Books like Hayduke Lives!

The follow-up to the eco-warrior's bible The Monkey-Wrench Gang has our heroes once again coming to the rescue of the fragile and over-grazed southwest (Abbey's beloved lands) which are once again being sold and perverted for the short term gains of profiteers (so it goes and has been going for as long as we can remember--i note that Franzen borrowed a bit on this theme as well for Freedom) . . . or, depending how you look at it, being carefully exploited by savvy businessmen who wish to "better mankind's lot" through the use of outrageously destructive equipment in order to extract the mineral wealth . . . OK there's no way I can argue for the industrial complex after having just digested a couple of Father Ed's works, but you get the picture. The humor in the story is perfectly well done, if a bit flat-footed in terms of painting the profiteers in a far less than congenial light, but that's the job. When your sexy several story several thousand ton excavation equipment is crushing the life out of turtles it's hard to see the sweet side. Abbey is dearly missed and I don't know who fills his much needed role today.