Why Must Read Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors?

This is one of my favorite kinds of books; it is a rare combination of both informative and amusing. It is primarily a book that describes various National Parks, but it also pokes fun at the poor reviews that some people have written about these beautiful places. The author explains that the National Park Service is split into geographic regions, each overseeing a specific area of the country, and so she organized the book the same way. The Regions are: Alaska, Pacific West, Intermountain, Midwest, Northeast, National Capital, and Southeast. For each section there is a title page describing the region, then a stylized map of the area, and then in the following pages there is an entry for each individual park. Each park has a title page, which shows when the park was established, followed by a postcard-like picturesque drawing, with a negative review summary over it. For example: Kenai Fjords National Park, which has a beautifully drawn scene of rocks jutting out of the water and the tail of whale just above the surface, with the caption “Only Saw One Humpback.” After that there is a description of the park, and often some “fun facts” or “Ranger tips” added in at the end as well. I really enjoyed this book. It was great to learn about the history and geography of all of these National Parks, and I really appreciated the author's sense of humor as she makes fun of the negative reviews. She makes the point in the introduction, that she sometimes finds it helpful to remind herself that if some of the most beautiful places on Earth can receive 1 star reviews, then she shouldn't be too focused on what her critics have to say, because clearly you can't please everyone. A great point, and a fun and informative book overall.