Overview

Author Jim Holden brings us true stories of extraordinary people daring to live their dreams and their singular passions. The protagonists range from the famous to the forgotten and the settings from the wilderness to the urban. The famous include John Steinbeck, Bill Graham, John Muir, President Theodore Roosevelt, Jack London, Alice Waters, and the artist Christo. They and the forgotten are all captured in their intense periods of commitment-when all is at risk. Jim Holden takes us atop the planet's tallest redwoods. We fly with the last wild California condors on the edge of extinction, and we feel John Steinbeck's raw emotions as he emerges into fame and then plunges into despair. We accompany impresario Bill Graham as he transforms rock 'n' roll and the sixties. We join Jack London on his many dangerous adventures. We watch Alice Waters lead the transformation of American food culture from her Berkeley bistro. We listen to John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt as they talk far into the Yosemite night about protecting American forests and wilderness, and we follow the iconic artist Christo as he creates a fifteen-foot-high fence that runs twenty-four miles across Sonoma and Marin ranch land before making its dramatic dive into the ocean. All these portraits are illuminating and they cast a bright light into the hearts and minds of these pioneers and what made them so special. A terrific read -- don't miss it!

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9780984884971

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Reviews

Adventurous Lives, Daring Acts is a book of refreshing, entertaining and well-written perspectives on an eclectic mix of talented people, ranging from escape-artist to impresario to U.S. president. The unifying theme that ties these disparate protagonists together is their singularity of purpose. Jim Holden has cleverly captured their angst, passion and daring. I couldn't put the book down. - Monroe Katz, author of the novel Sparring with Rembrandt and the inspirational book, Dare To Create, The Joys and Tortures of Learning to Paint. A fascinating series of stories, starting with men climbing and sleeping in the tallest redwoods in the world to the groundbreaking Yosemite camping trip between Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir. See Jack London in action and feel the grit of John Steinbeck as he lives and breathes what became The Grapes of Wrath, a work he describes as being written the way lives are lived, not the way books are written. You won't regret sharing these adventures. - Jon Gregory, author of the celebrated financial thriller Run for the Money

Author Information

"Author Jim Holden has been enchanted by the singular history, natural beauty and astounding stories of California's Bay Area and the Western States for 50 years. He relishes hiking, travel and nature. His previous book, ""It Happened in Marin"" was a regional bestseller. He resides in San Rafael, California."

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