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A Captivating Account of Science and Adventure in the Early West
Who ever said that history was dry?Moore has interwoven first rate field science history with a series of captivating adventures in which American geologist Clarence King and his best friend, James Gardner are repeatedly thrown into life-threatening situations, including being spread-eagled by Indians with the makings of a fire set upon their stomachs in order to effect the most slow and unbearable death; another adventure finds King galloping ahead of bandits intent on taking his life.

Moore's account of the life and accomplishments of Clarence King, whom Henry Adams (the prominent Harvard professor and descendant of two presidents) called the greatest American of his age, is based partly on letters and other primary historical materials that Moore himself unearthed.In the 1850's, Yale-trained prodigy King, at age 25, organized and led a precurser to the U.S. Geological Survey called the "United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel", hence the book's title: "King of the 40th Parallel".Such a lofty appointment of one so young certifies to the inordinate esteem in which the young King was held by those in power in Washington.King's fortieth parallel survey was so brilliantly conceived and cornucopian in its accomplishments, that three competing federal surveys, formed shortly afterward to map other regions of the nation, patterened themselves after his model.His singular performance in leading the survey for twelve years and writing and editing a landmark series of volumes and atlases propelled him at the age of 37 into the directorship of the U.S. Geological Survey at its founding in 1879.And the astonishing, secret details of King's private life -- unknown to all until his death -- will make the reader yearn for a full length sequel.

Who better than to have written this history?In the preface to this excellent and fascinating book, science historian William Glen notes that James Moore is uniquely equipped for the job.That claim seems justified as the thoughts, activities, and scientific products of Clarence King are voluably unfolded, revealing significant overlap with much of Moore's own distinguished geologic career.Both men earned their exceptional reputations in Earth science mainly through years of pioneering field work in the American West.

A Scientist's Take on an Extrordinary Surveyor
I really enjoyed King of the 40th Parallel by James Moore.Much has been written about the extraordinary Clarence King, the leader of the 40th Parallel Expedition and the first director of the United States Geological Survey.And no wonder,-King is fascinating, not only for his contributions to the exploration of the West, but for his superstar personality.
I have known the author as a friend and colleague for many years and as a geologist, I appreciate Jim's details of King's geographical and geological explorations.Jim Moore brings to King's biography his own expertise in geology and geography, having spent many years studying the geology of the Sierra.Moore's varied geological adventures, from mapping Sierra granites to seabottom explorations off Hawaii, give him an explorer kinship with King.Jim has enriched King's story with background material of the procedures and instrumentation of that early cartography.He expands on the lives of King's significant colleagues, and he has noted the many firsts in geologic and geographic discoveries.The meticulous observations and recordings of King's surveys became baseline standard for the U.S. Geological Survey when it was established in 1879.

Jim has not dramatized some of the stranger twists in King's life, but presented them in astraight forward manner.Jim's book is rich in material from original letters, especially newly-discovered letters of King's colleague, James Gardner, to his mother during the explorations.Gardner was a life-long friend of King and chief topographer on his expeditions.In addition, the book is rich in pictures and drawings, bringing a feeling of the times.Extensive appendixes include original letters.Some, accounting for government equipment, seem a bit superfluous, but they do flavor the history and at least show that government bureaucrats have not changed much in the last 140 years. ... Read more

