Minnesota is the birthplace of the Mississippi, the proverbial father of all rivers. So it's not surprising that river recreation figures prominently in the lives of many state residents. But Thomas Waters wants us to know more about rivers and streams than just the best place to fish or launch a boat. In his new book "Wildstream: A Natural History of the Free Flowing River," the professor emeritus of stream ecology shares his knowledge of ox bows and eddys in a way most readers without a scientific background can comprehend. I met up with Waters this week at Rice Creek in Roseville, where he used to take his university students on field trips.

This file was digitized with the help of a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).