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Paradise for Sale: A Parable of Nature
Carl N. McDaniel , and John M. Gowdy Manufacturer: University of California Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0520222296 |
Book Description
The grim history of Nauru Island, a small speck in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and Australia, represents a larger story of environmental degradation and economic dysfunction. For more than 2,000 years traditional Nauruans, isolated from the rest of the world, lived in social and ecological stability. But in 1900 the discovery of phosphate, an absolute requirement for agriculture, catapulted Nauru into the world market. Colonial imperialists who occupied Nauru and mined it for its lucrative phosphate resources devastated the island, which forever changed its native people. In 1968 Nauruans regained rule of their island and immediately faced a conundrum: to pursue a sustainable future that would protect their truly valuable natural resources--the biological and physical integrity of their island--or to mine and sell the remaining forty-year supply of phosphate and in the process make most of their home useless. They did the latter.Customer Reviews:
"Paradise for Sale" got the job done for me........2006-01-16
A look at "Paradise for Sale".......2001-11-21
This is an IMPORTANT book.......2000-11-13
This book is crap.......2000-07-27
But then intellectual dishonesty is at the very core of this book. The Nauran people, who you would think play the central role in this undeniable environmental tragedy, are mere scenery. The authors never bother to provide anything other than shallow reporting of their culture, history or current situation. The fact that the authors are lamenting on their behalf is presumably adequate. Similarly, as pointed out in another review, the authors wrote most of the book without bothering to visit, then spent thousands of dollars to ride on a gas-guzzling, ozone-destroying jet to add some credibility to their preconceived notions. And the whole analogy of Nauru (small isolated island with limited resources and diversity) as Earth (large, diverse lots of resources) is simplistic, but really relevant? The authors never really bother with relevance, because hey, simplistic analogies speak for themselves. In any case, the authors don't seem to have any serious credentials (other than burning sincerity and concern, which is often all you need in some circles), so it is hard to give much credence to what they say about science or anything else.
But what I found most offensive was the authors' condescending western liberal intellectual "gee aren't the natives cute and oh-so-wise" view of certain non-western cultures that they annoint as being "in tune" with their environments. They give a number of examples, but the one that sticks in my mind is the Ladhki (sp.?) people, who supposedly live in harmony with their harsh mountain environment. The authors concede that this culture has a high infant mortality rate, but that individuals who make it past the age of five generally enjoy a long healthy life. Well, that's just fine isn't it? As long as it's someone else's babies who are dying. . . But then that is the real problem, isn't it; too many people. If they would just stop reproducing (or living, at least since premature death is the unspoken aspect of "living in harmony with the environment) and aspiring to the same quality of life that the authors enjoy (well, they probably feel suitably guilty about it), everything would be fine.
Make no mistakes; turning a tropical island into a lunar wasteland is a terrible thing, and the people who have to live there probably wish things were different. But this is so blindingly obvious that a whole book on the subject would be (and is) ridiculous.
The World Writ Small.......2000-06-26
Nauru is a nearly circular islet virtually on the equator with a diameter of only six to seven kilometers. Prior to its `discovery' in 1798, the island's human population was only about a thousand totally self-reliant Micronesians. "In the absence of trade or other contact with the outside would, the people of Nauru developed a self-contained, durable society" (p. 14). They lived harmoniously within the bounds of nature, sustained comfortably by plentiful fish, coconuts, pandanus fruit, and a variety of other natural and cultivated crops.
In 20th Century terms, the island's greatest boon (and most fatal curse) has been its rich deposits of phosphate. Phosphate is a vital constituent of fertilizer and once Nauru's bounty was recognized in 1900, the island's fate was sealed. Industrialization was imposed from without. In just a century of mining, mainly to the benefit of one colonial authority after another, Nauru's once verdant interior, or `topside', today lies devastated. Over 80% of the island is a desert wasteland.
As they watched their homeland and ecosystem being systematically dissipated across the globe, the native people of Nauru were quickly transformed from proud self-sufficiency to hopeless dependence on the global economy. Today, 10,000 inhabitants of the island's narrow coastal strip live almost entirely on imported goods - even their water must now be brought in from distant `elsewheres'. While for the time being Nauruans remain economically afloat on the bare leavings of their colonial legacy, their phosphate wealth is running out and the island is deeply in ecological and fiscal debt. There is no return to paradise, so where do Nauruans go from here?
That's the question McDaniels and Gowdy are really posing to us all. In microcosm, Nauru's modern history is the history of the industrial world. In country after country, industrial humans, thoroughly alienated from nature, have destroyed much of their own natural bounties, exceeded their domestic carrying capacities, and come to rely on commerce to sustain themselves. In ecological terms, many modern states `occupy' through trade and exploitation of the global commons, an area several times larger than their home territories. Their economies stay afloat on high-end manufacturing and the `knowledge' industries, but the biophysical basis of life is eroding away at an accelerating pace.
