Environment and Nature Books

Great pictures and also very clear text, simple to understand, all about stuff they are really interested in.

My kids (age 8 and 10) are really interested in the environment and I see them reading this book a lot. They go back again and again to explore new topics. The photos are really great and seem to help the book keep their interest for a long time.

I purchased this book for my daughter, and have ended up reading it just as much myself! The pictures are great, and the information is clear and well-presented. My daughter doesn't only use it for her school projects, but often just picks it up to read for entertainment. I give this book my highest recommendation both to adults as well as kids.

A stellar example of children's reference material -- my students use this book constantly as part of their research projects and assignments.

The book arrived ahead of schedule and it was in mint condition. I am satisfied with the service and the product.

I am happy with the purchase that I Made. It was delivered on time and was in great shape.

I was asked to evaluate ths for the textbook selection committee at a local high school for possible use as the text book for an environmental science class next year. Since my degree is in Environmental Science, and I have done a lot of work with environmental education, I have read a large number of environmental science books and have seen the good, bad and worst of books on the market.

At first I just planned to skim the book, but after reading a few pages I decided to look at the book more closely, and I was impressed with what I saw. The book is well written in clear, easy to understand language, using a good amount of well done graphs, charts and photos. The layout, in addition, was good, making the book flow in an orderly manner.

The information in the book was excellent, and covered the entire range, as much as is possible in one book, of environmental science. The biology and chemistry were integrated nicely and flowed smoothly.

I have rated this book as four stars only because I feel the authors didn't cover the section on renewable energy as well as I would have liked. The book tended to move through the subject rather quickly, offering only a limited view of what can be done to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. In all other ways this book was superior to many I have read.

I would highly recommend this for an introduction course in college, and also think it would bean excellent choice for a text at the AP or regular high school level, provided the students had enough science background to be able to understand the science. I even believe that a motivated home schooled student could study from this book and do quite well in the subject. Overall, one of the best introductory text books I've had the pleasure of reading.

The thing that I like the most about this book is the way chemistry is incorporated into the sciences that relate to environment. It has all the basic chemistry skills required for one to be able to relate to environment at the introductory level.

The Appendix on Environmental Chemistry is very well presented. It has most of the concepts that one require in this course. It is written in short and to the point to avoid confusion, but with high clarity. That is what students appreciate. Students do not need to refer to other textbooks. The material includes all that a student need to understand the basic concepts of chemsitry as applied to environmental science.

The format is outstanding. It is best suited for students taking Environmental Science. It just delivers materials of basic interest with excellent problems and things to ponder sections. The illustrations are superb.

Students are often frustrated with voluminous information. They usually buy a book and are turned off and do not read it. They need concise and just the right stuff in it. This book has that quality. Students would love it and I am glad it is on the market.

It was a delight reading this study guide. Excellent job! It just does a good service to students.

Little more than a year after he published the opus Agriculture and Modern Technology: a Defense,* Thomas R. DeGregori has returned with another work of similar scope and perhaps even greater depth: The Environment, Our Natural Resources, and Modern Technology.** The book examines in detail many preconceptions and cultural myths about the environment, natural resources and technology, and shows that many are so badly distorted that they contribute to the commission of countless wrongs.

DeGregori's deft handling of these preconceptions and cultural myths invites a comparison to Dawkins' work with memes, or Campbell's syncretistic work with folklore, but as an economist of strikingly pragmatic bent, DeGregori prefers to deal with historical fact.

Those who cherish any illusions about the environment, natural resources or technology will find this a painful book to read. In chapter 1, we learn that "green consumerism" is still consumerism, barely green, and sometimes outright dangerous. In chapter 2, we learn how wildlife conservation efforts in Africa have destroyed cultures, forcing natives from their lands and depriving them of traditional foods. These natives are then denied access to modern technologies, with a view to ensure that they somehow remain "authentic" after such irreversible intrusions, enduring an enforced primitivism at the hands of their conquerors.

The theme repeats itself in chapter 5, where the notion of the American Indian as the "original ecologist" is exposed as the typical aftermath of subjugation. Primitive peoples in their wild, "natural" state (notions of what is "natural" are scathingly debunked as well) are viewed as savages, akin to animals and therefore not landowners, justifying their subjugation and the theft of their land. Once subjugated, nostalgia usurps memory and they are viewed as having lived "sustainably" in a pristine pre-technological utopia and an elaborate parody of their past is concocted to mesh with other mythical views we wish to entertain in the present. If these peoples rebel by refusing to act as expected, they are once again referred to as savages and often treated accordingly.

