Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound

When it comes to books about Seattle and its surroundings, there's one must-read writer as far as I'm concerned, and that's David B. Williams. I've long been telling recent arrivals and lifetime residents alike about such titles as Too High and Too Steep and Seattle Walks, and now I can add another to my recommendation list. Homewaters is the author's most wide-ranging work yet, a comprehensive account of the human and natural history of Puget Sound. From the formation of the land- and seascape by ancient glaciation, through the long years of indigenous stewardship and into the colonial and contemporary eras, the waters of the Salish Sea have been the region's lifeblood, enabling commerce, culture, and connection, and Williams addresses all that's gone before while also looking toward the future. The vital tie between ecology and the progress of people is the string that holds Homewaters together and will, I think, be the most-remembered message of this essential book. —James (from the Madison Books newsletter)