"Mullen’s travelogue is an eloquent testimonial to the need for common sense and logic regarding "river management" and the importance of recognizing rivers as living and ever-moving sources of life. Mullen’s Rivers of Change documents the history of the assumption that man can force rivers to serve him. As he shows us through interviews with barge pilots, wildlife biologists, federal authorities and tribal historians, that assumption is risky business. "We learn that there are many contributing factors to the health of a river eco-system and many reasonable goals with a wide variety of ways of affecting a positive outcome for the birds, fish and people who depend on rivers for life. Rivers of Change is easy to follow as it weaves together the meandering currents of knowledge gleaned from the locals into a crystal clear basis for making policy. While none of us can predict what lies around the next bend, Mullen shows that unless river managers listen to the river and learn from past mistakes there will be no happy ending. "Recommended to anyone with a love for history and a passion for rivers." Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs, Co-author of The Lewis and Clark Companion "Tom Mullen's painstakingly researched and eminently readable account of life and change along America's great arteries is much like a river journey -- educational, unpredictable and inspiring." Brad Herzog, author of States of Mind and Small World "In the wake of Lewis and Clark, Tom Mullen followed their trail along the Missouri, Yellowstone and Columbia Rivers to see what two centuries has done to those once wild and unpredictable streams. Enlivened by an insatiable curiosity and tempered by a wealth of experience managing water resource projects around the globe, Mullen takes us along on his own journey of discovery." Dayton Duncan, Author of Out West: A Journey Through Lewis & Clark's America “Tom Mullen has made an amazing journey here – along the rivers of Lewis and Clark – asking the land and its people for stories about the streams he travels. Whether he’s canoeing, scuba diving, bicycling, or sitting in a café with a local expert, Tom’s search for the heart of a river and its country is made with care, passion and precision. With loving detail, he chronicles the path of his expedition through both history and change, ultimately seeking that most elusive of places – home.” Rebecca Lawton Author of Reading Water: Lessons from the River “Rivers of Change provides nuance and context to debates over the future of our great western rivers. This briskly moving travelogue uses Mullen’s encounters with tribal elders, Army Corps engineers, environmental activists, and power plant managers to explain the conflicting demands for water, whether to generate hydropower, transport barge traffic, or protect endangered species. Along the way, a little history helps the reader appreciate that rivers change, just as life itself does. How we choose to react to change says as much about us as a species as it does about the great Missouri River.” Robert Glennon Author of Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America’s Freshwaters Morris K. Udall professor of law and public policy, the University of Arizona “If there's a perfect book to read this year in honor of Earth Day, it has to be Malibu author's Tom Mullen's chronicle of his five-month road trip along the Missouri, Yellowstone and Columbia Rivers. “If books like "Rivers of Change" were used as texts for history, geography and science students, a new generation of future planners and engineers might bring to the task a better sense of community and appreciation for habitat preservation and the ecomomy of ecology." Pam Linn of the Malibu Times, April 29, 2004 "This book is filled with interesting facts, a good amount of history, some bits of trivia, and the thoughts and observations of one man as he follows the path of two great early explorers. His command of the language is fun and inviting…” ForeWord Magazine – for September / October, 2004 “Highly recommended as an addition to…American History collections…Rivers of Change will prove to be especially interesting to non-specialist general readers with an interest in environmental water issues – past or present.” Midwest Book Review – May, 2004 "Like Steinbeck, who named his camper Rocinante after Don Quixote’s horse, Mullen named his motorized steed Six Pac. Like Mullen’s prose, Six Pac is sturdy, reliable, and well-ordered. "...I enjoyed the quirky histories from Lewis and Clark days; the accounts of devastating floods, especially the "Great Flood of 1993"; tales of exploding and snag-trashed steamboats and a wandering river that transformed thriving communities to ghost towns and forced migrations of Native American villages. "Tom highlights the struggle of dedicated naturalists to save the piping plover, the least tern, and the pallid sturgeon. An effort that is only part of the story in the continuing struggle to resuscitate biodiversity along these rivers in times of changing use." Craig Carozzi, Peace Corps Writers "There are numerous vignettes of wisdom and local color in this engaging work that should both entertain and inform the reader... "The result is a book written in a clear, simple style that mirrors the voice of the people he met...the stories express resignation and disappointment, anger and frustration, but also hope, optimism and renewal." Richard Chilton in Siouxland.net; August 19th, 2004 "Provides a section of thoughtful essays dealing with the changed character of the Missouri River ecosystem. His material is well researched, and his stories demonstrate that one can learn a great deal of useful information by listening to people living along the river." David L. Miller, The Complete Paddler: A Guidebook for Paddling the Missouri River from the Headwaters to St. Louis, Missouri; 2005 |
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