Environmental AnalysisThe NEPA Experience

Book Description

Environmental Analysis reviews information gathered during NEPA assessments, summarizes the state of the art in methods and approaches, and defines future opportunities and new approaches required to link high-quality science to the decision-making process. Individual chapters address the process itself, present examples of recent experience with ecological impact assessment, evaluate social impact assessment and the important role the public must play, discuss the difficult challenge of assessing cumulative effects of multiple impacts, consider the regional and global implications of NEPA, and examine the important role of follow-up studies in the process. The authors of the 59 individual papers comprising this book represent the major sectors that have been key participants in the decision-making process from the beginning. These sectors include academia, national laboratories, federal agencies, state agencies, private industry, and foreign nations. Environmental Analysis will be interesting reading for environmental scientists, engineers, policy makers, and lawyers in government and academia; private consultants; and non-government environmental organizations.

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Comprehensive EIA Resource
A very complete overview about the EIA process and approache

Environmental Impact Assessment
Larry Canter
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070097674

Book Description

The Canter text appeals mainly to Civil Engineering students taking course work in environmental assessment practice or impact assessment, usually taught at the junior/senior level as a popular elective. Some chemical and environmental engineers take the course as well. The author has specifically beefed up and improved the chapters on biological, cultural, and socioeconomic environmental factors. The book continues to emphasize both production and assessment aspects of environmental factors, i.e., air, water, and noise, together with some interesting case studies. The latest governmental methodologies and Environmental Impact Studies have been included in this timely revision.

Customer Reviews:

Comprehensive EIA Resource.......2000-08-11

At over hundred bucks, this book is not for everybody. But it is the best all-in-one resource for conducting environmental impact assessments. The book is crammed full with tables and diagrams on everything from examples of project-effects interaction matrices to "A Comparison of Four Habitat Evaluation Methods." Besides introductory and general how-to-do-an-EIA material, chapters cover air, surface water, soil/groundwater, noise, biological envt., cultural envt., socioeconomic envt, visual impacts, and public participation. The writing has a no-nonsense engineering flavor. Not for casual reading, but as a resource/reference for students and professionals this is a high quality but overpriced book.

A very complete overview about the EIA process and approache.......1999-11-17

At this moment, Environmental Impact Assessment process and approaches are in a constant change, requeriments are increased as well as needs for to get a good EIA. Many scientifics are trying to get a holistic vision of the world affected for any project in order to get the best and close approach for interprete it. This book shows a complete evolution of the EIA business as well as avoid new interpretations and applications following the needs and background of the professionals that want use it.

Sex Is Not a Natural Act and Other Essays

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Sex Is Not a Natural Act and Other Essays
Leonore Tiefer
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 081334185X

Book Description

This newly updated collection of pioneering sexologist Leonore Tiefer's essays includes popular as well as professional writings on the social construction of sexuality and includes a new section on Tiefer's most recent essays on female sexual dysfunction (fsd). Tiefer's background as a sexologist is unusually broad, including rodent copulation research, sex therapy, classification of dysfunctions and feminist analysis. Her wit and passion are evident in such recent essays as "Doing the Viagra Tango: Sex Pill as Symbol and Substance," "From Viagra to Niagara: Why is it so Hard to Just Talk About Sex?,"and "A New Sexual World-Not" as well as the now classic pieces "The Kiss," "Women's Sexuality: Not a Matter of Health," "Sexual Biology and the Symbolism of the Natural," and "Am I Normal? The Question of Sex," - and they all add up to a lively, controversial presentation of the forces shaping sex in our culture. As Tiefer provocatively states toward the end of her introduction to Part 1,"A kiss is not a kiss; your orgasm is not the same as George Washington's, premarital sex in Peru is not premarital sex in Peoria, abortion in Rome at the time of Caesar is not abortion at the time of John Paul II, and rape is neither an act of sex nor an act of violence - all of these actions remain to be defined by individual experience within one's period and culture." This newly revised collection by one of the foremost sex researchers today explores sex and its "experts" in colorful, original, and perceptive ways.

