And he told The Week magazine about his six best books.
One book to make the grade:
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey (Harper Perennial, $15).Read about the other books on James' list.
Monkey wrenchin’. Stickin’ it to the man. For his 1975 comic novel about a band of eco-saboteurs, Abbey invented some of the most memorable characters ever set into motion. High adventure in the great American West. Pure mental cinema. Great escape with a great message to boot.
--Marshal Zeringue