A man of the world: My life at National Geographic, by Gilbert M. Grosvenor

 

I picked up this book at the ALA conference in Washington, D.C. in June. It tells the story of author Gilbert M. Governor's life growing up within the National Geographic Society. Following his family's generations-long involvement with founding, working for, and leading the Society, Grosvenor was immersed in geography, adventure, travel, photography, and writing from a young age. After college he went to work for the magazine as a photographer, and spent the next 40+ years working for them in a series of roles of increasing responsibility. He served as editor for a decade in his forties, following that with service as chairman for many years after. Even after he stepped down as chairman, he continued to serve on the board, contributing in many ways to National Geographic Society projects. His most ambitious project was to incorporate geography education into K-12 schools across the U.S. This is a captivating inside look into one of the most ubiquitous institutions in the country. While I'm thrilled to have picked this up at ALA, it's an advance reader's edition and lacks the photographs. When it comes out in September, I'm going to have to get my hands on a copy to check out the images.