Much of the book deals with skewed notions of what is "natural," and they are mainly exposed in chapter 6. There, we learn that life "in harmony with the environment" for most of human history has had little in common with its idyllic portrayals, being instead nasty, brutish and short. As it turns out, the only thing able to protect us from the uncaring ravages of nature is, and always has been, technology.

"Here [in this book] the focus is on the consumption practices that reflect the phobias and beliefs that deny and/or reject the technological and scientific transformations that have given us longer, healthier lives," DeGregori states in his introduction. The book achieves this ambition, and a good deal more.
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* Iowa State University Press, Ames, 2001. 268 pp., [money]. Reviewed in AgBiotech Reporter, July 2001.
** Iowa State Press, Ames, 2002. 224 pp., [money]

This is a book that will challenge much conventional wisdom about the impact of modern technology on our environment. No matter how much you think you know about the topic, you will learn something new by reading it.

The author, an economist of the old-fashion institutionalist school (unlike the current institutionalist crowd, he believes in material progress) begins the book with a simple question: If modern science and technology are killing us, why are we so healthy and living so long? In short, his answer is that human beings have evolved into problem-solving (i.e. technological) creatures, and that no one should deny that this is a good thing in light of the available historical record.

The topics discussed in the book go much beyond what its title suggests and range from the living conditions of early Pacific Islanders to the Nazis' love of all things natural - with the exception, of course, of other human beings who didn't fit their idea of the master race. Indeed, the book is as much a study of the cultural divide between technological optimists and pessimists as it is a study of the impact of technology on humans and the environment.

One warning, though. The author is an academic and writes like one. The titles listed in his 45 page bibliography are thus methodically referenced in the main text in a way that will probably distract some readers unfamiliar with this writing style. In the end, though, the book is well worth the effort.

The Environment, Our Natural Resources, and Modern Technology is a holistic expose of the hypocrisy of the major planks of the stereotypical leftist agenda: namely the three mentioned in the title.

Dr. DeGregori contrasts "green consumerism" with another plank of the leftist agenda: income disparity, and shows, through a variety of examples, what the results of such national policies would be: increased prices and scarcity for all. In short, the green movement is for guilt-ridden rich folk, and not for the masses.

Addressing natural resources, DeGregori shows that the best way to preserve them would be to allow free trade and property rights. I particularly enjoyed the applications to developing economies around the world, although I found it painful to learn of the way in which developed economic powers (U.S. and Britain in particular) egotistically deprive indigenous cultures of even the chance to utilize their natural resources to increase their income (thereby increasing education, access to life-saving consumer products, and increasing general standards of living). Cases from India, Africa, and Southeast Asia are used to vividly illustrate the consequences of leftist, socialist moves to keep indigenous cultures in developing countries at a stunted level of economic and cultural development.

DeGregori's examination of modern technology is superb, as well. He exposes the fanatacism of anti-technology individuals-e.g. those who decry "cold pasteurization" as harmful, even though empirical evidence shows that there has not been a single incident of an individual consumer becoming ill as a result. His evaluation of techno-phobes' concerns is invaluable, and reaches beyond contemporary quibbles to address the fundamental philosophy driving their zeal. He addresses some of the most important issues of today, such as debates surrounding genetically modified food vs. organic and those regarding the use of DDT and fertilizers.

DeGregori also addresses the demand for technological improvements by cultures in developing countries, and the benefits to be gained: increased income, increased competitiveness in the global economy, increased life-expectancies, and decreased environmental degredation.

I was surprised to find that such a scholarly book was such an easy read; the information was logically presented, and easily digestible. DeGregori's information is heavily footnoted, but since the footnotes aren't the crux of the book, you can simply read around them. If you are looking for more information, the footnotes may well prove invaluable, as DeGregori cites pro and con sources to many of his arguments.

This book was required for a university course that I am taking from DeGregori. In person, and not just on books, DeGregori is a professor with a firm grasp on the latest economic information from developing and developed economies around the world. Degregori encourages you to look on the positive side of things-all the progress we've made, and potential solutions to some of the problems.

