Book Description
In this influential work about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation—he calls it nature-deficit—to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
Last Child in the Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond—and they are right in our own backyard.
Customer Reviews:
Last Child in the Woods.......2007-10-09
As humanity goes deeper and deeper into materialism and our children are displaying symptoms in their emotional, behavioral and physical health, this book brings us back to the understanding that children are not little adults and human beings are not machines. The importance of self-discovery is being undermined through our over intellectualization on one side and on the other side the over protectionism of little ones. This surpresses the development of the imagination and intuition, which is so needed if our society is to refocus on humanity instead of amassing material good and consumption!!
Thank you Professor Louv for your timely and VERY important book!!
Reclaiming Childhood.......2007-10-08
I grew up in a very small and rural town. Growing up I was surrounded by nature and even though video games were popular neither my siblings nor myself nor any of our friends ever had to be forced to spend more time outside. We liked being outside. We enjoyed playing in the fields, woods, yards, and vacant lots that were around. Having become a secondary teacher and also having spent many summers working at a summer camp, I have noticed that many children and young people no longer have the same connection to nature that I had as a child. There are some who may ignore this shift in child development and reason that it's not significant and is simply an expected result of an increasingly technologically based society. But, as Richard Louv points out in LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS, such an attitude is severely misguided and ignores the disturbing consequences of what can happen if children aren't connected to nature. Though scientific in nature, the book is written for lay people. Therefore, the text is fairly easy to read and comprehend. Highly recommended for parents and people who work with children.
Too much of the same thing.......2007-09-27
The whole concept is an interesting one but the book drug on with the same message.
Taking Back Nature ...........2007-08-05
I would have never heard of this book if it wasn't for my sister-in-law, who is battling lung cancer. She and I were talking about whether or not I should bring her some books to read while she was undergoing chemo and she happened to mention this book, as her school system was recommending that she read it before school starts in a few weeks. Naturally, I had to pick up a copy of it and was sold.
This book (with a wonderful front cover, by the way ~~ my boys kept saying, "Mom! That kid's going frogging too!" ~~ they love frogs) is chock full of information and data and statistics. It is a book full of common sense and while Louv was very very careful to say that studies have not been done yet to proven that kids with ADHD disorders can be weaned from their medicine if they were outside in nature more, he offers that as a possible solution to solve a lot of mental disorders in today's society among kids and adults. He also offers a lot of other solutions as well ~~ different types of studies or programs that other people are trying to start up to recruit people back into living in a greener world.
As a kid, I was not very interested in playing outside. I lived in a neighborhood in a small town. BUT my parents signed me up for junior naturalist programs, they took my siblings and me camping, they took us to the parks, they encouraged all kinds of outdoor activities. I did not get a chance to go into the woods by myself in the morning like my dad did while he was growing up (he lived in a very rural area), but when we were camping, I took advantage of playing in the woods. We were not encouraged to watch a lot of tv. That is a trend that a lot of my friends look down on me at ~~ I only have one tv in this house. My boys probably do watch a lot more tv than they should but whenever we get a chance, we are outside, working in the yard, playing or going camping someplace now that they are older and we can start introducing canoeing, hiking ... things that take you back to nature.
Louv writes very compelling though throughout this book about today's generation and how they are drifting away from nature. He writes about the irony of people driving ATVs into the desert with their children to look at wild life and basically destroying the terrain with the automobiles and kids are "being exposed" to wildlife but from the safety of the vehicles. Or encountering kids who show no interest whatsoever in the wild life that the author had just spotted. There are a lot of stories that he shared ~~ personal and from other people. He also writes of the connection between kids being locked up in their houses all day and the rising concidences of obesity among today's children ... and so on.
This is definitely a book for parents to read. I cannot write an accurate review of this book because there are too much information in here and one cannot honestly know where to begin. Yes, it can be dry reading in spots, but keep on reading because it gets better and more interesting. However, I do have a question for all those global warming experts out there ~~ how come none of you have read this book and tried to implement some of the theories into practice? I'd like to see this book touted more in the media.
8-5-07
Finally, a ray of hope.......2007-08-02
Until I read Richard Louv's book, "Last Child in the Woods," I only had two books on my shelf that merited permanent allegiance: Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)" and Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring." Both works were thoughtful and intelligent observations on the natural world and how we affected, and were affected by it. But they also left me slightly depressed. I felt hopeless and unsure of how to regain the ground we had lost. Although "Last Child" has numerous examples of what we've lost (including old-fashioned goofy play outdoors and an early-learned appreciation of nature), his research and interviews also focused on ways individuals and communities are turning dire predictions into positive ways to return childhood to children, and nature to families who have forgotton, (or maybe never learned,) how much we need it to survive and be healthy. Louv gathered and stitched together ideas that previously many others have tried to communicate, and this book is now my backup when I am trying to explain why I am hopeful about the future. What started as a catchy phrase ("nature deficit disorder") has morphed into a growing movement, and maybe this time the children will lead us all back into a more healthy and balanced way of living.
