Reviews for What Is Government?

The average rating for What Is Government? based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-07-15 00:00:00 Louise Moir Citizenship

Review # 2 was written on 2009-08-11 00:00:00 John Macrone By turns beautiful, tragic and inspiring, this is the story of the Nashua River from the time the first native peoples discovered it, through European-American colonization, to the pollution of the industrial revolution and beyond, the destruction, and finally the restoration thanks to the efforts of Marion Stoddart and the Nashua River Cleanup Committee in the 1960s. The illustrations are very nice. I appreciate how the larger picture shows the changing river conditions, while the border around the text illustrates the changing times (starting with Native American handcrafts, tools, etc. moving up through colonial farming instruments, the products of the industrial revolution, etc.) I also appreciate the positive ending, showing that with hard work and dedication we can restore natural places once destroyed. Living near the American River and knowing how it was so badly injured by the Gold Rush, I have seen the lasting effects of carelessness or ignorance, as well as the shining examples of people today working to restore the river to its former abundance and glory. Even so, my overall reaction to the book was just lukewarm. I find Lynne Cherry's style too didactic for my taste. Still, it's a worthy addition to a study about ecology or ways to help the environment. ETA: I agree with other reviewers that it would have been helpful if Cherry would have been great if she had explained more about how the campaign was successful, maybe included some tips for how kids can be involved in river clean ups and the like. (Locally, I have participated in the Great Sierra River Clean Up it was well attended by adults and children alike.)