The Environment, Our Natural Resources, And Modern Technology by Thomas R. Degregori (Professor of Economics, University of Houston, Texas), is a 256-page, scholarly volume whose reasoning and language is accessible enough to make it appropriate for any non-specialist general reader concerned about the environmental degradation and human overpopulation problems that are significantly effecting planet Earth. The intent of The Environment, Our Natural Resources, And Modern Technology is not to flatly denounce conservation efforts, but rather to closely scrutinize them (including the myths surrounding them), and to take a cold, hard look at whether such things as "ecotourism" are truly beneficial to the ecologies or the people who live in them. From revealing how some African game wardens are empowered to legally shoot to kill anyone suspected of poaching; to debunking the myth of the "untamed West" which ignored the profound impact Native American cultures and settlements had on the land, The Environment, Our Natural Resources, And Modern Technology is a thoughtful and thought-provoking extended essay that strives to uncover facts beneath layers of propaganda on all sides of thorny environmental and technology issues. No academic library's Environmental Studies collection can be considered comprehensive without the inclusion of Professor Degregori's The Environment, Our Natural Resources And Modern Technology.

This book was assigned reading for a college class on Sustainable Development. I'd already had some exposure to the philosophies & theories presented. It seems to be a good collection representing a wide range of ideas; a great piece for my reference shelf. In other words: a keeper!

....ably assembled and edited by Michael E. Zimmerman. This anthology spans the spectrum from animal rights to environmental protection to deep ecology, and by doing so provides a superb introduction to environmental studies as well as important supplementary reading reaching forward into the present.

I'm convinced this is the best way to learn about Environmental Philosophy! While some sections are difficult and can bog you down, most are clear and well-written.

I'd recommend this book as both a teaching tool and as something you can pick up to learn on your own. It's more difficult than most pleasure reading but the subject is particurarily heavy.

This kind of education is essential to the environmentalist or someone trying to understand the movement.

Regardless of whether you are interested in deep ecology, animal rights, envirnmental ethics,eco-feminism or political ecology, this excellently edited edition will have something of interest for you. Those who are looking for a more scientific approach to examing our relationship with nature, as oppossed to the more philosophical writings of Muir, Thoreau and Abbey, this book will be especially appreciated.
Published primarily for use in environmetal philosophy/science courses at the university level, this book is very useful in providing a well researched, diversen sampling from some of the most important theorists in the field. Essays by J. Baird Calicott, Tom Regan, author of the revolutionary work "The Case Animal Rights", Holmes Rolston III, author of the seminal text "Environmetal Ethics", the Norweigan philosopher Arne Naess and , the so-called founder of the deep Ecology movement, Aldo Leopold, author of the famous "Sand County Almanac", as well as works by other important scholars such as George Sessions, Warick Fox, the famous eco-feminist historian Carolyn Merchant, John Clark and Gary Snyder along with many others.
Although the essays contianed in this text can be challenging at times, in the end the payoff definitely makes it worth the effort. This difficulty is, at least, in part due to the fact that what this book requires is a new way of examining our relationship with nature and a willingness to examine problems from a more holistic perspective, which can sometimes be a hard thing for those taught that the world is here simply for man's exploitation (gender specificity intended). This volume is particularly effective in giving students a well-rounded introduction to many of the most important issues in environmental writing today. As the seriousness of our ecological problems persist and even worsen, this book will continue to be a highly informative source of information for students and instructors for years to come.

It's not often that a book can challenge some ideas you hold near and dear while at the same time leaving you in stiches. A friend of mine insisted I read "Flight Maps"--I'm a confirmed environmentalist/tree-hugger etc., but Price has held up an ideological mirror to me and exposed some of my most treasured assumptions about "pristine nature" along with the contradiction of my consumerist lifestyle (yes, I own an SUV--to drive to the mountains!) coupled with my ecological sensibility. Maybe all that humor made it easier to swallow. In any event, I'm glad I read it. One of those books that really changes your perspective on life.

I found this book on a closeout table at a local bookstore. When I went back to buy more copies for friends, they were all gone! It's really great...Look at some of the chapter headings:"When Women were Women, Men Were Men, and Birds Were Hats", "A Brief Natural History of the Pink Flamingo". "Roadrunners Can't Read". Scoff this up ASAP or you'll regret it! P.Smith, Texas.