Book Description
These days, whether you're designing a building or a toaster, a savvy knowledge of materials is increasingly critical. And keeping up with the constant flow of new materials, let alone their applications, properties, and sources, is an increasingly difficult and time-consuming task. Blaine Erickson Brownell, author of Transmaterial, known to thousands of web users for his "product of the week" email service alerting designers to new materials that are reshaping our world, has created this handy and affordable reference to the most interesting and most useful new materials now available.
Transmaterial is indexed in multiple ways for the sake of maximum convenience, and utilizes the new CSI Master-Format 2004 product categorization system. With more than 200 materials, organized by category, described, pictured, and annotated with technical and sourcing information, this catalog is an essential tool for any architect or designer interested in keeping up with the rapid developments in the field of materials, looking for a source of inspiration for their designs, or just eager to get their hands on real materials in an effort to understand the incredibly innovative palette now available to us.
Customer Reviews:
A good catalog.......2007-05-13
Overall, it is a very good catalog for material types and technologies. I wish they also had some pricing information.
never received the book!!.......2007-05-07
its been 3 months and i'm still waitting for the book!
it's like a well made catalogue .......2007-01-11
Not bad informations in it because it covers so wide range of architectural materials, but its depth of knowledge is rather shallow.
It might be good for a reference when you need something new but there's no special derection on it.
Transmaterial Damage.......2007-01-10
Book was probably excellent as expected, but it arrived at my Post Office box in Darwin Australia badly damaged. I tried to contact Amazon to complain, and send photos of the damage, but the Amazon delivery site does not provide a 'complaint' option, and the Amazon home site does not appear to have a 'contact us' option.
I know there aren't many real live people out there in the commercial world, but if anyone from Amazon happens to read this, could you please contact me and advise how I can send you details of the damage?
Artist's view.......2007-01-05
All the entries in the book were clear and well-presented. I particularly liked the format with different sections relating to types of materials. Colour photos of most products were useful in evaluating the materials and their possible uses. In fact, they were very inspirational in their potential for artwork. It was also good to have contact details for each product - the only disappointment being that some companies did not respond to our email enquiries (which is not the fault of the book).
Average customer rating:
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Our Common Future (Oxford Paperback Reference)
World Commission On Environment and Development
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
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Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development
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Green Planet Blues: Environmental Politics from Stockholm to Johannesburg
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The Principles of Sustainability
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For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future
ASIN: 019282080X |
Book Description
Most of today's decision makers will be dead before the planet suffers the full consequences of acid rain, global warning, ozone depletion, widespread desertification, and species loss. Most of today's young voters, however, will be alive. In this, perhaps the most important document of the decade on the future of the world, the urgency of changing certain policy decisions, some of which threaten the very survival of the human race, is made abundantly clear. The World Commission on Environment and Development, headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, was set up as an independent body in 1983 by the United Nations. Its brief was to re-examine the critical environment, to develop proposals to solve them, and to ensure that human progress will be sustained through development without bankrupting the resources of future generations. In Our Common Future, the Commission serves notice that the time has come for a marriage of economy and ecology, so that governments and their people can take responsibility not just for environmental damage, but for the policies that cause the damage. It is not too late to change these policies; but, it warns, we must act now.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, but . . ........1997-12-13
While the topic of this text, sustainable development, is interesting, the text is not. The first chapter provides most of what is necessary to understand the commission's findings. The 300+ pages which follow are filled with too many examples, which disrupts the flow of the book.
Average customer rating:
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Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth (Astrophysics and Space Science Library)
Manufacturer: Springer
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Book Description
Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth lays the foundation for an interdisciplinary study of the influence of interstellar material on the solar system and Earth as we travel through the Milky Way Galaxy. The solar wind bubble responds dynamically to interstellar material flowing past the Sun, regulating interstellar gas, dust, and cosmic particle fluxes in the interplanetary medium and the Earth. Cones of interstellar gas and dust focused by solar gravity, the magnetospheres of the outer planets, and cosmic rays at Earth all might yield the first hints of changes in our galactic environment.
Twelve articles from leading experts in diverse fields discuss the physical changes expected as the heliosphere adjusts to its galactic environment. Topics include the interaction between the solar wind and interstellar dust and gas, cosmic ray modulation, magnetospheres, temporal variations in the solar environment, and the cosmic ray isotope record preserved in paleoclimate data.
