Book was okay. Wasn’t fond of the attitude of the writer, the constant misuse of the word melancholy, and the fake acronyms. ( )

Living in the Midwest, we are many miles from most of the National Parks, Monuments, Historical Sites, etc, but travel we do. We love visiting the parks and learning about the diverse areas. Based on some of our experiences, we can relate to Jim Burnett's well-told stories. I love his interesting use of acronyms, his humor and the wisdom he shares using ranger experiences. I kept waiting for more of a autobiographical story, but this is more about the general ranger experience and the lessons to be shared. ( )

I also recommend this book for those who are just looking for something light to read. I borrowed this one from my local public library, but I have gotten a copy of my own.

See my note on the book:
[http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/11/booknote-hey-ranger.html]

I will also note that I had the good fortune to meet the author at TLA in 2007. I will be reading the sequel to this one soon. ( )

Funny stories! Rangers certainly lead an interesting life. This was an entertaining, quick read. ( )

Jim Burnett has worked as a park ranger at national parks and other sites run by the National Park Service since the 1970s. As you might expect, it's the kind of job where you can't help accumulating some interesting stories, and he's compiled his into this collection of amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, including various mishaps and accidents, dumb excuses people give for speeding in the parks, the weirest questions he's been asked by visitors, and what it's like to live inside a national park in Montana in the winter. He also includes a chapter at the end with some tips for having a safe and successful trip.

The writing isn't exactly polished, but it captures rather nicely the feel of having someone sitting around a dinner table or a campfire telling stories, and Burnett throws in both some erudite quotes and some slightly corny humor, which I thought was a somewhat charming combination. Some of the stories, unsurprisingly, are a lot more interesting than others, and in some cases the details he relates about the parks get a little repetitive. But overall it's a pleasant enough read if you're a national parks enthusiast, or are curious as to just what park rangers' jobs actually entail. ( )