Price's book (also her dissertation) starts strong, with a formidably researched essay on the extinction of the passenger pigeon that does none of the usual things: it doesn't dwell on man's brutality, it doesn't eulogize the pigeon. Instead, she very thoughtfully considers the ways in which people USE nature, and why, and explores the mystery (it remains a mystery) of exactly why the passenger pigeons disappeared.

Human uses of (and, maybe more importantly, imitations of) nature are the focus of the book. The plastic pink flamingo becomes Price's symbol for our strangely consumerist attitude toward nature. WHY do we have plastic pink flamingos? To Price, they're the most obvious example of "artificial" nature, and they've gone through an amazing range of cultural significance -- from bourgeois lawn ornament to embarrassingly loud "low-income" decoration to hipster accessory.

Price dwells on the symbolism of the flamingo more than is strictly necessary. The themes are a little worn by the time we get to her analysis of the the "nature store" phenomenon, all the Natural Wonders and Nature Companies that sprang up in the nineties. Very interesting, but again, her questions have been asked and answered so thoroughly by this time that I, for one, was TOO aware, by the time I finished, that this was a doctoral dissertation and not a book.

If you think The Nature Company is an oxymoron, Price articulates exactly why that is. If you feel a sense of discomfort in today's society, yet feel vaguely guilty about that discomfort, Price explains that as well. This truly is a fabulous book that will have you thinking (and perhaps even shopping) differently immediately.

After reading dozens of nature conservation books, it's a pleasure to read one that stands above the rest. The Future of the Wild is not "more of the same". It prescribes a new direction in conservation -- one where the size of the solutions matches the size of the problems. Adams paints a compelling vision of how conservation can succeed, then provides real world examples of how these ideas can be implemented on the ground. It's an important message, eloquently delivered.

This book presents the approaches and challenges of conservation efforts over the last few decades. I wish it had been more tightly edited -- it was repetitive and a bit tedious to read.

Essentially the points of the book are:

1) The best approaches for conserving species is more of a decision based on values than hard science. The complexity of understanding everything that affects a species is too much to expect science to "know all the answers".

2) Conservaton efforts based on today's isolated parks and reserves is inadequate because they're too small. Finding ways to expand their "effective boundaries" is important.

3) The influence of man and the interplay of nature in and around parks and reserves is important to understand well enough to make effective conservation choices.

4) It's imperative to include local communities in the discussion of the issues and obtaining committment to the solutions.

This is the best book ever on conservation of natural resourses--should be read by all: those who believe in individual property rights, those who believe in preserving our natural resources, and those who know that tradeoffs have to be made, but do not know how to articulate their beliefs.

A 'must read' for any serious ecologist.

The conservation of isolated parks and reserves alone will fail, but there's an alternative option: one that The Future Of The Wild: Radical Conservation For A Crowded World covers. Conservationist Adams ranges across the U.S. in showing how to tie together scattered remnants of this continent's wild places. Stories about the species endangered and the possibilities of wildlife conservation corridors which can help connect and save them make for chapters which blend conservation history and biology with tales of successful partnerships among groups concerned with land and wildlife management. The Future Of The Wild: Radical Conservation For A Crowded World is a 'must' for any seriously concerned about the fate of wild animals on the planet.

This is the mom of a 10 year old. She's dictating to me. I think Gaia Girls is amazing and made me look at the world in a whole different (positive) way! James Taylor is one of my favorite song writers and this really made me think about his song "Gaia." I can't wait for more!!!!

Gaia Girls Way of Water is better than book I. It's hard for me to say that because I loved the first book so much. Book series can be scary, if you like them you want them to get better and Book II does not disappoint. Way of Water is a beautifully crafted tale about a Gaia Girl and her "fish out of water" adventures in Japan. The characters were believable and 'real' the ECO issue was powerful and heart breaking. The series just leaves you wanting MORE. That is my only complaint, the next one is NOT out yet.

Author Lee Welles set herself a daunting task with her second book, "Gaia Girls: Way of Water." Her first book in the series, "Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth", won the National Outdoor Book Award and the iParenting Media Award, garnered critical acclaim, and brought her invitations for book signings at schools, libraries, and fairs across the country. That's a hard act to follow, even for a seasoned author, but "Enter the Earth" was Welles' first book.