Book Description
Three creative educators collaborated to produce this guide for classroom and home. Centered around a classrooom worm bin, this curriculum uses over 150 worm-related activities to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in children grades 4-8. Rich in content in "Wormformation" paragraphs integrates science, mathematics, language arts, biology, solid waste issues, ecology, and the environment in ways that draw children into the learning process. Three sections include "The World of Worms," "Worms at Work," and "Beyond the Bin." Includes 16 appendicies, resource materials, teacher's guidelines, bibliography, glossary, and index. User has permission to photocopy for use in the classrooom
Customer Reviews:
KIDs love it and learn SO much.......2001-10-01
Fun Fun Fun. Surprisingly popular! Used with 4th, 5th grades... won over nearly every kid! really, with WORMS!
Important book to teach responsible living and composting of school lunches!
(Unless school lunches are so bad you can't compost them... then it teaches nutrition and govt priorities!
Worms eat Our Garbage.......2000-06-09
For the ecology minded, teachers, homeschoolers or anyone interested in activites to show the importance of worms in keeping our planet clean and healthy this is an absolute must have book.. Activities for all grade levels, nicely supplement Mary Appelhof's book Worms Eat my Garbage. I have never been so excited by a book. Kids of all ages will find the subject matter fascinating, even those afraid of "slimy" things.
Book Description
The #1 New York Times bestseller is a thinking person's Life's Little Instruction Book, with simple yet inspirational messages about living.
Customer Reviews:
not my cup of tea.......2007-09-06
She feels it is the responsibility of you and I, through government (by paying enough taxes), to elliminate poor families in America. She writes that one should not feel 'entitled' to anything they didnt 'sweat' and 'work for'. Then says 'we' should 'give' to the poor instead of buying more things for ourselves.
I have to say, a lot of what she says, I agree with. But, I think it should predominantly be the place of individuals and churches, not the government, to bring aid and love to the poor. Communist and socialist governments have NOT proven their supperiority to capitalism. Why do you think people in communist and socialist countries keep trying to come to America?
This book seems to point the finger at the 'massa' letting down the poor. White men are said to be in a position of leadership out of 'accident of birth'. She tells us not to make, snicker, of stand for racial jokes. Then in the next chapter she tells one of her own in support of black pride.
She is not consistent or color blind. To ask it of others, when you yourself aren't doing it, makes for hypocracy.
I understand that whites, and specifically white men, have had priveledge in this society. Asian men are dominant in Asia, because that is the racial majority. It has been the same in America for quite some time. People tend to group together with those they feel are "like them."
But, to fault people that happen to be born in the majority and take a condescending or derogatory tone with them is the same racism, just directed at the majority. Because it has happened the other way around, doesnt make it right.
If you have a passion for the poor and oppressed and want a book that will give you some practical ways to change the world, read "Irrisistible Revolution", by Claiborne. He does make some similiar political comments and comments like we have enough "books written by white males", but this book is a lot more inspiring and thought-provoking. Claiborne focuses on community activism changing society, rather than the government changing people. A better road to hoe if you ask me
America's Leading Child Advocate Eloquently Sets Individual and Societal Goals.......2007-08-24
The author has written a book which combines traditional values with extraordinary wisdom and an eloquent statement of a needed American agenda to get children out of poverty. A black woman married to a somewhat prominent Jewish attorney (Peter Edelman) who has made his own impact on public policy, the author addresses this book to her three sons as they face growing up with the rare combination of being black, Jewish, and the sons of prominent people in the world of governmental policy-making.
The author protects her children's privacy, and gives us few personal anecdotes about them. She wants her children to successfully make their way in the world, and hopes that they will find the examples of their parents and grandparents to be inspiring and useful.
The heart of this book is the author's 25 lessons for life. It is a message of personal responsibility that the most hardened conservative would have problems disagreeeing with. But she breaks with conservatives in asking that the notion of personal responsibility cover responsibility for getting the government and other agents of society to take care of needy children even if their parents do not have the personal responsibility or the resources to do what they should do themselves.
Her 25 Lessons for Life are as follows: "(1) There is no free lunch. Don't feel entitled to anything you don't sweat and struggle for; (2) Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them; (3) Assign yourself; (4) Never work just for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night; (5) Don't be afraid of taking risks or of being criticized; (6) Take parenting and family life seriously and insist that those you work for and who represent you do; (7) Remember that you wife is not your mother or your maid, but your partner and friend; (8) Forming families is serious business; (9)Be honest; (10)Remember and help America remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important than the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society; (11) Don't confuse style with substance; (12) Never give up; (13) Be confident that you can make a difference; (14) Don't ever stop learning and improving your mind; (15) Don't be afraid of hard work or of teaching your children to work; (16) Slow down and live; (17) Choose your firends carefully; (18) Be a can-do, will-try person; (19) Try to live in the present; (20) Use your political and ecnomic power for the community and others less fortunate; (21) Listen for 'the sound of the genuine' within yourself and others; (22) You are in charge of your own attitude; (23) Remember your roots, your history, and the forbears' shoulders on which you stand; (24) Be reliable; Be faithful; finish what you start; (25) Always remember that you are never alone.
