Environment and Nature Books

a lot of books in this genre can be dry and a total snooze to read. this book is written not only well and full of great information, but it is such an easy read. i read through chapters faster than any other "text" book i have had. i was entertained enough that it is questionable if i wasn't reading the book for pleasure instead of work. :)

This is the new edition of "Environmental Policy in the 1990s," a series now considered to be the most important in the field. This edition has some of the classic essays from earlier editions, but is expanded to cover the Clinton administration and address issues of a global nature.

I have been using this series as a basic text in graduate courses in environmental policy for years. I consider it to be a primary source of not only teaching, but research and basic information. All of the essays are clearly written and as unbiased as possible. I give this my highest recommendation.

(Addendum in 2007. This series is up to six editions with a seventh due out this summer. All are essential for the serious student of environmental policy and history).

This book contains the manuscript of one of Thoreau's last works, The Dispersion of Seeds. Through his daily walks in the woods, Thoreau became fascinated with the question of how the plants he was seeing became established. A puzzling riddle of the time that local townsmen constantly asked was why when they cut pine forests, oak forests seemed to grow up, and when they cut oak forests, pine forests would take their place. Thoreau was uniquely able to answer such questions, since he had spent years wandering through the forests, taking notes on everything he saw. In this volume, he not only provides answers to the pine-oak riddle, but he also lays to rest the idea of spontaneous generation of plants, which was still accepted in many circles at the time he wrote this book.

This book represents perhaps some of Thoreau's greatest works in ecology. In it, he lays out his own theory of forest succession based on ecological observation and experimentation. He was one of the first to understand forest succession on the American continent, working almost entirely alone, with little previous research in the literature to draw on. Not only is the book a magnificent ecological study, but the text itself is sheer pleasure to read, being a prime example of Thoreau's well-crafted prose.

Faith in a Seed, a collection of Henry David Thoreau's late nature writings, deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the plant sciences or Thoreau's life and work. This volume consists of four previously-unpublished manuscripts, which the author left uncompleted when he died in 1862. Although compiled of rough drafts, Faith in a Seed is still very readable and enjoyable. Thoreau's last major project, The Dispersion of Seeds, fills most of this book. In it, he describes the seeds of various New England plants, as well as how they are disseminated by way of animals and the elements. The philosopher of Walden Pond roams the woods, fields, and swamps of "a world that is already planted, but is also still being planted as at first." Although this is a scientific work, Thoreau's wonderful voice and way with metaphor permeates every page, making for a very pleasurable read. Of historical interest, Thoreau was one of the first American scientists to embrace Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The idea of an ever-changing earth coincided with Thoreau's own beliefs. He felt that "the development theory implies a greater vital force in Nature, because it is more flexible and accommodating, and equivalent to a sort of constant new creation." In addition to the cornerstone of this book, The Dispersion of Seeds, three shorter selections are included. In Wild Fruits, Thoreau writes about the joys of hunting for wild berries, and teaches that "the value of any experience is measured, not by the amount of money, but the amount of development we get out of it." Weeds and Grasses and Forest Trees elaborate on the ideas of plant propagation and forest succession illustrated in The Dispersion of Seeds. On the whole, I found this book to be a welcome addition to my Thoreau collection. Even in his late years, as he became more and more interested in the technicalities of nature, he still dearly loved the wild; and this comes through in Faith in a Seed. Come, saunter with Henry through dark pitch-pine groves, the huckleberry fields of Fair Haven Hill, and the seedling-lined banks of the Concord River. Discover that "the very earth itself is a granary and a seminary."

Living in a state that is terrorized by hurricanes I have to say this read hit the nail on the head. I have experienced every feeling that she wrote about, but I have to say I giggled when I read her words. Sometimes things can be handled better if we learn to laugh. In this Short, Ms. Johnson takes an unpleasant situation, such as a storm, and finds the humor in it. I'm telling you, if you have ever experienced going a week without electricity and all the horror that entails you simply must read this short...it is laugh out loud funny and you will relate.

Hurricanes - just the word makes us cringe. I think this author is pretty accurate and seems to know the "drill" well! Making a scarey moment calming with laughter is typical of what Shirley Johnson does. I giggled when I read what she said about making sure to mark your drinking water and separate it from the flushing water! HA! Very cute story, and a lot of good tips for people who have never been through a hurricane before.

this is a story about a boy who lives in a concrete world, then one day he's reading a book and he sees a picture of a flower. he's amazed by the picture and i can't remember if he asks someone about it or he takes it home himself to look at, but he ends up at the tiny pedlar shop where he sees a picture of a flower and asks the man about it. the boy is told that this is a packet of seeds, so the boy buys it and follows the directions on the back and soon a sprout comes up out of the pot he's planted the seeds in and the boy gets excited. then the plant gets sucked up some tube in his house and he's really sad and goes outside to see what happened to it, only to find flowers grown all over some hay stacks.

it's a cute story about bringing beauty into the world. the world around the boy has something of a dark atmosphere, and it's countered with the search and desire for flowers.

The story of this book is simple enough for small children to follow, about a boy who lives in a colorless (somewhat totalitarian?) world who finds some inspiration in, at first, simply the idea of a flower, and later the reality. The soft illustrations are striking and beautiful. My only concern about this book is that it is dark--the subtext of the book has a certain bleakness, overcome only at the end by hope. I don't know that I'd give it to my young niece, but I might to my 9-year-old gardening niece, or to an avid gardening grownup.

Forest Health and Protection is an excellent book which include an actual vision the three aspects very important in forest ecosystems. It is a contribution in the forest protection.

This is a softcover reissue of a hardcover text put out previously by McGraw Hill. The content is unchanged, but students will be happy that it's about half the price of the original. It appears tightly bound, durable. The paper is thicker and coarser and so the photos have lost some detail, mostly more contrast and darker. Otherwise I'm very pleased with it. I've been using the previous edition for the past four years as the text for my Forest Protection class at Humboldt State University and I find it's a great overview of wildland fire, forest entomology, and forest pathology. The section on animal damage is deficient, extremely small, and requires supplemental material. Otherwise it's a great desktop reference, good coverage of the material by knowledgable authors, and you cannot beat the value.

The illustrations, maps and photographs alone make it a worthy coffee table book, but the depth and breadth of scientific information will keep one fascinated for months or more.

For those who want to understand the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine and the interelationships of the sea, tides, gulf stream, the shore, the birds, the fish, whales, and how they have and will change through time...this is for you. Brilliant satellite photographs and clear explanations of "how it all works".

This is a pretty good book, well worth buying. It is especially geared to the Sonoran desert but has a couple of plants that are in the Chihuahuan desert also.

Quite simply, read this book. It turns the subject of "ethnoecology" (sounds dull, doesn't it?!) into a poetic duet of plants and the relationship native peoples developed with them. Nabhan, in this book, profiles several individual species (found in his beloved Sonoran desert) as intimately as a biographer would profile an admired personage. The illustrations are delicate and so accurate you could go out and identify each species at first sight. I became enchanted, and wistful, at Nabhan's accounts of ingenious interactions of Southwest Amerinds and useful plants that allowed both to survive and thrive in such a harsh region. Wistful, because many of these vital prehistoric resources, such as panic grass and sandfood, are unknown to modern peoples, and virtually extinct. And with them, human ability to survive such harsh landscapes without radically modifying them is going extinct as well.
From Nabhan's perspective (in all his books), native peoples of a region are not interlopers, but another component of a balanced local ecology; the ecological diversity & resource potentials lost when the First World imposes foreign ecologies on regions is a subtext of all Nabhan's writings.
Each chapter of "Gathering the Desert" stands by itself; but together they lead to a conclusion of incomparable adaptation to what Euro-Americans see as a cactus "wasteland". I assign readings from this book, and the entire book, to my college classes in Southwest Indians and ecological anthropology. However, it has much wider appeal, and to call it "highly readable" is an understatement. I respect Nabhan's careful academic research and his commitment to actually going into the field to experience the peoples and the natural environment directly. I admire even more his ability to make what is very commonly a dull reporting of "what people ate" into a literary symphony. All his books are excellent; this is the best of the best.

I liked this book for its brevity and thoroughness. If you want to pick something up you can read in a few hours that gives a wealth of reliable information and interesting ideas on an ever more important subject then this is a great book for you. Plus the author doesn't leave us hanging in time: there is an associated newsletter that follows up on each of the areas discussed in the book with new research, news, and data. This book covers all your bases and will let you discuss environmental (including energy) policy with anyone and everyone.

I would call this a briefing into the world of environmental policy not only for someone who is just starting to learn about this subject but also for experienced observers. There are numerous up-to-the-minute technologies discussed in the areas of energy, waste, and water. The latest theoretical views of biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainability economics are also integrated into the discussion. This book is perfect for the advanced high-school senior looking ahead into a career and for the bored housewife wondering about how she might fit into the larger picture. And the book is practical too answering many everyday questions about how to deal with trash, energy, and so on, as well as providing many reliable internet links for further reference. This book is both a breezy read and dense with information and well worth snapping up. I give it a 4/5 because I would have liked to see more of the evidence of climate change and species loss, but as the author says, there are plenty of places to find these data.

I liked this book for its brevity and thoroughness. If you want to pick something up you can read in a few hours that gives a wealth of reliable information and interesting ideas on an ever more important subject then this is a great book for you. Plus the author doesn't leave us hanging in time: there is an associated newsletter that follows up on each of the areas discussed in the book with new research, news, and data. This book covers all your bases and will let you discuss environmental (including energy) policy with anyone and everyone.

I would call this a briefing into the world of environmental policy not only for someone who is just starting to learn about this subject but also for experienced observers. There are numerous up-to-the-minute technologies discussed in the areas of energy, waste, and water. The latest theoretical views of biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainability economics are also integrated into the discussion. This book is perfect for the advanced high-school senior looking ahead into a career and for the bored housewife wondering about how she might fit into the larger picture. And the book is practical too answering many everyday questions about how to deal with trash, energy, and so on, as well as providing many reliable internet links for further reference. This book is both a breezy read and dense with information and well worth snapping up. I give it a 4/5 because I would have liked to see more of the evidence of climate change and species loss, but as the author says, there are plenty of places to find these data.

The Great Trash Bash is an EXCELLENT book. As a informal educator with a non-profit organization, I needed a book that covers waste reduction and recycling in a fun and innovative way. This book not only teaches recycling but many other aspects of the reduce, reuse, recycle, respect loop. Even if teaching about waste issues isn't your "thing" the story is sweet and the illustrations are endearing. Excellent Book.

Mayor Hippo is very proud of his beautiful city but he knows something is wrong. After slipping on a banana peel, he realizes the problem is trash. Mayor Hippo calls a town meeting and suggests the animals have a trash bash. The citizens of Beaston come up with ideas of their own. They realize they can recycle items instead of throwing everything away. An excellent book to teach young children about recycling.