Furthermore, in writing "Enter the Earth", Lee drew from her own experiences, growing up on a farm in upstate New York. In "Way of Water", the main character, Miho, is an American-Japanese girl who has spent her entire life traveling to Pacific Ocean ports with her whale-observing parents, while the book itself mostly takes place in Japan, where Miho must go to live when the sea claims the lives of her parents. In choosing this premise and this setting for her second story in this series, Welles breaks one of the oldest guidelines for writers - "Write what you know."

The large focus on Japan works for Welles, though, in part because Miho has never before been to Japan. Though her mother was Japanese, and she knows a little of Japanese language and culture, Miho's culture shock and her feelings of being an outsider with much to learn helps the reader identify with Miho, and gives the book a much deeper ring of truth than if Welles had tried to write Japan from an inside perspective. And, as the author confesses in her blog at [...], she had to do "massive amounts of research." As Miho adjusts to the sudden, difficult changes in her life, I found her a believable, fully-developed character with whom I could easily sympathize - a heroine, in fact, who bravely deals with the death of her parents, the move to a new country and culture, and the fantastical experience of meeting a talking otter!

With the Gaia Girls series, the fantastic blends quite well into the normal experiences in the lives of the girls around whom each book centers. I am reminded of the Narnia series, or of Philip Pullman's "Golden Compass", where children encounter creatures and ideas beyond the scope of everyday reality. The characters respond at first with surprise, shock, disbelief, curiosity - as most of us would. Then, because children are better are adapting and using their imaginations, they accept the new creatures as comrades or foes and step forward into the quest. In this case, the quest is a very real and laudable one: to save the Earth from the damage we humans are doing. And thus is born a new kind of fantasy book for kids, a new kind of super-hero, presented in a creative and fun way, but with very practical, concrete applications.

Lee Welles' Gaia Girls are "eco-heroines", advocates and activists for caring for the Earth, and therefore, caring for ourselves. The message is one of environmentalism and stewardship without being too preachy. The scientific explanations, the political message is not too heavy-handed, and the storylines are exciting in and of themselves. I continued reading because I wanted to know what happens to Miho, and along the way I thought more about the amount of earth that is covered by water, the mind-boggling amount of life that inhabits our oceans, and our place in these things.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

I loved this book even more then the first. It is a great mix between fantasy and what is really going on in the world. You feel for the characters... not just the human characters but all the animals in the book as well. I was able to learn the Way of Water along with Miho and all I wanted to do was find some way to help her help the ocean. I can't wait for book three, and in the mean time this book makes me want to do somthing about the way people treat this planet.

This book is packed with current and useful information about GE foods, farming practices, life patents issues, and the impacts of GE food on our environment. It is an excellent manual for anyone wanting control of their food, or simply to better understand what all the contraversy about GE foods.. It is short & easy to read. There are many interesting quotes from scientists & industry spokes people. The best part of this book is a comprehensive RESOURCE section. Showing points of contact in the US, other international organizations, magazines, journals, email information services, and websites, for GE information. Anyone who wants to start doing something about this important issue needs to start here. The book is full of excellent references supporting the arguments. Also a worthwhile list of recommended readings. Buy it & share that resource information with everyone you know. Can not over emphasize the usefulness of this book.

Here in North America the public generally hears very little about debates surrounding around GE foods, this 1999 book from a UK author is a quick read, easy to understand overview of GE food issues. It is strictly food & agriculture covered here, human GE areas are not touched on. Besides discussing safety & nutrition concerns, chapters cover such topics as control of farming & environmental pollution, patenting genes with a brief history of what's already taken place over the last 15 years, and how the world trade organization is used to force countries to accept these products or to outlaw product labeling. There is a chapter on 2 journalists in Florida who got into a lot of trouble with Monsanto for attempting to run a television series on a hormone injected into cows to increase milk production.

Some of the information in this book is quite shocking. The sheer amount of money Monsanto has used to bribe and "settle out of court" tells me there's got to be something very wrong in what they're doing. I enjoyed the "follow the money" advice this book offers - if an "expert" is saying there's no harm at all any of this try to find out who's paying the salary or funding the grant. This quote from pg. 106 is unforgettable, "We paid $3 billion for these television stations. We will decide what the news is......"

Lots of information packed into a small book, also a guide to organizations and further information.

