Part travel monologue, part heartfelt, healing memoir, the uniquely structured debut book from CBS news correspondent Conor Knighton is essentially a love letter to America, and to himself ... Entertaining, informative and inspirational, Leave Only Footprints will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about America’s “best idea” and how challenging yourself can help with spiritual, emotional and personal growth.
Knighton brings some keen historical and cultural insights to this survey of America’s five dozen wondrously varied national parks ... But those insights are almost undone by the author’s taste for self-indulgence, whether he’s sharing the details of his scrapped wedding plans, dragging his readers back to the Methodist church camp of his youth, or cracking not so wise (or funny) throughout. But some readers might enjoy the combination, and certainly the author’s TV fame, and the national-park segments he’s been presenting on CBS Sunday Morning, could create strong demand for this title.
Knighton is a companionable guide, light on his feet, with a steady store of hit-or-miss jokes, some excellent descriptive passages, good background material, and a few sweeping insights as to why national parks are so essential ... Too infrequently, he tackles wider subjects with particular zest, especially so in the case of the lack of diversity in both visitors to and employees of the national parks ... A fine tour d’horizon of our national grandeur.
... lackluster ... [Knighton's] descriptions of his adventures and the local practices are intriguing but get lost in digressions into reflections on his childhood and personal life. Nature lovers will find his story to be self-serving, and dedicated fans of his segment may find it lacking in new material.
