Book Review of Issues in Outdoor Recreation by Clayne R. Jensen and Clark T. Thorstenson. Minneapolis, Minnesota; Burgess Publishing Company, 1972

Brown, Perry J.

English

University of Montana

University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Forest Management Faculty Publications Forest Management 1-1973 Review: Issues in Outdoor Recreation Perry J. Brown University of Montana - Missoula, perry.brown@umontana.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/forest_pubs  Part of the Forest Management Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Recommended Citation Brown, Perry J., "Review: Issues in Outdoor Recreation" (1973). Forest Management Faculty Publications. 46. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/forest_pubs/46 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Forest Management at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Forest Management Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu. B o o k  R eview s 77and recreation presented  in in t ro du c to ry  sections may seem simplistic to  the professional recreation leader while leadership techniques may be considered obvious. However, activities and ideas for group recreation  are useful.C hapters  are arranged b o th  by types o f  activity and the settings in which various activities might take  place, e.g., banquets .  C hap te r  Three, concerned w ith  family groups, and the m any references fo r  recreation for older adults  (Quick Reference G uide) would add to  the skill reperto ry  of most recreation leaders. Also, C hap te r  Seven is an invaluable source o f  easily adaptable  active games using com m on materials.  These games work well in small spaces found  in m any  indo o r  recreation areas.N onprofessional recreation leaders w ho  work with groups and need occasional activity suggestions will find the struc ture  o f  The N ew  Pleasure Chest easy to  follow. Specif ic hints to  help in directing group  activities and suggestions for  making social gatherings more enjoyable are im po rtan t  additions for group leaders.The m ajor disadvantage o f  the Eisenbergs’ boo k  is tha t  group leaders might have d ifficulty  transposing m any activities oriented to  religious and fellowship groups to  their  own groups in public and private agencies, recreation centers, and ins ti tu t ions Also, providing recreation in a group setting  has been approached in an elem entary  way. The difficulties in organizing groups, finding com m on interests, and establishing com m on goals are m en tioned  in only a cursory m anner ,  as if these simply occur, particularly in activities listed for teenagers. It is also hard to  imagine urban teenagers and adults  partic ipating in some of the  suggested activities.The Eisenbergs could have provided more ideas on forming groups and on how to include people no t  g roup  o r ien ted -e .^ . ,  isolated handicapped, predel inquent teenagers. Fellowship activities could have been emphasized.Nevertheless, The N ew  Pleasure Chest is an improved revision which should help professional recreation and group leaders needing occasional recreation ideas.C ATH ER IN E A N D R E S, C hild ren ’s O rthopedic  H ospital, Seattle, Washington.ISSUES IN O U T D O O R  R EC R E A T IO N . Edited  by  Clayne R. Jensen and Clark T. T hors tenson .  Minneapolis, Minnesota: Burgess Publishing C o m p any ,  1972.During the last couple o f  years m any com pendia o f  env ironm ental and natural resource articles have been accum ulating  on my bookshelf. Jensen and T hors ten so n ’s Issues In O u td o o r R ecrea tion  now  adds to  the  heap bu t  differs from the o thers in tw o respects. Many, bu t  far from all, articles deal with  environm ental topics focusing on o u td o o r  recreation Also, it is n o t  the  typical academic co m pend ium  since m any articles are reprints from the  popular  press.In the preface the editors tell us tha t each article was chosen on merit78 Journa l o f  Leisure Researchand significance. T h ey  also say these articles deserve com pila tion  in to  a volume to  be read by  s tuden ts ,  teachers, conservationists, and the  general public. We are no t  told w hy  the articles are w o rth y  o f  this trea tm en t .  A fte r  reading the  first 104 pages, 1 still w ondered.Conta ined  in the book  is a collection o f  articles by well-known politicians and au thors  plus a collection by obscure individuals. Classical papers like Siguard O lsen’s “ T he  Meaning o f  Wilderness” and bland treatises such as Edward C raft’s speech, “ Leisure and O u td o o r  R ecrea t ion” are included. T h ro ug ho u t  the  volume appear scattered quotes  from  m any individuals which, ra ther than  drawing a t te n t io n  to  significant points, tend to disrupt the narrative. Editorial co m m en t is limited to  a brief in tro du c t ion  to  each chap te r  w ith ou t  reference to  individual articles.It should be clear by  now  I was n o t  positively overwhelmed by  the b o o k ’s c o n te n t s -p r im a r i ly  because the title is deceptive. Expecting  to  read articles a b o u t  co n tem p ora ry  o u td o o r  recreation issues, I was hard pressed to  find them  in the volume. A fter  reading the first 104 pages it was clear th a t  those issues identif ied were from the O R R R C  period o f  a decade ago. R a th e r  th an  read the rest o f  the  articles, I random ly  selected eight. Pleasantly, the  first o f  these articles addressed an issue o f  current re levance-escala ting  land prices. A no the r  by Michael F rom e focused on recreation  area congestion.One w onders  w hy certain issues were n o t  treated to  replace m any of those th a t  were. The effects o f  b o th  social equ ity  on o u td o o r  recreation programs and o f  differential time assignment (like the  four-day w ork week) might have been discussed along with user im plications o f  site deve lopm ent and others.What can be done  with such a boo k  excep t  add it to  stacks o f  similar compendia? It has li tt le value for  me as a teacher and for  students .  F ro m  w hat I know  abou t courses taugh t by friends at o the r  schools as well as m y ow n, several teachers would react similarly. Those issues addressed are generally be t te r  treated  elsewhere and the volume suffers t rem endously  from w hat is excluded.P E R R Y  J. BROWN, College o f  N atural R esources and In s titu te  fo r  the S tu d y  o f  O utd o o r R ecrea tion  and Tourism , Utah S ta te  U niversity (Logan).R E C R E A T IO N  IN AM ERICAN L IF E . By R eynold  Edgar Carlson, T heodore  R . D eppe ,  and Jan e t  R. Maclean. Belm ont,  California: W adsw orth  Publishing Co., Inc. 1972. 552 pp. $9 .95 .In the second edit ion as in the first, this bo o k  remains a m os t comprehensive overview o f  American recreation. The au thors  exhib i t  an impressive knowledge o f  their  profession as it relates to  b o th  public and private sectors o f  recreation. R ecrea tion  in A m erican  L ife  will no  d o u b t  remain a useful and popu la r  in t ro d u c to ry  recreation text.Despite an obvious effort  to  upda te  the  1963 ed it ion , making it  more

Review: Issues in Outdoor Recreation

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Review: Issues in Outdoor Recreation

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