Mr. Anderson succeeds admirably in eliciting shock and outrage in the reader with his clear, succinct, and fluid prose on the visible and invisible dangers of agricultural biotechnology. Modern day manipulation of the food chain and the ecosystems that provide humanity with its food (and other valuable services) has the potential to irreversibly affect both human beings and the environment. While the scientific and industrial cognoscenti exchange increasingly friendly repartee genetically modified foods, and governments turn a blind eye to `scientific progress', Mr. Anderson is right when he says that the human is being unwillingly and unwittingly subjected to an experiment whose long-term effects are difficult to assess.

Written shortly before scientists began to seriously question the effects of even minute quantities of hormone disrupting and cancer-causing, mutagenic chemicals and the potential effects of errant DNA in the greater environment, and shortly after genetically modified crops had been shown to sterilize insects and willy-nilly cross-pollinate with plants of the same species located either nearby or a great distance away, this handy little book introduces a considerable amount of information on genetic engineering and its dubious successes to readers who are not well versed in the sciences. In seven highly fluid and readable chapters, the book addresses a plethora of ethical, economic and technological issues associated with genetic engineering and agricultural biotechnology. The first chapter lucidly explains many of the key concepts underpinning genetic engineering as it applies to agriculture, and introduces most of the very real specters to health and the environment that the technology not only has caused, but also can and ultimately may cause in the future. The author devotes one chapter each to the thorny issues of genetic engineering and its effects on the environment, the way that agricultural biotechnology portents to and actually is transforming farming globally for the worse, and the attempts of individuals, universities and corporations, with all the zeal characteristic of a gold rush mentality, to patent every snippet of DNA they can get their hands on. Readers may find the book's fifth chapter to be truly shocking, as it describes in vivid detail the apparent disinterest of governments in industrialized nations to safeguard the best interests of its citizens- especially in the area of public health, from the bitter fruit of agricultural biotechnology. Chapter six presents a detailed case study of one particular biological abomination- the superfluous use of increasing amounts of biotech hormones to increase milk production, even in the face of persistent gluts year after year. The seventh and final details efforts by many groups to resist the onslaught of the adoption of such biotechnologies, and offers insight into the ways the poor in Third World countries are used as dupes and guinea pigs for these less than optimal technologies. The author also includes a detailed list of resources that concerned readers can tap into in their efforts to learn more or to protect themselves from most, but not all, of the spurious products of agricultural biotechnology.

In reading this book, one gets the feeling that the author wants us to share in his concern about the lingering effects of these overly hyped technologies of dubious merit. While the author clearly did his best to choose many of genetic engineering's most egregious examples, readers of this text should bear in mind that these examples merely represent the tip of the iceberg. As a scientist and engineer, it is hard for me come up with a suitable justification for many of the fruits of ag biotech, given that farmers in the industrialized countries are plagued with the onerous problem of oversupply. Furthermore, with slight modifications to current agricultural practices, and a shifting of inputs and plant resources, every single person on the planet could easily be fed, so the excuse of biotechnology feeding the world's hungry does not quite wash either. Basically, I find the motives of big biotech companies to be less than altruistic: if the biotech corporation controls the seeds and the larger food supply, then they control the people dependent upon them.

In this day and age of financial skullduggery and scientific chicanery, astute citizens must actively behoove themselves to exercise caution and awareness at all times. As Huff told us in his classic little book, How to Lie with Statistics, if the honest person wants to prevent oneself from being burglarized, then it pays to learn the ways of the criminally minded. As such, this book's disclosure of the aggressive foisting of these dubious scientific advances on an unsuspecting public by an unscrupulous gaggle of corporate, academic and government interests clearly demonstrates a most disturbing and peculiar case of criminal intent of the highest degree.

"Genetic Engineering, Food, & Our Environment" is crisply written, keenly argued, tightly and extensively researched. It presents a wealth of facts and possibilities, both an extremely disturbing side in and around the genetic engineering industry, and some encouraging information on potentially sustainable alternatives.

An excellent study for anyone considering GE-related issues, it makes a key handbook for the campaigner. It is a resource one can variously refer to in connection with environmental and other concerns, third world development possibilities, and underpinning issues in the background of global politics.

