommend it on my blog and was thinking of getting copies for presents. I checked it out on Amazon and can only say that the one reviewer seems to be a little grumpy and I had the opposite reaction. It's a very good avenue to explore one of the last pure areas on earth.