Product Description
Written for the general reader with an interest in geology, natural history, and the early explorations of the highest part of California s Sierra Nevada range, this book is also an indispensable guide for visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and adjacent areas. Maps, photographs, and geologic guides help visitors understand the formation of the awesome natural features before them. The region was one of the last parts of the United States to be explored, and it was only during the Civil War that the first scientific party attempted a reconnaissance map of the region. They discovered, in the process, that it included the highest mountain then in the United States, Mount Whitney. The book describes the arduous travels of the early explorers, including John C. Fremont and John Muir, and weaves the history of exploration together with modern geologic concepts to show the early naturalists contributions to geologic thought. Throughout, all terms that may be unfamiliar to non-geologists are simply and succinctly defined, and the book is richly punctuated with anecdotes, tales, myths, and biographical sketches of colorful characters associated with the region. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A somewhat narrow defintion of exploring
The author of Exploring the Highest Sierra first backpacked across Sequoia National Park, via Mt. Whitney, in 1947. He went on to earn a PhD in geology with his research based on the geologic structure of the highest Sierra - the crest from Mt. Langley on the south through the Palisades region to the north that includes all of the Sierra's 14,000' peaks and a sea of other high mountains, lakes and meadows - and then had a long, successful career as a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He clearly loves and is highly expert about this mountain range, the highest in the 48 coterminous United States, and the surrounding Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park.

My personal experience in this region consists of three backpacking trips - including peak bagging and off trail travel - that totaled perhaps three weeks within the so-called Highest Sierra.I looked forward to reading this 427-page book, which has very wide margins and lots of blank space, in hopes of not just learning more about it but to get ideas and inspirations for additional "explorations" of the area on my own. Unfortunately the book turned out to be less than I hoped for.

Nearly a third of the pages are devoted to chapters about the original Euro-American exploration and mapping of the region, especially the 1860s-90s work of the California Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey and its predecessors. Apart from the detailed coverage of progressively more accurate mapping efforts over the years, most of the characters - Whitney, King, Hoffman, Muir, etc. - are well know to anyone who is generally familiar with the 19th Century exploration of the Sierra (all of them explored and mapped the Yosemite region and elsewhere in the Sierra). These chapters have a lot of interesting photographs of the explorers, their equipment and so forth that I haven't seen elsewhere.

The remaining chapters are mostly hard core geology.And much of it is very technical to the lay reader.There are a lot of aerial photographs originally taken to document the region for mapping or geologic research, detailed photographs of rock strata and structures and numerous textbook-type graphs and charts of geologic phenomenon.A typical exhibit (6.21 in the 54-page chapter titled Granitic Rocks) consists of a set of eight graphs - admittedly incomprehensible to me - that plot the occurrence of silica (SiO2) against eight different chemicals found in hundreds of rock samples throughout the region's mountains. There are dozens of similar charts, graphs and scattergrams.I have to rate a lot of this information as either inaccessible or simply technical overkill for the non-geologist.It's far more detailed than most non-geologist visitors to the region will ever want to know.

This author's idea of an "exploration" of the highest Sierra is almost exclusively geologists and geology. There is virtually nothing about plants, animals, lakes, weather, wildfire, etc., etc. And nary a description of a mountaintop sunrise, a flowery meadow or any of the other charms that still make "exploring" this region so attractive to hikers, riders, climbers and skiers today.

Recommended to anyone seeking an overview of 19th Century geologic study and mapping along with a textbook on the geologic phenomenon - especially rock structure and chemistry - of the highest portion of the south-central Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Not recommended for those who want a generalized natural history overview of the region or want ideas and inspiration for planning their own trips into the high country of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.I note that most of the other reviewers of this book who rate it higher than I do seem to be professional geologists.And although Amazon does not seem to be stocking this, it can be found at the Yosemite Association's online bookstore.

One to Keep and Refer to For the Rest of Your Life
James Moore has compiled a fantastic account of the earliest history, exploration, mapping, mining, politics and geology of the Seqouia - Kings Canyon National Parks area. This book, more so than any other that I have read on the Sierra, provides insights into the people, the origin of geographic names and the forces and interests that drove the people into the high Sierra region. A fascinating look at the barometric and surveying tools that were lugged to the top of the highest peaks is given and a historical account of the ever increasing accuracy of the maps and just how close the original estimates were. True to his profession, Moore then goes into an in-depth discussion of the current understanding of the geologic history of the region. This discussion will be a great interest to those with a casual to serious interest in geology and will provide a greater awareness for your next trip into the area. It held me, a retired geologist, captive and will remain on my shelf as one of my most treasured references.