The Sign of the Seahorse: A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts (Picture Puffin)

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This is a FANTASTIC book for kids!!!
Excellent book!
Great Story
Graeme Base is a genius!
Graeme Base

The Sign of the Seahorse: A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts (Picture Puffin)
Graeme Base
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140563873

Book Description

In which the villainous Gropmund Grouper devises a dastardly scheme to rob the innocent folk of Reeftown of their homes and money, but is foiled by the efforts of the intrepid Pearl Trout, her fiery brother, Finneus, and brave Corporal Bert of the Soldiercrab Army. Graeme Base, who created Abrams' best-selling Animalia and The Eleventh Hour, now offers The Sign of the Seahorse, a sweeping drama of intrigue and excitement set in the beautiful but fragile underwater world of a coral reef. Beginning at the famous Seahorse Cafe, social hub of the Old Reef, The Sign of the Seahorse takes us on a great journey. We travel from the doomed coral gardens of Reeftown to a sunken wreck and an underwater junkyard, across the barren expanse of the Withered Plain, and into the vast, uncharted chasms of the Deep, before arriving finally at the utmost edge of the Great Continental Shelf. Readers of all ages will delight in the rhyming text and gloriously detailed illustrations of this undersea adventure. The wonderfully drawn characters will capture the imagination as The Sign of the Seahorse is enjoyed again and again.

Customer Reviews:

This is a FANTASTIC book for kids!!!.......2007-03-09

This is easily my favorite kids book of all time. The entire story is written in rhyme, and the charcters are great! The artwork is incredible, from the Combat Lobster 46903 down to the "two largely unnoticed shrimp on every page". Kids of all ages will enjoy this book, its a keeper.

Excellent book!.......2007-02-20

Excellent book...magnificent illustrations! Excellent story but a little too lengthy for a small child. Would recommend for children 5-10 years old.

Great Story.......2007-01-15

The person who received this book enjoyed the "good over evil" premise and the beautiful illustrations.

Graeme Base is a genius!.......2006-03-09

Not only is the book cleverly written, the illustrations are exceptional! I stayed up for hours pouring over the pages. None of his books has yet to bore me. No matter how many times they're read, there is always something new to be discovered. GB is my FAVORITE children's picture book author! Extraordinary! This mystery aspect of this book will interest older children with more advanced thinking skills. But, as a book by itself it still is a fun adventure for kids of any age.

Graeme Base.......2004-11-18

The Book I read was called The Sign of the Seahorse. This book was one of the most detailed picture books I have ever read. It is about fish that own a bar called the Seahorse and how some of them have to save the town from a villain and his thugs. In the book the bar owner's daughter falls in love with one of the heroes, and his son tries to fight the thugs. Will they be able to stop the villain before it's to late? You will have to read it to find out. I would recommend this book to a young child who enjoys adventure, fantasy, or likes reading about fish. This fishy tail was written by Graeme Base. -Jake

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Book to be reprinted and offered by November 1, 2007
Good...but...
I expected more from the book....
I liked the book and enjoyed reading it...
I really tried to like this book but...

Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love
Lynn M. Griesemer
Manufacturer: Terra Publishing (SC)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0966106601

Product Description

This book is a presentation of unassisted homebirth (childbirth without an obstetrician or midwife) as it relates to psychological growth and development of the couple, the woman and the man. It addresses why people choose to give birth unassisted, why couples should consider unassisted homebirth and why so many are against unassisted homebirth. It shows how planned unassisted birth is safer than in the hospital and almost always joyful.

The book provides a comparison of traditional hospital birth to unassisted homebirth, how couples are brought closer together because of unassisted birth and the profound impact this type of birthing has on fathers.

Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love combines research, theory and personal experience. It has several unassisted birth stories after 1990 including: babies born at 36 and 43 weeks gestation, waterbirth, Rh- mother, breech twins, unassisted birth after cesarean (U-BAC), first baby a Do-it-Yourself birth, fourth generation baby born in the same house. The Stories include situations with baby born in amniotic sac, with meconium, and with the cord wrapped tightly around baby s neck. Babies were born to parents ranging from age 21 to 44.

It includes chapters on preparing for an unassisted homebirth, self-actualization, how childbirth is a feminist issue, major deterrents to unassisted homebirth, unassisted birth gone awry (death and disillusion), how to recover/heal from a traumatic birth, home-based living (homebirth, homeschool, working from home), midwives role in the birth process, advocacy.

It presents new ideas such as The Birth Pyramid and the power of silence at birth. Although this book presents unassisted birth as a safe and joyous way to give birth, any pregnant couple, whether they are considering an unassisted homebirth or not, would benefit from the comprehensive childbirth information as a way to improve confidence, knowledge and comfort for a more satisfying birth.

Customer Reviews:

Book to be reprinted and offered by November 1, 2007.......2007-08-14

Friends and moms-to-be: Due to several requests from customers and the capitalist nature of what has occured since my book went out of print in 2006, I have decided to reprint UNASSISTED HOMEBIRTH: AN ACT OF LOVE for a third time. Check back here in November and also feel free to visit my website at unassistedhomebirth dot com. You may also be interested to know that I've created the first inspirational childbirth CD titled YOUR BODY, YOUR BIRTH: SECRETS FOR A SATISFYING AND SUCCESSFUL BIRTH.

Good...but..........2005-08-23

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is really one lady's perspective. I bought it because I too had problems finding someone to attend my home birth. I am severely chemically sensitive and so giving birth in a hospital is actually more likely to cause me life threatening complications than a birth at home. I just don't want to take the risk. So as my husband and I realized that we might have to do this ourselves I ordered this book and I'm glad I did. We have completely come around to the idea that even if there was a good practitioner (doctor or midwife) available we would still want an unattended birth and this book might help you understand why we might come to this conclusion. It is worth reading if you are thinking about it.

This author prevents few verifiable facts, so if that is what you seek you won't find much here. BUT what I found most valuable about this book is the non-tangable. The author strikes to the heart of the matter and brings up some points that I would not have thought about as benefits to having a private husband and wife only birth. I don't agree with all her points or her reasons behind them, but the book was still enjoyable. My husband and I both read this book and discussed it and found that we very much agreed with certain of her perspectives on how this experience would enhance our relationship.

If you are considering an unattended birth this is a great book to read - especially the testimonies (and I don't typically like testimonies in books like this). She does belabor her predudices, so just be prepared to skim those sections that you disagree with.

If you are already convinced you want an unattended and are looking for detailed information on how to recognize problems and what to do if they develop or what supplies to have on hand this isn't the book you are looking for, though it might be enjoyable to you for other reasons. The only thing I found for this is the two volume set "Holistic Midwifery" by Anne Frye. They are huge and expensive, but invaluable and, I think, understandable to the lay person.

I expected more from the book...........2005-08-17

My DH and I both read the book and found it to be more entertainment reading than what we had hoped.

This book is definately for the couples who are unsure of what type of birth you want.

We are absolutly sure that we are going to UC and we did not feel this book was written for those of us who 100% know. We are happy this book was written for those who are sitting on the fence. It gives lots of inspirational stories of successful and happy UCs.

We were looking for more of a "getting ready for your UC" type of book... and this is not it. We have found more supportive info online that have helped us much more.

I liked the book and enjoyed reading it..........2003-03-29

I have a lot of the same views. Childbirth is a natural function of women's bodies, not a crisis situation to be treated with interventions. I have seen the same situation in my state regarding midwives. I have had the same bad experiences with hospitals and doctors who do not respect women's rights in childbirth. My unassisted homebirth was by far one of the most wonderful things I have ever experienced. It was so different than my hospital births, so much more peaceful. It drew my husband I closer to each other and the Lord and we were able to bond instantly with our child. I did give myself excellent prenatal care before embarking on this journey and had one ultrasound to ensure everything was looking good. This was my 4th birth and lasted only 20 minutes. What a remarkable difference when compared to my hospital births!

