A prolific naturalist author, Pyle narrates a tale which is part memoir and part ecological argument, advocating for his belief in the importance of the urban wild and forwarding the idea of "extinction of experience" when such places are unprotected in the midst of modern development. Alternating deeply personal anecdotes with local history, he uses the High Line Canal in Denver, Colorado as a microcosm in which to illustrate the intense informal utilization of near-urban countryside, defend that terrain as a modern form of Commons, consider the repercussions of growth on an inherently limited ecosystem, and reflect on the cultural aftermath when this unique terrain dwindles in the contemporary landscape. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)