A successor to Francois Matthes
Moore's book is the result of a lifetime spent studying and mapping the geologic structures of the Sierra. It is an incredible achievement and an important contribution to a detailed understanding of the geology of the Sierra for the amateur naturalist. As literature and science, it's a worthy successor to Matthes's Geologic History of the Yosemite Valley (USGS Prof. Paper #160). He includes terrific chapters on the work of the first scientists to study the range and then describes current knowledge about the creation of the Sierra: from the collision of tectonic plates to the retreat of the last glaciers.

As an added bonus, Moore includes an appendix with detailed geologic comments for stopping points along several roads and trails in the Sequoia-Kings area: Highway 180 from Clovis to Cedar Grove; Highway 198 from Visalia and over the Generals Highway; the Mineral King road; the High Sierra Trail from Lodgepole to it's intersection with the John Muir Trail near Mt. Whitney; and, the John Muir Trail from Mt. Whitney to where it leaves Kings Canyon in the Evolution Valley region, 100 miles north.

Although Moore concentrates his narrative mostly to the area of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (where, as luck would have it, I work as a ranger), anyone interested in the geology of the Sierra would find this book useful for its explanation of the major granitic and metamorphic structures we see throughout the range. It's large format makes it unlikely you'd want to slip it into your backpack as a field guide. It's also probably of interest only to the serious amateur, though I think it's photos and organization make it accessible to a beginner who might just want to skim some of the detailed sections.

If you're interested in the Sierra Nevadas, this is for you!
This is an excellent book!The geology portion is easily understandable for the layman, yet still interesting enough for the professional geologist.The great historical and geological infromation make this a wonderful resource for anyone spending any time in the Sierra Nevadas.If you have any interest in geology and history, and you intend to spend any time in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, then you really Need this book!

Disorganized, non-visual, but good anecdotes
I'm a graduate student in geophysics.Some may argue that a geophysicist has no license to criticise a geologist or vice versa, but here goes nothing. :)

Moore begins with an interesting anecdotal account of the early mapping and exploration of the high Sierra.I found this interesting, but then again, I had not read much of this history previously.There are certainly other historical texts out there, so the question to ask yourself is: are there better ones?I don't know the answer.

Before I knew it, the book had morphed into what I took for a geology textbook.A bit too esoteric to be considered general-interest, but certainly not written for a Ph.D. geologist.It smelled an awful lot like an introductory undergraduate geology text, and I've read others that are much more lucid than this one.

Perhaps my biggest disappointment was the photography.Lacking, to say the least.Since Moore's historical coverage ceases before the advent of modern photography, I suppose this is understandable.

In closing: I wasn't quite sure what this text aspired to.As a historical text, I'd say that it was worth the paperback price.As a geology text, I don't think it was worth much.As a photography book, it was worth even less. ... Read more

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New Ideas
Moore, Stephen D. "God's Beauty Parlor and Other Queer Spaces in and Around the Bible", Stanford University Press, 2001.