Luke Anderson's book entirely deserves the wide readership and serious attention gained by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring." Carson's book detailed impacts and threats of industrial chemicals in use forty years ago; Anderson's is an effective sequel, an update on the state of play today. Depressing how some of the villains in the story are the same - or rather, grander and more dangerous. Inspiring how voices will yet courageously emerge like those of Carson and Anderson, with the wits and the research base to point to the toxins dribbling down the Emperor's new clothes (or carcass) and explain where they came from.

Altogether a thoroughly useful, troubling and galvanising kind of book. If you haven't got it, get it.

I thought this book was a great introduction to the theories and ideas behind Horticultural Therapy, Wilderness Programs, and other such rehabilitative nature-based programs. It provides a good general overview and is easy to read.
For someone (like me) who is looking for a book more advanced psychological explanations and discussions, I'd look somewhere else. Lewis is an alright writer, but he is a horticulturalist, not a psychologist. He often lacks the insight into how and why plants are meaningful in our lives. I would provide another recommendation, but I'm still searching myself!
In general, a very good read. He's spot-on with a lot of stuff...just don't expect mind-blowing insights on the psychological impacts of the treatments and programs he discusses.

This book is filled with valuable information about our relationship with nature--and, therefore, ourselves at a very deep level. I find it an incredible resource, citing research on community gardens, horticultural therapy, the deep and enduring relationship between people and plants. Gardeners, environmentalists, and anyone who loves plants will find reinforcement, information, and inspiration in these pages.

Charles Lewis is the undisputed champion of people-plant relationships. A learned man, well-versed in all aspects of horticulture, Lewis is also an excellent writer. Lewis asks: "In what ways do plants enter our mental and spiritual lives?" What exactly is the importance of cultivating our own "inner garden." Gardens grow persons, not just plants. Lewis found that to pursue his interest in the human side of horticulture he had to look to other disciplines - psychology, sociology, geography, and medicine. Charles Lewis's Green Nature/ Human Nature is a must read for anyone who loves to garden. "Horticultural Therapy for the Soul" perhaps describes this book, but actually it is more. Check out this rare gem--you'll love it. Tom Ogren, author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a book about our human interaction with green nature. Very informative, very well researched, with individual text and quotes annotated to a huge and diverse bibliography. From window boxes in the ghettos, up through the role of plants in prisons and hospitals, to the attraction of parks and great forests and botanical gardens of the world, Charles Lewis explores our need to experience and/or nurture those historically ancient green living beings that are sharing their planet with us. The tons of gardening books I have (you know, the ones with compost-smudged pages and mispelled Latin scribbled in the margins) will not share the same shelf with this book. They are cookbooks, this is a book on hunger.

I have seen Dr. Sutherlin speak in Europe in different conferences over the past four years. This exceptional work reflects a true dedication to undertanding sustainable development and environmental policy making in Poland and the Czech Republic. There is no work in print that captures the research and analysis of Sutherlin. This work should be required reading for all interested in Central European environmental issues.

As a member of the environmental movement in Central Europe, I was most pleased to find someone from the West that really understands what has happened in Poland and the Czech Republic since 1989. There is no comparison to what Sutherlin has accomplished in this directly written book. I hope that he follows this work with similar efforts. This book is useful for those in classes, in environmental organizations or those wanting to understand policy making in Central Europe.

Despite the work focusing on Poland and Czech, this work is useful regardless of geography. Its premise is simple: States that are both democratic AND have market economies can still have sound environmental policy if they accept the principle of sustainable development. That is a lesson for all of Europe and this hemisphere. The data assembled in this work is fascinating and the interpretation of the very technical by the author (whose background is probably the social sciences) is nothing short of remarkable. He has blended the hard sciences and the social sciences together in a way that marks the best effort to have true environmental analysis.

This work takes the perspective that 'sustainable development' is the desireable way that the transitional nations of Central Europe should travel. Then, using information he obtained in Poland and the Czech Republic along with data from various state agencies and the United Nations, Sutherlin analyzes how well each nation's environmental policy has or hasn't worked. Additionally, he uses Western Europe and the U.S. as examples of other manners for making policy. The result is somewhat surprising: both Poland and the Czech Republic are doing well in different areas due to various factors. This is a well-developed, easy to follow (despite the complexity of the subject) work that will be interesting and useful to anyone interested in the environment, in general, or Central Europe, specifically.