As we celebrate the National Park Service's centennial in 2016, here's a great read for anyone interested in the agency's heritage. Spend some time with a ranger, whether it's in Yellowstone or the Everglades, or the Statue of Liberty, and you'll hear plenty of their stories, from the tragic to the humorous to the inspirational. 

So here, in their own words, are 100 of these stories, from 80 parks, in 320 pages, with plenty of black-and-white photographs of the authors.

There are life-changing moments, drama, and people to remember, written by rangers, volunteers, scientists, and employees. Every single day of the year, they help the injured, guide the lost, share their love of place, and help to preserve the outdoor beauty. Ride the rails, hike the trails, and pound the nails with these people.

There are stories of bears and birds and horses. Read how one hiker's life was saved during a daring night time rescue in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and another rescue deep in the Grand Canyon at Lava Falls. Learn "How to Talk to a Girl Ranger." The ranger's "pickle suits" set them apart from the visitors.  And be inspired by one superintendent's remembrance of inner-city youths' wonder at the night sky, as they exclaimed, "The stars, man. The stars!"

Read an homage to legendary Yosemite National Park Ranger Carl Sharsmith and how a night at the opera with him changed one man's life. The rewards of such a life are worth all of the sweat, pain, and challenges of life as a ranger. So with this book's covers you'll find descriptions of the singular moments, grand adventures, and careers, that can inspire an outdoor life.

You'll want to read, and reread these stories, and perhaps one will touch you enough to volunteer, or make this your own career as the National Park Service embarks on the next 100 years.