Each lesson is accompanied by an essay that places it in both personal and societal context. The lesson on being confident that you can make a difference, for instance, offers the personal advice not to get overwhelmed, to take each day and each task as they come, and to break all the tasks into manageable pieces of action while you still are striving to see the whole without thinking you need to win in order to make a difference.
The personal advice is followed by eloquent quotes from the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr ("Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope....by faith....by love....by...forgiveness") and Sojourner Truth, the ex-slave and abolitionist who urged her audiences to remember the bite of a flea and keep oppressors scratching.
"Remember it's sometimes important to lose for things that matter and that many fruits of your labor will not become manifest for many, many years, " the author says.
The author has an eye for eloquent quotes from people from Einstein to Eisenhower, but she herself is as eloquent as anyone she quotes. "Ironically," she writes, "as Communism is collapsing all around the world, the American Dream is collapsing all around America for millions of children, youths and families of all racial and income groups. American is pitted against American as economic uncertainty and downturn increase our fears, our business failures, our poverty rates, our racial divisions, and the dangers of political demagoguery.....
"All our children are growing up today in an ethically polluted nation where instant sex without responsibility, instant gratification without effort, instant solutions without sacrifice, getting rather than giving, and hoarding rather than sharing are the too-frequent signals of our mass media, business, and poltiical life....
"No parent can shut out completely the pollution of our airwaves and popular culture, which glorify excessive violence, profligate consumption, easy sex and greed, and depict deadly alcohol and tobacco products as fun, glamorous, and macho...
"{T)he standard for success for too many Americans has become personal greed rather than the common good, and as it has become enough to get by rather than do one's best.
"All our children are affected by escalating violdence fueled by unbridled trafficking in guns and in the drugs that are pervasive in suburb, rural area, and inner city alike.
"Young families of all races, on whom we count to raise healthy children for America's future, are in extraordinary trouble...."
Despite her passion, eloquence, and commitment, neither the author nor her causes have received enough attention from the federal government in the years since she wrote this book. This reviewer hopes that the author will be an active and influential voice in Washington if the Democrats win the Presidency in 2008.
Not my cup of tea.......2005-04-13
She feels it is the responsibility of you and I, through government (by paying enough taxes), to elliminate poor families in America. She writes that one should not feel 'entitled' to anything they didnt 'sweat' and 'work for'. Then says 'we' should 'give' to the poor instead of buying more things for ourselves.
I have to say, a lot of what she says, I agree with. But, I think it should predominantly be the place of individuals and churches, not the government, to bring aid and love to the poor. Communist and socialist governments have NOT proven their supperiority to capitalism. Why do you think people in communist and socialist countries keep trying to come to America?
This book seems to point the finger at the 'massa' letting down the poor. White men are said to be in a position of leadership out of 'accident of birth'. She tells us not to make, snicker, of stand for racial jokes. Then in the next chapter she tells one of her own in support of black pride.
She is not consistent or color blind. To ask it of others, when you yourself aren't doing it, makes for hypocracy.
I understand that whites, and specifically white men, have had priveledge in this society. Asian men are dominant in Asia, because that is the racial majority. It has been the same in America for quite some time. People tend to group together with those they feel are "like them."
But, to fault people that happen to be born in the majority and take a condescending or derogatory tone with them is the same racism, just directed at the majority. Because it has happened the other way around, doesnt make it right.
If you have a passion for the poor and oppressed and want a book that will give you some practical ways to change the world, read "Irrisistible Revolution", by Claiborne. He does make some similiar political comments and comments like we have enough "books written by white males", but this book is a lot more inspiring and thought-provoking. Claiborne focuses on community activism changing society, rather than the government changing people. A better road to hoe if you ask me.
This book changed my life.......2003-09-14
I cannot express in words the power of this wonderful book. I am an adult who was not raised with any values that could sustain me through all the messages of the outside world: Look beautiful, make money, drive fancy cars, clothes make the person; all the hype the media blasts at you everyday. I picked up this book and for the first time in my life, I felt grounded. I internalized the values in this book and for the first time in my life, I felt peace. All the distractions of the outside world could no longer effect me. The book changed my life.
A message we need to pass along to the next generation.......2001-12-21
Drawing from inspirational experiences from her own childhood, Dr. Edelman talks to (not at) her own children, urging them, in whatever occupation they may choose, to serve the community at large. This is also a book for adults (parents, educators, and religious and community leaders) to read, to live a life of principles and a desire to somehow make the world a better place - in short, to serve as the strong, positive role model that so many of our children have had to do without.