New Ideas

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Opening the Bible to issues contested on sex and sexuality is no easy task. Critical commentary, from queer studies to looks at masculinity, have looked at the Bible many times to receive some kind of validation of ideas. Stephen Moore rereads the Bible as if it is about both God's bedroom and His beauty parlor, locker room, and war room. In doing so he looks at the themes of homosexuality, beauty, masculinity and violence by examining the Gospels, the Song of Songs, Letter to the Romans and the Book of Revelation and it is a revelation to see what he finds.
I found his approach to "The Song of Songs" particularly interesting as he looks at its place in sexual history. We have always looked at "The Song of Songs" as an ode to male-female love. Moore maintains that it s a "pretext for literary cross-dressing for legions of male Jewish and Christian commentators".
Looking at Jesus, he views his face and body as related to ideologies of beauty and shows how once he was represented regularly as "earthy". His acquired good looks are important to the global industry of religion.
Paul's doctrine of salvation shows how the good are of masculine gender while sin is associated with femininity. Finally in "The Book of Revelation" which is basically about war and man making war shows that war, indeed, makes men.
Bringing some of the main ideas of modern gender study to Biblical text is an interesting look at the Holy Book.The scholarship of the book is intense, creative and controversial to the letter of the word. What is especially interesting is that Moore addresses both masculinity and violence in his study. The material that he examines are looked at both playfully and seriously--not an easy task when looking at texts that are revered.
Moore also discusses the masculinity of the apostles, an issue that has concerned people for ages. Bringing the most modern concepts of gender studies to the Bible is itself a task not easily dealt with, Moore's book has so much to say and is so entertaining that I can say, for myself, at least, that I will never be able to read it in the same way.

Queer - and very very good
Here are four papers, of a distinctly dubious nature, that were written by Professor Moore over a number of years (and having gone through a number of versions) that are now presented in conjunction with Moore's interest, no, fixation with the sexual and the aesthetic.

These papers are dubious from an academic perspective because although the subjects be biblical, and although Moore be a biblical scholar, the papers are not what you would expect biblical studies papers to be about. Well, that is to say that this formerly would have been the case. Moore is one of a growing band of scholars who are being so bold as to make the Bible an object of culture rather than a straightforwardly "given" text which is interrogated as a theological or, perhaps, historical product. Thus, in this book we find something which might, at first, seem more the product of someone in an English Department or, maybe, a Cultural Studies Department. For here we find Queer Theory, Autobiographical Criticism and a good deal of ideology. This is to say that the book is multi-disciplinary in its approach.

The subjects of the four papers, most of them items which have appeared elsewhere before in briefer forms, are "The Song of Songs in the History of Sexuality" (a matter of, amongst other things, cross-dressing and breast pumps), "On the Face and Physique of the Historical Jesus" (why does he always appear so damn beautiful?), "Sex and the Single Apostle" (that is, Paul and homosexuality and Romans) and "Revolting Revelations" (the Revelation to John and Irish mythology and 4 Maccabees). In keeping with Moore's studied and precise style, these are very absorbing pieces, not least for their author's disarming (not to say alarming) penchant for autobiography. Will we ever tire of hearing about his butcher father, his drug-induced introduction to Christianity and his own sexuality (about which he is more engagingly coy)? Not, I suggest, if he writes about it like this.

So far this might not seem to be the average book in the biblical studies catalogue. And that would be right. For Moore is an outstanding observer of the biblical field. Who else has even questioned the APPEARANCE of the historical Jesus? It is in approaching topics like this, and in asking questions 99% of biblical scholars not only would not but do not ask, that makes Moore such a breath of fresh air in the biblical academy. Of course, his choice of subjects and his autobiographical turn might turn off readers and prospective readers. But this is where there is a sting in Moore's tail. For Moore is an absolutely brilliant writer and a first grade scholar. If you come to this book with a cynical attitude hoping that Moore's scholarship will be sloppy and so you can easily dispose of him you will go away disappointed. In this book (as in his others) Moore does not give you that option.

This book is not conventional in many ways (and yet is conventionally academic). But that should not limit its readership for this book is both fresh and mind-expanding. It engages thoroughly with both contemporary and ancient cultures and, thus, thoroughly contextualises its discussions. I thoroughly recommend it for its insight, its standard of scholarship and its straightforward enjoyment value. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. on November 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1609 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Kafkaesque case of Hua Di.
Author: Mike Moore
Publication: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 1999
Publisher: Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc.
Volume: 55Issue: 6Page: 12

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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A Compilation of Original Poetry published in Magazines of the English-speaking World in 1955. Poets include Barker, Abse, Cameron, Ciardi, Simpson, Sarton & many more. ... Read more