The only thing I did not like about the book was that it did not give more information on how to handle the more common problems at birth such as the cord around the neck, meconium, etc. For that, I recommend Spiritual Midwifery and internet research.

I really tried to like this book but..........2002-11-16

This author had a very strong bias due to living in a state without a strong midwife system. All the points she made against midwifes (based on anecdotal evidence) were never backed up like most of the points in her book. A lot of her points all stem from the fact that there were only 3 available midwives for her birth (one who was to be out of town during her due date, one who was too far away, and one who she had a personality conflict with.) The remainder of her anecdotes focused on ONE midwife who had never attended a birth where the mother was in a particular position.

Act Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience

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Great Advice from the White Shadow
A Must Have Book if You Ever Talk to More than One Person

Act Natural: How to Speak to Any Audience
Ken Howard , and Edward Tivnan
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375507361
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Book Description

Drawing from courses he taught at Harvard and from his own distinguished career as a performer, Ken Howard demonstrates how we all can become more effective public speakers and communicators by learning how actors prepare for their roles.

Why is it that some actors are more impressive on stage or screen than others--even when they’re doing nothing? "Because," says Ken Howard, "they don’t seem to be acting; they appear real, as if they’re making up the dialogue as they go along." In fact, they’re acting like mad. According to Howard, currently starring in the NBC hit show Crossing Jordan, we can all appear more relaxed, confident, and spontaneous when we step into the limelight--whether for a speech, a presentation, a job interview, or before the PTA--by learning to act natural. Based on courses he taught to Harvard undergraduates and law students on applying Method acting techniques to public speaking, Act Natural demonstrates how we all play different roles in everyday life--as bosses and employees, buyers and sellers, spouses and children, teachers and students. Howard shows how we can sell our message and ourselves--not by "faking it," but by preparing hard and long to bring our best selves into the various roles we are asked to play.

In Act Natural, Howard explains why performance anxiety is not only normal, but is what fuels great performances; he shows how we can improve our memory and prepare to deliver speeches and other long presentations without notes. The ability to move an audience is something that good actors share with all great communicators, and Howard teaches us how to step in front of people and--just like De Niro or Pacino--create real emotion that will move an audience to tears or laughter. He brings his lessons to life with stories from his own career and from the experiences of other well-known actors. Whenever we’re not alone, we are all performers and public speakers. Act Natural helps us make the most of it.

Customer Reviews:

Great Advice from the White Shadow.......2006-12-10

Ken Howard has written an excellent and practical guide to public speaking. From preparation to techniques to control and harness stage fright , this book provides solid useful tips that work for me. I have used this book to prepare for several large audience presentations and found the advice very helpful

A Must Have Book if You Ever Talk to More than One Person.......2003-08-01

This book, written by Ken Howard, a star of stage, screen and television and an experienced teacher at presigious schools, breaks new ground for those of us who dread to face the frightening task of speaking in public.
Howard draws on his extensive background to give you effective methods to overcome stage fright (you really don't want to eliminate it.) His advice on developing your memory for any kind of speaking situation -- whether addressing a sales conference or handling a job interview, is outstanding.
Howard uses techniques advocated by famous actors' coaches to strengthen your performance and to do it naturally.
Readers of this book will be impressed with the improvement they will make.
In fact, as a long-time student of how to improve my public speaking, I believe you'll find some individual chapters worth the price of the entire book.
I know I did.