The book is also an indictment on how American society and political leadership do a great job at paying lip service to the needs of children but fails miserably in their actions. Complaining, however, is not enough; if children are to grow up to be conscientious and caring citizens, adults must set a good example.
It's a small book with a big heart and a great message. I strongly recommend it to anyone who cares about children and social justice in general.
Amazon.com
Water is a curious thing, observed the economist Adam Smith: although it is vital to life, it costs almost nothing, whereas diamonds, which are useless for survival, cost a fortune. In Water, Canadian journalist de Villiers says the resource is still undervalued, but it is becoming more precious. It's not that the world is running out of water, he adds, but that "it's running out in places where it's needed most."
De Villiers examines the checkered history of humankind's management of water--which, he hastens to remind us, is not a renewable resource in many parts of the world. One of them is the Nile River region, burdened by overpopulation. Another is the Sahara, where Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi is pressing an ambitious, and potentially environmentally disastrous, campaign to mine deep underground aquifers to make the desert green. Another is northern China, where the damaging effects of irrigation have destroyed once-mighty rivers, and the Aral Sea of Central Asia, which was killed within a human lifetime. And still another is the American Southwest, where crops more fitting to a jungle than a dry land are nursed. De Villiers travels to all these places, reporting on what he sees and delivering news that is rarely good.
De Villiers has a keen eye for detail and a solid command of the scientific literature on which his argument is based. He's also a fine storyteller, and his wide-ranging book makes a useful companion to Marc Reisner's classic Cadillac Desert and other works that call our attention to a globally abused--and vital--resource. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In his award-winning book WATER, Marq de Villiers provides an eye-opening account of how we are using, misusing, and abusing our planet's most vital resource. Encompassing ecological, historical, and cultural perspectives, de Villiers reports from hot spots as diverse as China, Las Vegas, and the Middle East, where swelling populations and unchecked development have stressed fresh water supplies nearly beyond remedy. Political struggles for control of water rage around the globe, and rampant pollution daily poses dire ecological theats. With one eye on these looming crises and the other on the history of our dependence on our planet's most precious commodity, de Villiers has crafted a powerful narrative about the lifeblood of civilizations that will be "a wake-up call for concerned citizens, environmentalists, policymakers, and water drinkers everywhere" (Publishers Weekly).
Customer Reviews:
Good, but fails about Brazil.......2006-06-21
I'm an agronomist and I live in Brazil.I read this book, translated to the portuguese, here in Brazil.This book really has many usefull informations, about water suplly in the world.
China, Israel, Africa, USA, Mexico, India are some of the nations who are with water's problems and are focused in this book.
About Brazil this book is a failure.Brazil export far less paper and wood than Canada or USA, but we have far more forests than Canada or USA.And our forests grow far more fast than an american or canadian forest.And this book talks about ecomyths about Brazil.
In fact, this book sometimes reproduces, the ridiculous lies from "green eugenicists" or ecologists.
A real eye opener.......2005-05-03
This is an excellent overview of the water problems plaguing the globe at the moment, as Marq de Villiers travels far and wide to show just how precious a resource water really is. Most importantly, he does so in a very accessible style of writing that personalizes so many of the issues surrounding the rapid depletion of aquifers by drawing on childhood memories of his home farm in South Africa and first hand sources in the current geopolitical battles.
Of note is the Middle East and North Africa where the battle over water is entertwined with the ongoing political disputes. He notes how carefully Israel has managed its water resources yet is heavily reliant on sources in the West Bank to sustain its agricultural industry. Needless to say this has made the issue of Palestinian statehood that much more difficult. He also explores the thorny relationships along the Nile where downstream Egypt has threatened to go to war with the Sudan and Ethiopia over any divergence attempts with this great river. And, Kaddafi's attempts to create a massive underground river from aquifers deep below the Sahara to coastal Libya, in order to restore badly depleted sources.
But, even in seemingly water rich nations like the US and Canada, water battles persist, mostly to do with the contamination of rivers and aquifers that are the result of industrial waste and poor farming practices. More thorny are precious water rights in dry states like Wyoming and Montana that often end up in court and sometimes settled using frontier justice.
For those not familiar with the looming water crisis, this book will be a real opener, for others it will provide valuable information regarding disputes from the Yellow River in China to the Colorado River, which has long since quit flowing to the Gulf of California. While de Villiers avoids being the doomsayer, he does make one exceedingly worried about the future of this most precious resource.
A Non-Fiction Page turner (!).......2005-03-21
This book is by far one of the most interesting, can't-put-it-down non-fictional books I've ever read. I know, I'm speaking in superlatives, but I can't say enough about this book.
I made my thesis topic water-related after I read Water. And yet Water reads like a novel, even though it's packed with information and statistics; de Villiers does an amazing job of making the scientific research information palatable to the average (non-science inclined) reader by weaving in his own experiences and stories.
You can feel his passion for this issue come through in his writing style. He integrates quotes very well and makes the subject come alive. For example, when writing about a severe chemical spill along the Rhine River, he quoted Bertram Muelle, saying: "The river ran red... Otherwise, it looked no different...But I knew that as I watched, its creatures were dying. It was the most terrible feeling. I was frozen, sickened..."He makes turns a very technical and scientific topic into a page-turner. A must-read! P.S. Pay attention to the Canada-US Great Lakes issue, along with the Rhine and Danube Rivers (the subject of my thesis!).
Lacks focus.......2004-04-03
This a fascinating book about a fascinating (and critical topic). But in appealling to the general reader, Mr. de Villiers inserts too much (for my taste) personal anecdote. A regrettable travelogue quality permeates the narrative.
This is unfortunate, because there is much of value here. In particular, the discussion about the sources and uses of the Jordan River, Isreali concern with controlling its water supply, and water problems of the immediate Arab neighorhood, opened my eyes to an aspect of the current intractable problems of the Middle East.
My advice is to read this with pleasure, but don't be afraid to skim if you find some portions of the narrative uninteresting.
Easy to Swallow, but with No Additives.......2002-09-12
This easy to read and conversational book can be used as an introduction to the fate of water supplies around the world and their impact on human societies. de Villiers takes us on a chapter-by-chapter dissertation first on the technical aspects of water issues, such as the mechanics of groundwater and dams. Then we proceed to selected examples of water crises around the globe, such as China's dilemma of having too much where it's not needed and too little where it is needed, or the hideous catastrophe of the Aral Sea in the former USSR.
The author takes an admirably middle-of-the-road stance here and usually lets the facts speak for themselves, with just a little bit of opinionating. But his opinions are still quite moderate and level-headed, as he doesn't align himself with either unyielding environmentalists or extreme free trade proponents, both of which he accurately condemns as having very narrow outlooks on the real world. Some of de Villiers' key observations concern the water wars that will probably start erupting in coming years in dry regions of the world. Two countries will probably spend more money in a single day of war than it takes to improve water supplies for both of them for decades to come. Also, de Villiers drives home the point that the worrisome decline of fresh water around the globe is not due to greedy businessmen, corrupt politicians, or greens who refuse to let it be used. It's just the natural outcome of humans living like humans. Therefore real human cooperation across all societies is necessary to address the problem.
Unfortunately, the author's chapter-by-chapter approach serves only as an introduction to separate topics of interest, without very much substance behind each one. Also, this subject requires harder economics, politics, and sociology than de Villiers provides here. Therefore this book can best be used as an introduction to these issues before you dive into much more specific books like "Rivers of Empire" by Worster or "Cadillac Desert" by Reisner (focusing on the American West), or the works of the Worldwatch Institute for the international story.
Book Description
Human beings may be the dominant form of life on Earth today, but our health, well-being, and, indeed, survival are dependent on the health and integrity of the environment in which we live. Anne Nadakavukaren explores and clarifies this web of interdependency and interrelationships with uncommon insight into the functioning of the natural environment and the impact of human activities. She provides a comprehensive, up-to-date survey of the major environmental issues facing the world today within a dual framework of ecological concerns combined with specific issues of personal and community health. With the same clear, compelling writing that has made this text a perennial favorite among students and faculty alike, the author imparts to readers a sense of how today's environmental issues affect their own lives. Moreover, Our Global Environment provides the understanding they need to participate in the decision-making processes that will influence health and environmental quality in the decades ahead. The Sixth Edition has been extensively updated and incorporates new issues of concern, including nuclear terrorism, genetically modified crop plants, mad cow disease, the obesity epidemic, and many others. Moreover, the text reviews the latest developments in international efforts to negotiate binding treaties on issues of global concern, such as climate change, ozone-layer depletion, and tobacco use, and incorporates numerous examples of environmental problems and solutions from other nations. Abundant photos and illustrations illuminate the discussion and also help clarify information and identify trends. The text contains 72 boxed features within chapters that highlight relevant, current, and illustrative issues and examples. These include: Tourism: Environmental Boon or Bane?, Seeking Greener Pastures: International Migration, The "Urban Penalty," Population Pressures Spur Mideast Tension, The Perils of Pregnancy, Supersized America: The Other Face of Malnutrition, Eco-Certification of Coffee, Slaughter in the Jungle, International Initiative to Fight Tobacco, Deadly Dust, The Dark Side of Beautiful Blossoms, International Initiative to Fight Tobacco, Beware of Mad Cows, "Loose Nukes" and "Dirty Bombs," Brown Cloud Over Asia, Watch Where You Swim: Recreational Water Illnesses May Be Lurking, and Plants vs. Pollution.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting reading~.......2007-01-12
This book is for my environment health class, however, I didn't really use this book as often as I expected. Some of the readings are pretty interesting but at the time, it conclude a lot of information.
The Environment and a Bit More..........2006-07-04
This book was a required text for one of my courses. In the past I have not had the best experiences with texts that offer such broad overviews of topics, and as result, I was not looking forward to reading this book. However, I have found the book extremely well written with an abundance of references for additional reading and further research. Every chapter has inserts of up to date events that outline both the environmental and health effects of pollution on world populations. For example the chapter on "Water Pollution" (Ch. 15) at the same time that it identifies the many sources of water pollution it also provides the reader examples of water pollution on health; such as, describing in detail the how and why schistosomiasis infection rates have remained constant for the past 50 years affecting 250 million people globally. If you are interested on a well written introductory book on the environment and health, this is certainly a book to keep in mind.
Engaging read on environmental issues.......2006-03-20
This is a very well organized book that covers the major environmental issues facing our world complete with case study examples to illustrate the points.
Excellent book.......2005-02-16
Broad coverage of important topics in environmental health. Most important of all, it is very easy to read and grasp the points that the author is trying to make. It is comparatively much more readible than many other titles in the subject.
Good Reading.......2003-03-10
The book is well written with many important topics.
Book Description
In a time of darkening environmental prospects, frightening religious fundamentalism, and moribund liberalism, the remarkable and historically unprecedented rise of religious environmentalism is a profound source of hope. Theologians are recovering nature-honoring elements of traditional religions and forging bold new theologies connecting devotion to God and spiritual truth with love for God's creation and care for the Earth. And religious people throughout the world are transforming the meaning of their faiths in the face of the environmental crisis. The successes and significance of religious environmentalism are manifest in statements by leaders of virtually all the world's religions, in new and "green" prayers and rituals, and in sophisticated criticisms of modern society's economy, politics, and culture. From the Evangelical Environmental Network to the Buddhist prime minister of Mongolia, the National Council of Churches to tree-planting campaigns in Zimbabwe, religious environmentalism has become a powerful component of the world environmental movement. In A Greener Faith, Roger S. Gottlieb chronicles the promises of this critically important movement, illuminating its principal ideas, leading personalities, and ways of connecting care for the earth with justice for human beings. He also shows how religious environmentalism breaks the customary boundaries of "religious issues" in political life. Asserting that environmental degradation is sacrilegious, sinful, and an offense against God catapults religions directly into questions of social policy, economic and moral priorities, and the overall direction of secular society. Gottlieb contends that a spiritual perspective applied to the Earth provides the environmental movement with a uniquely appropriate way to voice its dream of a sustainable and just world. Equally important, it helps develop a world-making political agenda that far exceeds interest group politics applied to forests and toxic incinerators. Rather, religious environmentalism offers an all-inclusive vision of what human beings are and how we should treat each other and the rest of life. Gottlieb deftly analyzes the growing synthesis of the movement's religious, social, and political aspects, as well as the challenges it faces in consumerism, fundamentalism, and globalization. Highly engaging and passionately argued, this book is an indispensable resource for people of faith, environmentalists, scholars, and anyone who is concerned about our planet's future.
Customer Reviews:
Kicked it off my wish list.......2007-03-28
I had this book on my wish list because I'm very interested in the topic, as an active Episcopalian and as a river conservationist. But I learned that Gottlieb made a big deal in the book about the famous "every part of the Earth is sacred to my people" speech attributed to Chief Seattle from 1854. That "speech" was actually from a work of fiction written in 1970, incorporated into the narration in an environmental documentary film called _Home_. The producers of the film (ironically enough, it was the media wing of the Southern Baptist Convention) decided to suppress the fictional status of the text and promote it as Chief Seattle's actual words. The hoax-status of the speech means that any well-meaning environmentalists or creation-care advocates who cite it instantly expose themselves and their cause to scorn and embarrassment from conservative critics who seek to discredit sustainable conservation and smart growth. Gottlieb should have known better. He makes the rest of us look like flakes in the process. We don't really need Chief Seattle's buy-in anyway.
Brilliant....Inspiring.......2006-07-06
I just had no idea about the scope of religious environmentalism and what a hopeful sign it is. Gottlieb does a great job of describing the movement's ideas, and what is being done by people around the world. Unlilke most books by academics, this one is written to be understood by a normally intelligent person, not a scholar.
At times the book is really inspiring. Gottlieb puts forth a visionary account of how linking nature to God and spirituality can lead to fundamental social changes; and to changes in how we think about ourelves. I also very much enjoyed the chapter on new 'green' rituals and his description of how much spirituality there is and has always been in the the 'secular' environmental movement.
Great book for environmentalists and for people who think religion has something to do with caring for life.
