Glick, Daniel. Powder burn; arson, money, and mystery on Vail Mountain

Kliatt, May, 2003 by Nola Theiss

PublicAffairs. 275p. index. c2001.1-58648-164-9. $14.00. SA

In October of 1998, arsonists set fire to ski lifts, restaurants and other buildings on top of a mountain in Vail. These facts form the basis of Daniel Glick's book. Who set the fires and why are still unknown, despite the efforts of local, state and federal investigators, yet everyone has a theory and many had motives. There are the so-called "eco-terrorists," who have been violently opposed to the expansion of Vail Associates, the largest resort owners in Colorado, into the last pristine lynx habitat in the state; those who love the natural splendor of the area and who are resentful of the exploitation of it by tourists and wealthy pleasure-seekers; and the locals and old-time "ski-bums" who have seen their way of life destroyed. Even the developers have been suspected of destroying old buildings to make way for new and then casting blame on their enemies.

In studying this crime, Glick, a reporter for Newsweek, analyzes the many forces that have come together in Vail, Colorado: New West and Old West, the rich and the working poor, locals and interlopers, exploiters and protectors. He creates a metaphor for the many stresses and strains that are occurring all over the country as we move into the 21st century and begin to understand that our resources may be limited and our greed boundless, This book would be an important addition to high school level or above environmental and sociological collections. Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL