W. E. B. Du Bois, 1919-1963: The Fight for Equality and the American Century

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A pioneering sociologist, educator, essayist, activist, and political theorist, W.E.B. Du Bois was one of America's great intellectuals. This second volume by David Levering Lewis picks up where his Pulitzer Prize-winning W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race left off, chronicling his life from 1919 until his death in Ghana in 1963, on the eve of the March on Washington. "In the course of his long, turbulent career," Lewis writes, "W.E.B. Du Bois attempted virtually every possible solution to the problem of twentieth-century racism--scholarship, propaganda, integration, cultural and economic separatism, politics, international communism, expatriation, third world solidarity."

Lewis's lean and lyrical writing rescues Du Bois's stuffy, Afro-Victorian speech from historical documents, breathing life into his letters, memos, and numerous articles, both published and unpublished. He takes us through Du Bois's battles with the NAACP (which he cofounded); his ideological wars with "Back to Africa" nationalist Marcus Garvey; his many Pan-African conferences; and his tours of Africa, Japan, Russia, and China. He probes deeply into many of Du Bois's books, including Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil and Black Reconstruction, adding marvelous new insights into the neglected novel Dark Princess. Lewis also details Du Bois's relationships with friends and foes alike, including James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, and Alain Locke, as well as his triumphs, such as his acquittal in the infamous trial in which he was accused of being an "unregistered foreign agent," and his defeats, notably his failure to publish his Encyclopedia Africana.

A foremost authority on this great man, Lewis summarizes Du Bois as having "an extraordinary mind of color in a racialized century ... possessed of a principled impatience with what he saw as the egregious failings of American democracy that drove him, decade by decade, to the paradox of defending totalitarianism in the service of a global idea of economic and social justice." A reading of this magnificent work is nothing less than a reading of modern black America. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Book Description

Finalist for a National Book Award, the second volume of the Pulitzer Prize winning biography. Lewis picks up his masterly account of W.E.B. Du Boiss life with the triumphal return from WWI of African American veterans to the shattering reality of racism and lynching even as America discovers the New Negro of literature and art.

Customer Reviews:

Good but not great follow-up.......2007-04-16

I just finished rereading DL Lewis's first DuBois biography, and am thinking about purchasing the second bio. I own a copy of the first, and did read the second bio as a library book. Reading the current reviewer comments for this book refreshed my memory somewhat about the second bio. I would agree with reader praise for the first bio; it is a splendid book, as good as historical biography can be. The second bio starts out well but ends up reading as having been rushed, which is probably what happened, Lewis rushing to meet a publishing deadline. We would all be well served if Mr. Lewis would consider reissuing the second bio when he has time to flesh it out.

Amazing Biography of an amazing man.......2003-08-13

W.E.B. DuBois was born 2 years after slavery was abolished, and died two years before the wide ranging civil rights acts of 1965 were enacted. During this century, America was transformed from a largely rural nation whose economy depended on agricultural production (not the least of which was the cotton grown in the south by slaves) to an urban nation with the world's largest economy, built on industrial production. Throughout most of this transformation, DuBois was the loudest and clearest voice proclaiming the injustices suffered by the nation's Blacks.

DuBois voice took many forms. He was the nation's leading Black Sociologist, Political Scientist and Hstorian scholar for most of his life. He was among the giants, regardless of race, in each of these fields. This alone would have been remarkable, even had he not had to struggle against the burden of racism every step of the way. What makes DuBois' life truly amazing (an over used word, which is fully justified here) is that in addition to his academic leadership, DuBois was a newspaper columnist, speaker, and founded dozens of popular mass organizations (most famously, the NAACP). He was quite literally the mentor of virtually every leading Black scholar, lawyer, business man, politician, etc. that followed.

Surprisingly, given the transformation of the rest of society, DuBois retained his leadership role in the country as his many competitors and detractors faded--Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and Walter White, among others.

Lewis has produced a masterful biography of this complex, vastly under rated man. Lewis keeps his writing interesting, as he traces the twists and turns DuBois was forced to follow in his battle against racism. He began with a traditional middle class, elite (which DuBois dubbed "the talented tenth") analysis which urged the white power structure to recognize that elite blacks were as crucial to the nation's future as were the elite of the white population. He ended as a communist, victim of McCarthy, having given up all hope of democratic change, living in exile in Ghana, where he was finally accorded the unstinting respect he was denied during the first 90 years of his life in America.

Lewis gives DuBois final years short shrift. Lewis seems to agree with most of the contemporary civil rights leaders, who thought DuBois had simply lost his marbles in his dotage. Lewis therefore skims over the last two decades of DuBois life in a few all too brief pages.

I beg to differ. I believe that DuBois' thinking was an entirely accurate reflection of the frustrations he had encountered. As Lewis hints at, but fails to explore, DuBois tried every conceivable means of combating America's deep seated racism. He was rejected at every turn. Despite apparent victories, many would have said that the plight of Blacks at the end of DuBois' long life was not very much improved over their plight at the beginning of his life. The white controlled governments, universities, financial instutions, and political parties had not embraced the black elite, and the black masses had yet to see any benefit from the legal victories won by Thurgood Marshall and the Inc, Fund in the late 50's.

Lewis quotes DuBois aunt as chastizing DuBois for his attacks on Booker T. Washington as a quisling--DuBois may have grown up facing racism, but he did not have the whip marks of slavery on his back that Washington had suffered. Similarly, those who criticize DuBois for his emrace of communism had not suffered the frustrations of almost a century of struggle during which everything in America had changed--except its racism.

As DuBois lay dying, virtually his last words were to the President of Ghana, apologizing for not living long enough to "finish" his work.

I know of no one who was more reviled during his lifetime that better deserves the masterful biography Lewis has given us, and given to the ages.

Everyone should not only read Lewis, but should go back and re-read some of DuBois own works. DuBois could not be given a higher honor, and deserves no less.

Rush job at end.......2001-08-07

I agree with Schmerguls, above, that David Levering Lewis' vol. II of DuBois has too many typographical errors; the endnotes are a nightmare; and that it needs a bibliography. But the book is more than a flawed book about a flawed man. It is readable, in general; Lewis could have skipped some of the big words in favor of words that ordinary readers could understand without a dictionary simultaneously open. Lewis uses colorful, precise verbs in many cases and succeeds in bringing characters to life in one word descriptions. He humanizes DuBois by discussing his friendships and by examples (through verbs and description ) of DuBois's autocratic manner. If this biography does not deserve a Pulitzer, I am curious what biography Schmerguls would consider worthy? The Oakland reviewer, above, is more on the mark in that this is a thoroughly researched and keenly insightful recounting of the life of a towering figure. I, too, sorely miss a bibliography. And the last quarter of the book is indeed full of typographical errors which a careful copy editor should have caught. One hopes that there will be a revision someday with all corrections made. Still, this is a wonderful history of the times and of an amazing (though "flawed," like the rest of us) figure in American history. DuBois certainly provoked solid thought at a time when mainstream America was unsure that Negroes could think. I have heard David Levering Lewis speak on C-Span. He writes better than he speaks because he says "Uh-uh" too much as he searches for those big words. But I'm so grateful that his work on DuBois came to fruition in my lifetime so that I could read it.

A Flawed book about a flawed man.......2001-05-21

It seems odd that Lewis's biography of W. E. B. DuBois should be felt to be entitled to two Pulitzer prizes. The author disapproves at least on the surface of some of DuBois's more outrageous positions, but yet Lewis's biases show thru, and one gets the idea that in general if Lewis had not had the benefit of what has happened in regard to Communism in the past 15 years Lewis would be even more approving of DuBois's opinions than he now indicates. As others have mentioned, it is disconcerting to have a book from a major publisher have so many typographical errors. One would think they could have been easily avoided. And the endnotes are a nightmare. Instead of footnotes there are page notes in the back, with no discernible system: some indicate sources, but I found them very user-unfriendly. There is no bibliography as such, and overall I thought the book poorly edited. But the book tells a story of interest, especially during the period from 1945 to 1963.

Volume Two of the Magisterial Life and Times.......2001-04-15

With volume two Lewis completes his magisterial work chronicling the life and times of the controversial W. E. B. Du Bois, and this second volume is every bit as fascinating and scholarly as the first one which won the Pulitzer Prize. This volume follows Du Bois' descent from a founder and spokesman for the NAACP to his self-imposed exile in Ghana in 1963. Throughout the journey Lewis thoroughly develops the changing viewpoints Du Bois put forth as solutions to the problems of racial discrimination and the powerlessness of people of color in this country and around the world. From an integrationist (who at the same time criticized the assimilationist attitude of Frederick Douglas), Du Bois moved into the Pan-Africa movement (although he disliked and opposed Marcus Garvey and his movement), and eventually supported Black separatism before settling on socialism and Marxism in the later years of his life. His "petty bourgeois" ideas concerning Black economic separatism were, of course, vehemently criticized by his Marxist friends. Many believed "Du Bois was a romantic, a racialist, and an old man given to dreams of a 'shopkeepers paradise' as a solution to the depression."

Although Lewis soft-pedals Du Bois' deep character flaws which caused him to be constantly at odds with others who were "on his side" in the fight for racial equality, and permitted him to excuse the murder and outrages of Stalinism and the Japanese military aggression and ethnic cleansing in Asia, the author clearly reveals these facts of Du Bois' life. Lewis reveals how Du Bois' mind became so poisoned with a visceral hatred of White power, and its adjunct Western capitalism, that he eventually reached the point where he could look the other way or excuse the outrages committed by peoples or regimes opposed to Western interests (which he never seemed to quite grasp were really his own interests and those of the Negro in America). In the end Du Bois seemed opposed to almost any policy his country adopted and he supported any force in the world (be it Pan-Africanism, Bolshevism, Japanese militarism, or Chinese communism) that opposed the interests of the "White governments." Thus, did a brilliant social critic end up a confused mind destined to play the role of a pawn for regimes opposed to Western interests.

Lewis is very good at highlighting Du Bois' conflict with Marcus Garvey of whom he draws a great character sketch. He points out that Garvey's early followers were often poor, less educated, and often of West Indian origins, while the more "elitist" Du Bois circulated among, and pretended to speak for, the Talented Tenth of the African American people. Du Bois was an elitist and intellectual who could not stomach the irrational pronouncements of Marcus Garvey. Du Bois' viewpoint was that of the Black urban, educated, professional.

Lewis is also very strong with detail concerning Du Bois' widening differences with the NAACP leadership and the association's approach to fighting for equality. Du Bois was not a great fan of Walter White, Roy Wilkins, and Thurgood Marshall who, with their legalistic approach, stressed working within the "White system." As in volume one, Lewis does a good job of discussing Du Bois' many writings and shows how Du Bois himself (as witnessed by his "The Gift of Black Folks") never outgrew his own racial stereotyping. Lewis also soft-pedals Du Bois' many affairs with intellectual women, but he does document these relationships. He shows how Du Bois, a believer in the rights of women, virtually abandoned his wife Nina over a period of many years in almost every sense but financial (many of his friends and intellectual acquanitances never met his wife) and how he was less than a father to his unfortunate daughter Yolande (who was one of the great disappointments of his life.)

Lewis' book is possibly most fascinating when he deals with the Harlem Renaissance and the various figures with whom Du Bois was familiar. He details Du Bois' eventual alienation from the creative people of this era who depicted the seediness of Black urban life and culture. This too realistic depiction of Black life by the Renaissance literary figures embarrassed and angered Du Bois who wanted to believe that the "Negro race" was destined for a special place in history and, as a race, manifest certain elements of racial superiority. Du Bois criticized the Harlem Renaissance writers, poets, and artists for not sharing his belief that art and culture should serve racial politics. As Lewis shows, "Du Bois's own deep anti-modernist taboos surfaced" in his criticism of the Renaissance literati. Lewis also spends a good deal of time on the historiography of the Reconstruction Era to enable his reader to grasp the importance of Du Bois' writings on the subject and how they served as a necessary correction (despite Du Bois' own one-sidedness and exaggerated claims) to the more traditional school of historical writing on the Reconstruction Era. He also reveals the extent to which Du Bois would never give up the ridiculous notion that the freed slaves saved democracy in America. He desperatly needed to find a special role for the African American in the history of the the great country. Despite Du Bois' brilliant intellect, it was his tendency to see "White" hatred of the Negro as the central paradigm of all modern history, that prevented him from being widely accepted as a scholar. For him, all historical understanding began with this simple fact. Often his own worst enemy, Du Bois, Lewis tells us, "managed to give the impression that racial discrimination had been invented soley to make his life miserable."

In the end, Du Bois felt the American Negro had let him down and he lost his faith in the special role the Negro was to play in history. As he himself admitted, "I misinterpreted the age in which I lived." One has to think that this disillusionment played as much a role in his decision to leave the country as any other reason. All in all, Lewis' biography portrays Du Bois as not so much a heroic figure, as a tragic one; a brilliant mind warped by a troubled soul that was the reflection of much of the pain experienced by an educated African American in the first half of the twentieth century.

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W.E.B. DU BOIS : THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY AND THE AMERICAN CENTURY, 1919-1963
DAVID L. LEWIS
Manufacturer: HOLT, HENRY AND COMPANY, INC.
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KM9YYG

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W.e.b. Du Bois: The Fight For Equality & The American Century, 1919-1963
David L. Lewis
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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ASIN: 0613708725

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W.E.B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century, 1919-1963
David L. Lewis
Manufacturer: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media
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A new and complete history of Zululand, and its destruction at the hands of the British in 1879.This book is not only a complete history of the Zulus but also an account of the way the British won absolute rule in South Africa. In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Shaka Zulu established a nation in south-east Africa which was to become the most politically sophisticated and militarily powerful black nation in the entire area. Although the Zulus never had any quarrel with their British neighbours, the rulers of the Cape Colony could not conceive of them as anything but a threat. In 1879, under dubious pretences, the British finally crossed the Buffalo River, and embarked on a bloody war that was to rock the very foundations of the British Empire. The story is studded with tales of incredible heroism, drama and atrocity on both sides: the Battle of Isandlwana, where the Zulus inflicted on the British the worst defeat a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men without guns; Rorke's Drift, where a handful of British troops beat off thousands of Zulu warriors and won a record 11 VCs; and Ulundi, where the Zulus were finally crushed in a battle that was to herald some of the most shameful episodes in British Colonial history.

Comprehensive, vast in scope, and filled with original and up-to-date research, this is a book that is set to replace all standard works on the subject.

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In this bold, original and persuasive book, Anthony W. Marx provocatively links the construction of nations to the construction of racial identity. Using a comparative historical approach, Marx analyzes the connection between race as a cultural and political category rooted in the history of slavery and colonialism, and the development of three nation states. He shows how each country's differing efforts to establish national unity and other institutional impediments have served, through the nation-building process and into their present systems of state power, to shape and often crystallize categories and divisions of race. Focusing on South Africa, Brazil and the United States, Marx illustrates and elucidates the historical dynamics and institutional relationships by which the construction of race and the development of these nations have informed one another. Deftly combining comparative history, political science and sociological interpretation, sharpened by over three-hundred interviews with key informants from each country, he follows this dialogue into the present to discuss recent political mobilization, popular protest and the current salience of race issues. Anthony W. Marx is Associate Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and has been a Visiting Professor at Yale University

Customer Reviews:

The 'race' to build 3 nations.......2001-04-04

In looking at race it's necessary to get perspective. Travel opens up new vistas. We perceive ourselves one way, others around the world see things differently. What countries come to mind when you think about racism? South Africa definitely; but now that the country has majority rule, it's immediately less racist. Austria, Japan and Yugoslavia also come to mind, but they're not multiracial societies. That Anthony Marx has chosen to compare racial policy in Brazil, South Africa and the US, seems to confirm the widely held world view that the US is one of the most racist nations in the world. Is this true? What do these three nations have in common in their history of segregation?

Marx states that the US and South Africa practiced policies of segregation principally for the purpose of "state and nation building". He argues that in both cases the ruling white elite were faced with crises; problems of prosperity and national order. In South Africa, following the Boer War of 1899-1902 there was no chance of unity among Afrikaners and British settlers. In the US, the experience of Radical Reconstruction following the Civil War, was, for some, akin to rubbing salt into fresh wounds. Marx states that in order to achieve accomodation among whites, blacks were made scapegoats. It's not surprising then to learn that the 1870's were when the first Jim Crow laws were passed in the US and the early 1900's saw the first South African Apartheid acts.

Where does Brazil fit in? Marx says that racism is as prevalent there as it is here but it's characteristics are different. There is a pervasive preferrence for 'whiteness', seen in attempts to 'Europeanize' the country through encouragement of immigration from the continent. Brazil however did not institutionalize racism as South Africa and the US did; interracial marriages were never illegal in Brazil. Also, because of multiple color categories of Brazilian citizens there was no possibility of the emergence of rigid, 'caste-like', color classifications that developed here. South Africa had 'coloreds' but they were caught in political 'no-mans-land' in the battle between the bantu majority and white minority.

It's an interesting and thoroughly reasoned proposition that Marx developes and expounds on in his book. The comparisons between the US and South Africa are nothing new, but the addition of Brazil as a counterpoint to the others is rather unique.

Making Race and Nation: One step foward, one step back.......2000-03-24

Anthony Marx's comparative study on the construction of race in the United States, Brazil and South Africa is promising if one wants a general historical overview about how race was constructed in each setting. Marx emphasizes how each state, in its own process of state building, constructed racial/racist ideologies to unify the white power structure at the expense of Blacks. He explores the institutions of colonialism, slavery and apartheid to make his case. He also explores how the ideology of black nationalism emerged as unifying response among Blacks to resist white domination. The book is a good read, however his historical account is completely male biased. Marx fails to consider the role gender played in the construction of these racial ideologies. His account is state-centered, which effectively excludes other important social and political factors in the formation of race identity. This becomes painfully clear in the chapter on Black racial identity, mobilization and reform in the U.S. Also, Marx relies too heavily on secondary sources, which dampens the reliability of his analysis.

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In Seven Wonders, John C. Ryan recommends a few simple things that could have a substantial positive impact on the planet's natural resources. The benefits of some of his "wonders" are obvious: condoms are a valuable tool in both birth control and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, while using a clothesline instead of a dryer saves energy and money. But did you know that Pad Thai dishes, which rely heavily on rice and vegetables, are not only healthy but environmentally sound? (Leaving aside the question of animal cruelty, livestock production in the United States accounts for almost half the energy used in American agriculture and generates 130 times more manure than the entire human population of the world.) And if more people used their public libraries instead of buying books, what might that do for the global level of paper consumption (not to mention the other community benefits a library has to offer)? Ryan's other three wonders are the bicycle, the ceiling fan, and the ladybug; his short essays on each of these items mix a presentation of their benefits with a thoughtful consideration of the social changes that would have to take place in our culture of consumption to make these wonders more mainstream. Seven Wonders is an intelligent reflection on the possibilities of a simpler lifestyle that combines material comfort with environmental sustainability.

Book Description

Consider your way of life and the effect that you have on the planet, and ask yourself the following question: If everyone on Earth lived like you, what would the impact be on the natural world and its finite resources? Probably catastrophic. According to John Ryan, it's time for us to reexamine our actions and reconsider our options.
In Seven Wonders, Ryan informs readers of the extraordinary benefits of such familiar things as the bicycle, the ceiling fan, the clothesline, the condom, Thai food, the public library, and the ladybug - and how using them can help solve critical global problems such as air pollution, ozone layer depletion, and toxic pesticide runoff. Our high-consumption "American way of life" creates enormous ecosystem damage. John Ryan artfully demonstrates how we can adopt relatively easy ways to lessen this damage and, at the same time, improve the health of our shared natural environment and of our families.

Customer Reviews:

Pad Thai .......2006-08-06

As a frequent visitor to Thailand and lover of Thai cuisine, I can attest to "Pad Thai" being one of the sustainable wonders of the world. Thai food is nutritious, low in fat, and you just plain "feel better" after eating it. In this chapter, author John Ryan provides readers with a wealth of research documenting the relationship between Asia diets and health; and American meat diets and disease. A couple important points he makes: "Agriculture is the leading source of water pollution and the biggest water user in North America" (p.47). Eating less meat, more fish, rice and veggies can keep you healthier and help preserve our environment. And to those who think all thai food is "hot and spicy" - wrong! Take Ryan's advice and try a thai restaurant near you (there are many in America). You'll be glad you did.

Even if you only read this one chapter of Ryan's book (complete with a Pad Thai simple recipe), you'll find it worthwhile. Choice's matter!

Wonderful fun informative book.......2006-02-01

Yes, I can agree that the bicycle, condom, ceiling fan,clothesline,ladybug and even the public library are wonders that can make for a healthier planet, but not Pad Thai which is basically Thai noodles. Instead I would have listed water. Plain water. Simply because to many people in the world lack clean water and Americans who have plenty, waste it washing down driveways and watering lawns in desert communities rather than drinking water. Water is the one thing Americans need more of rather than coffee, tea, Pepsi, Coca Cola and other beverages. Water makes the body work better, look better, sleep better, stay slimmer better as well as avoid a plethora of health problems.

Yes, the Bike is a godsend when it comes to producing overall health in humans and the environment. Europeans and Asians still ride bikes more than Americans. Oil is big business here in the states and sadly it seems only well educated areas, either in cities or university towns push bikes as a preferred mode of transportation.

The chapter on The Condom should be required reading for high school and college students and all adults since again a condom can help prevent a plethora of problems from STD's, HIV, and unwanted and un needed births.

The Ceiling Fan is also a good choice since most countries outside the USA rely on ceiling fans and cross ventilation for cooling. Not to mention ceiling fans use less energy than AC and are great in winter as well for circulating heat which also means less heating is needed.

The Clothesline is an excellent choice as well, because drying clothes on a clothes line or clothes rack requires no overt energy aside from the sun or air. Clothes also last longer when air dried. Sad thing is, especially here in California even with well know power outages or brown outs, new home developments often forbid clotheslines. And even screen doors. So rather than save energy and money some people want looks instead.

As a major supporter of public libraries no matter where we have lived I agree that the public library is a major asset for a healthier community and world. During the Great Depression and WW2 public libraries were funded because people knew they were a major asset for everyone. That literacy was a positive as well as environmentally positive since one book could be bought and read by literally hundreds of people in one year. That school children would check out books that would help them succeed in school, whereas someone else wanting to be more self sufficient could read up on how to grow most of their own food, sew their own clothes and be more responsible for their own health. Public libraries sadly here in California are seen more as a luxury which is very shortsighted in my opinion.

Ahh the Ladybug. I agree that ladybugs and all types of natural pest control must be stressed in a world where quick fix man made pest killers are preferred and like the overuse of antibiotics are wrecking more than ground that grows food. Seems few people read Rachel Carsons book Silent Spring. Big business and profits for a quick return on investment have become more important than the longterm well being of the people.

Simple, Easy Ways to Make Earth a Better Place.......2004-08-04

In "Seven Wonders", Ryan uses seven common products (Bicycle, Condom, Ceiling Fan, Clothesline, Pad Thai, Public Library, and Ladybug) to illustrate how anyone can lead an environmentally responsible lifestyle. Each object is a physical component related to issues which effect all of global ecology. Each object is tied to the thesis of his argument: The current North American lifestyle is not sustainable, and greater simplicity and efficiency is need to acheive sustainability.

Ryan takes complex and diverse information and concepts and effectively condenses and unifies them with each object. Ryan's central concept is efficiency. He illuminates an interesting and unfortunate irony of the U.S. economy: The U.S. business model has created perhaps the most efficient and productive economy in human history; maximizing efficiency in production of goods and services maximizes profit. While this model is adhered to almost absolutely in business, it's largely ignored in everyday lives. Each of the seven objects serves it's purpose more efficiently than what is normally used: The bicycle is the most efficient form of transportation that exists, yet the car is by far the most frequent method of transit. He acknowledges the limitations of bicycles (can't cover long distances quickly, limited cargo capacity), but since about half of all car trips are less than three miles, a bicycle is more efficient in most situations; a ceiling fan is a more efficient temperature reducer than AC; Pad Thai illustrates the efficiency of plant-based, over animal-based diets; borrowing books, media material, etc. from a public library saves energy and resources over purchasing them.

Not everything in "Seven Wonders" is revelatory. When he discusses the condom, Ryan presents little that anyone with a cursory understanding of contraception and human ecology doesn't already know, but overall he illuminates how the orthodox North American lifestyle is directly related to issues which effect the entire society and planet. Environmentalists are often dubbed as pessimists (perhaps fairly), but Ryan offers hope in the form of simple, relatively easy lifestyle changes which will effect considerable, positive change if North Americans are consciously willing to evolve.

Buy it, read it, donate it to a local library.......2000-04-02

Seven Wonders is a great little book that is full of well researched facts and interesting stories. It also includes 20 pages of sources and places to contact. It is a must read for any enviromentalist, scientist, or educator.

The wonder of "Seven Wonders".......1999-12-02

For an environmentalist of long (or even short) standing, one keeps nodding and nodding all the way through this unfortunately short work. Much of what was presented isn't new (to environmentalists) -- although I *did* find the number of sexual acts daily on planet Earth fascinating, as well as the material on Thai Pad -- but the great thing about the book is the way it's written. Material is presented clearly, forcefully, and occasionally with humor. When all's said and done, the seven suggestions here would make the world a far better place than ever it has been before. Give this book as a present to those unaware, those aware, and even your aunt. "Seven Wonders" is worth far more than the price of admission.

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