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by Sylvia Dresser Gary Ferguson. Shouting at the Sky: Troubled Teens and the Promise of the Wild. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999: Gary spent quite a bit of time with a wilderness therapy program in Utah, and this is his account of that time and his viewpoint of what was going on there. His writing is clear and very readable - I was hard pressed to put the book down. This is not a technical manual on how to run a program, nor is it a summation of how these programs work or why. It is however, a clear account of what can happen when a program is well run, and the opportunities to take advantage of the healing powers of being in the wilderness with patient and well-trained adults. Gary's writing is such that we can make immediate connections with the kids involved, and understand at least a bit of what they are going through. In that way, it is a journal and a mural of this experience. One of the primary uses that I would see for this book is in understanding the possibilities of a wilderness experience, for a troubled kid or for anyone. Parents of children taking part or thinking of taking part in such an experience should read it, as should anyone who is in a position to recommend this type of trip. The clarity of image and experience brings it to life in a way that no brochure or dry theoretical explanation can do. Sugerman, Deb, et. al. Reflective Learning: Theory and Practice. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing Co., 2000: As is indicated in the title, this slim volume contains both theory and practical ideas, i.e. reflective learning activities. As many of us are aware, we have a tendency as a field to say generally, "So, what did you think about this?" and call that the reflective part of our experience. This book gives you the tools to go beyond that level of facilitation. For starters, the theory of reflective learning is discussed, using several different learning models. The next chapter talks about setting the stage so that reflective learning can occur, and then moves in to the ethical considerations of this kind of facilitation. Some of this part has overtones of therapeutic applications, but most of it is applicable to all kinds of settings. The second half of the book is the activity part - first, a group of activities that can be used before or before and after the experience. Then, activities for after the experience, broken into prop and no-prop sections. The activities are clearly explained, with appropriate populations, timing, group size, and helpful hints for using the activity. Many of the activities were familiar to me, but the way they are written up is extremely helpful. Also, having them all in one place makes this a worthwhile purchase for those times when you just have to do something different, and need a memory jog to figure out just the right thing! A good resource. Wurdinger, Scott D., and Tom G. Potter. Controversial Issues in Adventure Education: a Critical Examination. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing, Co., 1999: I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I took the shrink wrap off this book - I opened it to the table of contents, and POWIE - off I dove into controversy. After a brief introduction, the questions starting coming. This book examines the pro and con of 15 hot topics in the field - Should there be rescue free wilderness areas? Should challenge course instructors be certified? What about cell phones in the wilderness? Do one day adventure programming activities, such as challenge courses, provide long lasting learning? Should gender-specific programs, such as all women courses, be offered in adventure education? For each of these 15 topics, there is a yes and a no answer. Answers were written by many familiar names in the field - Mark Havens, Cliff Knapp, Dan Garvey, Camille Bunting,TA Loeffler. In each answer, the individual character of the writer comes out, as the writing style differs from answer to answer. Some answers have bibliographies (mostly from those whose names are followed by "Ph.D.") - some have charts and graphs - but all take a strong empassioned stance on their topic. This book would make a great discussion vehicle for undergraduate or
graduate classes in Adventure/Outdoor/Experiential Education. For any facilitator,
it provides a good look at both sides of many issues. I guarantee you it
is not boring reading, and may bring to light new viewpoints on these topics.
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