This pattern is clearly neither sustainable nor extendible to all countries, yet we rush madly to cast the three-quarters of the yet-to-be-developed world from the same mold. Read this book for a thumbnail sketch of this fatal process and for the seemingly radical but obvious steps that must be taken to ensure a humanely viable future. "The story of how the world came to be the way it is calls for a reoriented worldview directed toward enduring habitations. To choose and then to walk the path to an enduring civilization will not be easy..." (p. 174). The question is, must it be catastrophe that forces us to take even the first tentative steps?
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Paradise for Sale--A Parable of Nature: An article from: The Ecologist
Manufacturer: Ecosystems Limited ProductGroup: Book Binding: Digital ASIN: B000B9B0B8 Release Date: 2005-09-02 |
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Paradise for Sale. A Parable of Nature. (Reviews).(Review): An article from: Oceania
Grant McCall Manufacturer: University of Sydney ProductGroup: Book Binding: Digital ASIN: B0008IGIAU Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Oceania, published by University of Sydney on September 1, 2001. The length of the article is 711 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
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PARADISE FOR SALE: A Parable of Nature.(Review): An article from: Pacific Affairs
Paige West Manufacturer: University of British Columbia ProductGroup: Book Binding: Digital ASIN: B0008I9KB4 Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on June 22, 2001. The length of the article is 685 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
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Robbing Ourselves Blind: How We've Managed to Ignore Ecological Collapse.(Review) (book review): An article from: World Watch
Curtis Runyan Manufacturer: Worldwatch Institute ProductGroup: Book Binding: Digital ASIN: B0008J2W8G Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Watch, published by Worldwatch Institute on July 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1848 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
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Tropical Lichens: Their Systematics, Conservation, and Ecology (Systematics Association Special Volume)
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0198577206 |
Book Description
Tropical lichens are not only of interest in themselves, but are of importance in the study of the ecosystems of which they are a part. Presented for the first time in book form, this comprehensive synthesis of information points to areas for further research, and summarizes discussions on the
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Arizona Getaways for the Incurably Romantic: 45 Sensational Destinations for Lovers
Pamela Swartz Manufacturer: Cloud Nine Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0970919301 |
Book Description
Residents of Arizona already have a love affair with the incredible beauty of their surroundings-this guide helps vacationers and residents alike plan incredibly romantic getaways to 45 of the most love-inspiring places in the state. From cozy bed-and-breakfasts and rustic cabins to luxurious resorts and delightful inns, this travel reference provides detailed descriptions of each property, including what makes them romantic, tips on planning, packing, and dining, and an events calendar and attraction guide for each region. A fun quiz is provided to help couples plan perfect getaways.Customer Reviews:
Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic.......2003-07-08
Pam Swartz, author of Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic, has written an extremely informative guide providing the reader with a very good exposure of forty-five of the most uniquely romantic lodgings located in various areas of the state.
Through the eyes and ears of the author, readers have the opportunity to discover secret hideaways and romantic ideas that were accumulated over a number of years.
Swartz's familiarity with Arizona, where she moved to in 1978 from Buffalo, personalizes and adds a great deal of depth to her clear and concise text.
The author informed me that it had taken her two and one half years to research and write the guide- book. After reading the 254 pages crammed with extremely useful information, you can well understand why it had taken this length of time.
A good guide- book can go a long way in making a vacation trip much more pleasurable, particularly if the book is well organized and reader friendly.
Herein lies the strength of Arizona Getaways For The Incurably Romantic.
Divided into eleven chapters and an appendix, the reader receives a well-rounded picture of how to evaluate romantic lodgings and locations.
Essential ingredients such as: surroundings, ambience/atmosphere, level of privacy, uniqueness, distance from home, overall quality of service, are dealt with at length.
In addition, there is a detailed description of each of the forty- five properties that the author had visited.
Moreover, sprinkled throughout the guide-book are sidebars providing various tips about which rooms to reserve in the inn or resort to reserve, what to expect in the way of extras such as, wine and appetizers that may be served on certain evenings, which cottages have Jacuzzis, etc.
Swartz also provides suggestions as to how to plan the romantic getaway, setting the stage, whetting the appetite, making the trip magical, where to travel, and ideas as to how to spend your days and nights.
Comprehensive charts listing amenities and features for each selection and comparison of accommodations are included at the back of the book.
All of this information gives the book a substance well beyond the usual mundane guide- books.
I do hope this author continues her travels and tells us more about the various pearls and gems that can be discovered in Arizona.
