This collection of essays investigates the evolving intellectual, political, and cultural history of American perceptions of wilderness from the era of first contact to the modern day. Michael W. Lewis compiles diverse scholarly perspectives to examine how the concept of the wild has been constructed, contested, and utilized throughout the nation's development. Rather than offering a singular, unified narrative, the work presents a series of competing interpretations that highlight the complexity of the human relationship with the natural environment.

Scholars and historians recognize this volume as a useful resource for understanding the historiography of American environmental thought. Readers frequently note that the text provides a nuanced, multi-faceted look at a subject often oversimplified in popular discourse.