Book Description
We have built a world that no longer fits our bodies. Our genes - selected through our evolution - and the many processes by which our development is tuned within the womb, limit our capacity to adapt to the modern urban lifestyle. There is a mismatch. We are seeing the impact of this mismatch in the explosion of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. But it also has consequences in earlier puberty and old age. Bringing together the latest scientific research in evolutionary biology, development, medicine, anthropology and ecology, Peter Gluckman and Mark Hanson, both leading medical scientists, argue that many of our problems as modern-day humans can be understood in terms of this fundamental and growing mismatch. It is an insight that we ignore at our peril.
Customer Reviews:
the importance of developmental plasticity.......2007-04-07
The book is in two parts. The first deals with matching. With gens and developmental plasticity an organism tries to achieve a better match to its environment. The second part informs us about three main mismatches; the maturational mismatch which is increasing gap between physical maturation and psychosocial maturation, mismatched metabolism resulting in metabolic syndrome and mismatch between our inbuilt repair mechanism and our life course.
The authors explain their thoughts with good examples and concepts. Methylated genes, life-history strategy, metabolic syndrome, developmental plasticity, physical and psychosocial maturation are some of the concepts I derived much benefit.
The notes given at the end of the book are also important and should be read.
The book make me aware of the problems we face and arouse my curiosity to delve further into the relating subject.
Modern Man is in Trouble.......2006-12-01
This is a very interesting and easy to read book. Gluckman and Hanson have managed in less than three hundred pages to explain the consequences of our man-made world not longer being appropriate for the biology we evolved with. They have done so using ideas from evolutionary biology, developmental science and medicine and show an understanding of environmental change and use examples that make this book equally appealing to the technically interested and the absolutely lay reader.
The book is in two parts - the first part is about the science and the second part is about the consequences for human health and disease. Both are filled with examples and there is not much technical language. There are no chapters I found too challenging for a lay reader.
In the second part of the book they use three major illustrations; puberty aging and the menopause and obesity/diabetes. I particularly found their insights into adolescence and puberty refreshing and challenging. The concept that the age of puberty may be returning to an younger age set by evolution, while the age of psychological maturation has moved in the opposite directions changes how one thinks about adolescence and has profound implications - parents, politicians and educators should read chapter 7. Their ideas on the role of foetal development in determining why some individuals are more at risk of diabetes and obesity creates a much more balanced perspective than purely genetic perspectives have led us into. The implications for how to stop the obesity epidemic and the need for different strategies in different populations are most thought provoking and compelling.
But it is not just the specifics of these examples that makes this book so interesting. It is full of information from comparative biology, evolutionary biology, developmental biology, medicine and social science and it is the way they have combined these and produced a lucid and I think very important book. They are clearly scholars but scholars who can write in a very accessible way. They marry evolutionary biology and medicine in a much more complete and realistic way that previous attempts. And the sociological and associated commentary shows how much they have thought about the subject - the notes are quite fun too.
If you are the kind of person who enjoyed Bill Bryson's Short History or Jared diamond's Guns Germs and Steal you will enjoy this book - it will leave you thinking.
Our Bodies Fit the Ancient African Savannah, I Don't Live There.......2006-12-01
The evidence is pretty overwhelming that we developed as humans in the African Savannah. The anthropologists point out how our bodies developed over the millennia to have a lot of characteristics that helped to enable, even guarantee our survival in that environment.
There are numerous books that talk about our special adaptations: no hair ('The Naked Ape' Desmond Morris) so we wouldn't overheat while running, males with eyes optimized to detect movement of game while hunting, females with a thousand times better color sensitivity to detect the ripe fruit from the others.
All this doesn't fit very well with my day of sitting staring at the computer screen, my neighbor's driving a truck, or nearly any of today's ways of earning a living. Yup! There's a mismatch.
The authors do an excellent job of point out our world no longer fit our bodies. This is an insight that we ignore at our peril. They also point out some of the things that humankind might do to change the situation -- but BOY! is their solution going to offend some of the religious fundamentalists. Then again, wouldn't you want your children to be a better match for their society: slimmer, smarter, free from diabetes, cancer, heart disease?
Books:
- Louis Agassiz: His Life And Correspondence
- Magic Apple Tree a Country Year
- Methods to Study Litter Decomposition: A Practical Guide
- Mind and Nature: A Necessary Unity (Advances in Systems Theory, Complexity, and the Human Sciences)
- Minerals for the Genetic Code: An Exposition & Anaylsis of the Dr. Olree Standard Genetic Periodic Chart & the Physical, Chemical & Biological Connection
- Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fourth Edition
- Mountains and Plains: The Ecology of Wyoming Landscapes
- Namibia Safari Companion: Photo Safari Companion (Safari Companions)
- Nature Incorporated: Industrialization and the Waters of New England (Studies in Environment and History)
- Open Horizons (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series)
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