This review together with an interview with the author first appeared on the reviewer's own site: Bookpleasures.com
Filled with listings of top-class hotels.......2002-02-06
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One Eye Laughing, The Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York 1938 (Dear America Series)
Barry Denenberg Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc. ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0439095182 |
Customer Reviews:
And Hope Remains.......2007-08-01
one of the best!!.......2007-03-11
Missed the Mark.......2006-11-03
A Child's Book?.......2006-08-29
Heartbreaking.......2006-05-23
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Elementary, My Dear! : Caught 'Ya!, Grammar With a Giggle for Grades One, Two, and Three
Jane Bell Kiester Manufacturer: Maupin House Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0929895304 |
Book Description
Students in grades 1 - 3 learn grade-appropriate grammar, usage, and mechanics -- and have fun at the same time with Jane Bell Kiester's newest resource. Teach basic skills in context, and build solid, fundamental skills, enhancing early success in language arts for all students.Customer Reviews:
A Homeschool Mom.......2006-02-24
An enjoyable, effective approach to English usage........2000-04-25
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The Dear One
Jacqueline Woodson Manufacturer: Puffin ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0142501905 |
Book Description
Feni is furious when she finds out that her mother has agreed to take a fifteen-year-old pregnant girl into their home until her baby is born. What kind of girl would let herself get into so much trouble? How can Feni live under the same roof with someone like that? Her worst fears are confirmed when Rebecca arrives: she is mean, bossy, and uneducated. Feni decides she will have nothing to do with her. But it's hard not to be curious about a girl so close to her in age who seems so different. . . .Customer Reviews:
The Dear One is a moving, powerful book -- a must read!.......2000-06-07
Feni and Rebecca do not get along at first. Rebecca seems in awe of the middle-class luxuries that Feni takes for granted, and Feni resents and is angered by Rebecca's pregnancy. However, Feni and Rebecca gradually learn to respect and even like each other.
There is a great feeling of an extended family in this book, with Feni's mother, Feni's mother's best friend, Marion, Marion's partner, Clair, past reminences of Fenni's loving grandmother, and telephone conversations with Feni's father all providing a large net of love. Although the adults show their love differently, and Feni is not always sure of it, you get the feeling that this is one very loved child...and that that love and respect give her a solid base to accept and become close friends with Rebecca.
The Dear One was intense, moving, and powerful. I couldn't put it down. The relationship between the two girls was very believeable, and the issues of teenage pregnancy, lesbianism, and class difference were dealt with incredibly well and with great insight. I highly recommend this book.
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Dear Mem Fox, I Have Read All Your Books Even the Pathetic Ones: And Other Incidents in the Life of a Children's Book Author
Mem Fox Manufacturer: Harvest Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0156586762 |
Book Description
Customer Reviews:
Good account of Mem's life..........2005-12-29
Trememdous insight into writing children's books.......1999-11-21
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Dear Tiny Sepuku: One Little Cartoon's Bold and Bewildering Love Advise
Ken Cursoe Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0740733214 |
Book Description
"Dear Tiny: My boyfriend always gets me bad gifts and I'm too nice to tell him he has bad taste." "Dear Tiny: My girlfriend gets so jealous of my female friends that I can't hang out with them without a drama." "Dear Tiny: How do I stop attracting the same losers into my life time after time?"The questions are simple enough, but the answers are downright hilarious. In panel after panel, Ken Cursoe has created an advice column/cartoon that attacks the insecurities and tames the uncertainties of everyday life. Whether it's addressing topics like dating or unrequited love or breaking up, Tiny Sepuku tackles them head on, finding hilariously absurd solutions for readers who write in.The name "Sepuku" is based on the Japanese word seppuku, which roughly translates to "sacrifice for the benefit of others." Relationships tend to be just that, says the author, thus the unusual name made sense for this type of comic. The advice column aspect allows people to interact directly with the strip. Says Cursoe, "If it helps someone take their problems a little less seriously by seeking advice from a cartoon, then I think I did my job." More important, Tiny Sepuku is completely entertaining. Cursoe's take on the world of work and relationships adds a refreshing perspective to the comics page.Customer Reviews:
Sex and Death, Rockin' Like Dokken.......2005-11-21
Incredibily accurate... sometimes!.......2003-06-11
Wicked Funny.......2003-05-17
UGH! Repetitive .. uninspired .. flat, tepid, one trick pony.......2003-05-11
When a book engages neither the imagination nor the eye, I just can't offer a recommendation. There are other, better things to do with your time.
Tiny Sepeku Delivers BIG Laughs!!.......2003-03-27
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"My Dear Ones": The Love Story of a Great Physician for His Patients
Neil Rau , and Margaret Rau Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0136084303 |
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Dear Ones All
Jean Rikhoff Manufacturer: Viking Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 9997530136 |
Book Description
"A completely mature and satisfying novel; masterful in its handling of complex material; one reads it with fascination. Miss Rikhoff takes us into the mind of each of the principal characters, and each is fully developed and completely credible."Granville Hicks, Saturday Review
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Dear Little One: A Memory Book of Baby's First Year
Flavia Manufacturer: Cedco Publishing Company ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Accessories: ASIN: 0768320488 |
Calendar Description
First steps and first words are just the beginning of the wonderful journey of discovery that babies embark upon. The story of that time will become a legacy of love to sustain a child along his or her way. Dear Little One is designed to help parents record their fondest memories of their baby's first year and their dearest hopes for their child's future.Customer Reviews:
Beautiful baby book!!.......2003-08-10
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Dear God, If I Was A Star, I'd Like To Be A Very Bright One (Dear God Kids)
Manufacturer: Flying Frog Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000E6CVS4 |
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Best Sellers from the Reader's Digest: Advise and Consent, Act One: An Autobiography, Mrs. 'Arris goes to Paris, and Dear and Glorious Physician
Moss Hart, Paul Gallico, and Taylor Caldwell Allen Drury Manufacturer: The Reader's Digest ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000NOHK9C |
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