Act of God/Active God: Recovering from Natural Disasters

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Act of God/Active God: Recovering from Natural Disasters
Gary L. Harbaugh
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast

ASIN: 080063215X

Book Description

This book raises in a straightforward fashion the faith-related questions that the victims/survivors of natural disasters have as a result of this experience. Is the disaster an "act of God"? Did God cause the disaster? If God is all powerful, why did God allow it to happen? The author then goes on to argue that God is active in our questions, confusions, and doubts, as well as in those who help—either individually or as communities of faith. He discusses the dynamics of the caregiver/care receiver relationship from the perspective of the care receiver to provide insights into how natural disaster victims can face an uncertain future with hope and faith. A final chapter for caregivers provides help for the emotional and spiritual health of those who assist others in times of disaster. Appendices provide practical, close-to-the-ground tools.

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Clean Water Act: Basic Practice Series
Joel M. Gross
Manufacturer: American Bar Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Environmental & Natural Resources Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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The Clean Water Act Handbook, Second Edition (Clean Water ACT Handbook)

ASIN: 1590312422

Book Description

A quick reference to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act, this book explains the statute and the 1972 Amendments that created a system of permits and regulations to govern the discharge of pollutants into the nation's waters and publicly owned treatment works. Covers NPDES permitting process, wetlands, discharge of hazardous substances, wet-weather discharges from point sources, and reducing nonpoint source pollution.

Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America

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Where The Real Blame Falls
Environmental expose' debunks myth
Cynical, But Thought Provoking
from the city of burning rivers
Essay on Mismanagement of Disaster

Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America
Ted Steinberg
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195309685

Book Description

As the waters of the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain began to pour into New Orleans, people began asking the big question--could any of this have been avoided? How much of the damage from Hurricane Katrina was bad luck, and how much was poor city planning? Steinberg's Acts of God is a provocative history of natural disasters in the United States. This revised edition features a new chapter analyzing the failed response to Hurricane Katrina, a disaster Steinberg warned could happen when the book first was published. Focusing on America's worst natural disasters, Steinberg argues that it is wrong to see these tragedies as random outbursts of nature's violence or expressions of divine judgment. He reveals how the decisions of business leaders and government officials have paved the way for the greater losses of life and property, especially among those least able to withstand such blows--America's poor, elderly, and minorities. Seeing nature or God as the primary culprit, Steinberg explains, has helped to hide the fact that some Americans are simply better able to protect themselves from the violence of nature than others. In the face of revelations about how the federal government mishandled the Katrina calamity, this book is a must-read before further wind and water sweep away more lives. Acts of God is a call to action that needs desperately to be heard.

Customer Reviews:

Where The Real Blame Falls.......2006-12-23

Have "natural disasters" become more destructive ... or has economic development caused this alleged paradigm? Ted Steinberg investigates and confirms what private developers don't want you to hear.

As the population grows and moves to more hazard-prone locales (ocean-front properties in Florida and along California's fault lines), humans are creating a supply-and-demand environment with major catastrophes looming on the horizon. Steinburg digs deep into the annuls of American history to expose how hazard vulnerablility began and continues to this very day. While this book was written pre-Katrina, it eerily foreshadows the 2005 hurricane season and precisely predicted the magnitude of destruction that Katrina leveled on the city of New Orleans.

While this book is heavy on history and research, it is readable even to the average citizen interested in finding out how we put ourselves in danger. Steinburg washes away political-correctness and tells it like it should be in the many topics he covers (impoverished minorities, weather control, and problems between local, state, and federal governments).

This eye-opening book is a must-read for anyone involved in disaster management or concerned about the current state of disaster in the U.S.

Environmental expose' debunks myth.......2006-10-26

Ted Steinberg's sometimes heavy-handed diatribe against the real source of disaster in America (man)debunks the myth that God or nature deserve the blame. The environmental historian's thesis charges that cold-blooded class warfare was and is perpitrated by government and business interests against the dupes who don't know better. His polemic argues that government deception evades moral responsibility, thus natural risks are minimized and more people are actually put in harm's way.

I did enjoy this book, and in light of more recent events, learned from it as well. Part II details the rise of the guarantor state and indicts FEMA (familiar) with gross mismanagement. As another reviewer remarked, the chapters on weather control and the weather service began to lose me. While I recommend the book with some reservations, I appreciate the author's writing style. With a sardonic wit, he reports gleefully that FEMA had been turned into "a dumping ground for political hacks." Thus, Steinberg has created a particularly timely expose' of the abnegation of responsibility and rise of the nanny state.

Cynical, But Thought Provoking.......2006-06-02

When a natural disaster occurs, the focus of the tragedy is a pity for the victims and hope that the survivors can pick up the scraps to continue their lives. While some may attach some blame to Mother Nature, or even God, author Ted Steinberg would argue a different perspective. In his book Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America he wrote of numerous disasters that took place in United States history and attempted to show that they are "complex interactions between the natural world and social and economic forces," as opposed to being natural.

Steinberg's style of writing was helped greatly by his method of organization in the book. It helped to have the subsections within chapters to break down the topics. However, even with this, events may begin to blur together throughout the book, making it difficult to recall any certain disaster with clarity. This may be the result of his tendency to stress his argument rather than the history, which is his main focus anyway.

After the recent disaster from Hurricane Katrina (Which Steinberg's book predates), one may wonder why the people of New Orleans would want to rebuild in the same place that caused such devastation. On one hand, New Orleans is a port city and vital to our economy. On the other hand, New Orleans is below sea level and perhaps building in that location is begging for devastation. This book questions how dilemmas like these are or should be handled and is very thought-provoking for anybody with any political opinion.

However, one of the main downfalls of this book is Steinberg's allocation of blame. While he tries to come off as a politically neutral critic, it is apparent that he isn't fair with assigning blame. All throughout the book, but particularly in his one chapter subsection, Live Free and Die, Steinberg is an apparent lower class sympathizer. While he is quick to assign human responsibility to the government for the disaster, not once does he ever even imply that the lower class is responsible for their poor conditions.

The issue comes up that people living in trailers during a tornado cannot afford to live elsewhere, and therefore they don't have a choice. Should the government then use tax money paid by those who have worked hard to save those who mostly haven't? Steinberg's weakness is that these people did have a choice. The lower class, for the most part, has made decisions during their lifetime that has put them in financial devastation whether it is in education, work, morality, or budgeting. It may seem cold-hearted, but if they can only afford to live in a danger-zone, then they deserve primary fault for a disaster that hits them. In this sense, it becomes clear that Steinberg is not very consistent and is using natural disasters as a tool for socialist activism by attributing wickedness to the "bourgeois class" and capitalism in general.

Credit should be given to Steinberg for his deep thought, nevertheless. As a nation, how are we supposed to handle the forces of nature? Anybody who reads this book will find themselves pondering on the issues of prevention, aide, and the overall role of the government. Is there a difference between natural and man-made disasters? Whatever your opinion is, you will find the arguments stimulating.

Coupled with the rousing nature (no pun intended) of the text is the fact that not much is written on the subject of man and natural disasters in history. For these reasons, perhaps Steinberg's book is a well-suited textbook for a History of Natural Disasters course. However, the argumentative nature should cause readers to take Steinberg's opinion with a grain of sand.

from the city of burning rivers.......2001-02-23

This is a brilliant book -- well-researched, incisive, and passionate. It should inspire all of us to think more deeply and critically about how social oppression manifests itself in the ecosystem.

Essay on Mismanagement of Disaster.......2000-12-28

Ted Steinberg's book, Acts of God, is an interesting look at the handling of natural disasters in America. It shows how natural disasters may arrive from nature (as flood, hurricane, earthquake, drought, etc.) but it is the social and cultural context of American that truly turns these phenomena into disasters. This can result from such things lack of warning due to budget cuts, downplaying the effects of the disaster in order to support boosterism, or controlling relief efforts in way that hurts the poor, elderly or minorities. The unusually high proportion of death and loss of property of people in mobile homes is not, in fact,due to random, natural acts or some perverse vendetta against by natural forces against mobile homes but, instead, by purposeful acts by government and capitilists. These arguments are presented forcefully using examples from throughout American history. On occasion, particulary the chapter on weather control, the arguments can become a little muddied. It is, nevertheless, a fairly powerful indictment of the current system that will result in more disasters than it will prevent.

Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser And The Path To The Wilderness Act (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books)

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The Conservationist's Insider

Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser And The Path To The Wilderness Act (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books)
Mark W. T. Harvey
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0295985321

Book Description

As a central figure in the American wilderness preservation movement in the mid-twentieth century, Howard Zahniser (1906-1964) was the person most responsible for the landmark Wilderness Act of 1964. While the rugged outdoorsmen of the earlyenvironmental movement, such as John Muir and Bob Marshall, gave the cause a charismatic face, Zahniser strove to bring conservation's concerns into the public eye and the preservationists' plans to fruition. In many fights to save besieged wild lands, he pulled together fractious coalitions, built grassroots support networks, wooed skittish and truculent politicians, and generated streams of eloquent prose celebrating wilderness. Zahniser worked for the Bureau of Biological Survey (a precursor to the Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Department of the Interior, wrote for Nature magazine, and eventually managed the Wilderness Society and edited its magazine, Living Wilderness. The culmination of his wilderness writing and political lobbying was the Wilderness Act of 1964. All of its drafts included his eloquent definition of wilderness, which still serves as a central tenet for the Wilderness Society: "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The bill was finally signed into law shortly after his death.

Pervading his tireless work was a deeply held belief in the healing powers of nature for a humanity ground down by the mechanized hustle-bustle of modern, urban life. Zahniser grew up in a family of Methodist ministers, and although he moved away from any specific denomination, a spiritual outlook informed his thinking about wilderness. His love of nature was not so much a result of scientific curiosity as a sense of wonder at its beauty and majesty, and a wish to exist in harmony with all other living things. In this deeply researched and affectionate portrait, Mark Harvey brings to life this great leader of environmental activism.

Customer Reviews:

The Conservationist's Insider.......2005-12-09

This well-researched, straightforward biography will be of great use to anyone interested in the history of conservation and environmentalism in America. Howard Zahniser was a very important early member of the influential Wilderness Society, and was a contemporary of famous outdoor activists such as Aldo Leopold, Benton MacKaye, Olaus Murie, and Robert Marshall. Zahniser is less well-known than those celebrity conservationists because he excelled as an insider who specialized in writing, administration, and garnering support for legislation. But although he was a mostly quiet political specialist, Zahniser had a tremendous long-term influence on the environmental movement and the health of America's wild places. After many years of fighting for the protection of individual primitive areas, Zahniser embarked on his life's work for the passage of federal wilderness legislation. He was by far the most driving force behind the monumental Wilderness Act of 1964, writing most of the legislation himself and working behind the scenes in Washington for eight years to build support for the bill. Sadly, Zahniser died just a few months before the bill's passage into law, but his ongoing legacy is the protection of more than a hundred million acres of untrammeled wilderness across the country.

In addition to extensive coverage of Zahniser's legislative and activist efforts, Mark Harvey has fleshed out this biography with some real insight into Zahniser's success and influence. His most important belief was in the inclusion of all parties who had different reasons to respect the wilderness, from the spiritual to the recreational to the economic. This made Zahniser a consummate builder of coalitions and consensus, leading to great bipartisan political success. Harvey also shows us how Zahniser's small-town Pennsylvania upbringing, religious beliefs, and extensive reading formed his uniquely inclusive strategy and outlook on all matters of conservation. While he wasn't as famous as many of his colleagues, Howard Zahniser had an immense influence on the health of America's outdoors, and Harvey's biography should play a large part in bringing him the appreciation he truly deserves. [~doomsdayer520~]

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