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In this book, Andrew Dobson introduces readers to
problems, both scientific and economic, of quantifying
the magnitude and value of biodiversity. What really
is the extent of biodiversity loss, and how does one go
about figuring it out? Why is biodiversity valuable for
the earth and ourselves, what can be done to conserve
it? Anyone interested in ecology and our environment
will appreciate the answers that Dobson, a researcher
and Princeton professor of ecology and epidemiology,
provides in the illustrated book.
The magnitude and value of the earth’s biodiversity,
according to Dobson, is the total variety of life on
earth, including not only the many plant, animal, fun-
gal, and bacterial species but also the large amount of
variation that exists within each species at the genetic
and individual levels. The author offers insight into the
ins and outs of managing endangered species and the
economics of different conservation strategies. Dob-
son reveals how conservation biologists are using
satellite imagery to locate potential sites for nature
reserves and developing new ways to monitor popula-
tions and communities of species living inside reserves
while minimizing disruption of their normal day-to-
day activities.
Preservation of a species would, of course, be only
tokenism if there were no habitats to support its mem-
bers. Dobson not only gives us a perceptive analysis
of habitat fragmentation but also describes recent at-
tempts to create nature reserves and the politics of their
management, the impact humans have had on other
species, and the workings of new strategies for making
preservation viable.
The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary
Ecology, Cheryll Glotfelty, 1996. The University of
Georgia Press, Athens. 415 pages. ISBN; 0-8203-
1780-2 hardcover; 0-8203-1781-0 paperback.
$45.00 hardcover; $19.95 paperback.
The Ecocriticism Reader is an introduction to the
rapidly emerging field of ecocriticism as well as a
source book. It defines ecological literary discourse,
sketches its development over the past quarter-century,
provides generally appealing and lucidly written ex-
amples of the range of ecological approaches to litera-
ture, and offers direction for further study through lists
of recommended readings, relevant periodicals, and
professional organizations.
The 25 selections in this volume are a mixture of
reprinted and original essays, looking backward to
origins and forward to trends. Included are seminal
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works from the 1970s by Joseph W. Meeker, William
Rueckert, and Neil Evemden, which received little
notice when first published and have since become
difficult to obtain. The newer essays, building on ear-
lier insights such as these, reveal what literary ecolo-
gists have on their minds at century’s end. Some are
argumentative; others are instructional, designed to
,
introduce the reader to a body of literature (such as the
Native American tradition), a genre (such as American
nature writing), or a critical methodology (such as
Bakhlinian dialogics). Other contributors include
William Howarth, Ursula K. LeGuin, Annette
Kolodny, Scott Russell Sanders, Frederick Turner, and
many others.
Engineering Labour: Technical Workers in Com-
parative Perspective, Peter Meiksins & Chris Smith,
1996. Verso Books, New York. 304 pages. ISBN:
1-85984-994-6 hardcover; 1-85984-135-X paper-
back. $65.00 hardcover; $20.00 paperback.
Is the social status of an engineer the same in Britain
as it is in the United States or in Japan?
Engineers, often perceived as central agents of in-
dustrial capitalism, are thought to be the same in all
capitalistic societies, occupying roughly the same so-
cial status and performing similar functions in the
capitalist enterprise. What the essays in this volume
reveal, however, is that engineers are trained and or-
ganized quite distinctly in different national contexts.
The book includes case studies of engineers in six
major industrial economies: Japan, France, Germany,
Sweden, Britain, and the United States. The authors
develop an approach to national differences that both
retains the place of historical diversity in the experi-
ence of capitalisms and accommodates those forces of
convergence from increasing globalization and eco-
nomic integration.
Green Nature/Human Nature: The Meaning of
Plants in Our Lives, Charles A. Lewis, 1996. Univer-
sity of Illinois Press, Champaign. 160 pages. ISBN:
0-252-02213-0 hardcover; 0-252-06510-7 paper-
back. $32.95 hardcover; $14.95 paperback.
Charles A. Lewis describes the psychological, so-
ciological, and physiological responses of people to
vegetation in cities and forests, as well as in horticul-
tural therapy programs in hospitals, geriatric institu-
tions, physical rehabilitation centers, drug rehabilita-
tion programs, and correctional institutions. He

presents an evolutionary basis for the human attraction
to plants. People-plant interactions are presented from
two perspectives: participatory, in which the individ-
ual is involved in planting and maintaining the vege-
tation, and observational, in which the individual bears
no responsibility for establishing or maintaining the
vegetation.
In what amounts to a straightforward catalog of
well-documented and tangible benefits, Lewis brings
the latest and best research into plant-human interac-
tion to bear on questions of how green nature is inter-
twined with the human psyche and how that interaction
can lead to enhanced well-being and an appreciation
of the human dimension in environmental concerns.
Humanature, Peter Goin, 1996. University of Texas
Press, Austin. 204 pages. ISBN: 0-292-72785-2
hardcover; 0-292-72786-0 paperback. $60.00 hard-
cover ; $29.95 paperback.
Humanature asks us to consider the far-reaching
ways in which we are reshaping nature on a planet-
wide scale. In his essay, Peter Goin writes about land
usage, pesticides and pollution, genetic engineering,
resource consumption, and other indicators to show
the dramatic range of human impact on the natural
world.
Minding Nature: The Philosophers of Ecology,
David Macauley, Editor, 1996. Guilford, New York.
355 pages. ISBN: 1-57230-058-2 hardcover; 1-
57230-059-0 paperback. $43.95 hardcover; $18.95
paperback.
This volume examines the works of some
most influential Western philosophers of ecology, trac-
ing their influence on movements including deep ecol-
ogy, ecological feminism, eco-Marxism, bioregional-
ism, and critical postmodPrn ecology. Topics covered
include the claims and merits of anthropocentric, bio-
centric, and ecocentric positions; rationality and its
relationship to knowledge, technology, and social
change; and what our conceptions of nature tell us
about our vision of politics and society.
Science and Ecosystem Management in the National
Parks, William L. Halvorseon & Gary E. Davis,
Editors, 1996. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
384 pages. ISBN: 0-8265-1566-2. $40.00.
Science and Ecosystem Management in the Na-
tional Parks presents 12 case studies of long-term
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299
research conducted in and around national parks that
address major natural resource issues. These cases
demonstrate how the use of longer-time scales strongly
influence our understanding of ecosystems and how
interpretations of short-term patterns in nature often
change when viewed in the context of long-term data
sets. Most important, they show conclusively that sci-
entific research significantly reduces uncertainty and
improves resource management decisions. Chosen by
scientists and senior part managers, the cases offer a
broad range of topics, including air quality at Grand
Canyon, interaction between moose and wolf popula-
tions on Isle Royale, control of exotic species in Ha-
waiian parks, simulation of natural fire in the parks of
the Sierra Nevada, and the impact of urban expansion
on Saguaro National Monument.
Because national parks are increasingly beset with
conflicting views of their management, the need for
knowledge of park ecosystems becomes even more
critical-not only for the parks themselves but for
what they can tell us about survival in the rest of our
world. This book demonstrates to policy makers and
managers that decisions based on knowledge of eco-
systems are more enduring and cost effective than
decisions derived from uninformed consensus. It also
provides scientists with models for designing research
to meet threats to our most precious natural resources.
Economy and Work
The Case Against the Global Economy: And for a
Turn Toward the Local, Jerry Mander & Edward
Goldsmith, 1996. Sierra Club, San Francisco. 386
pages. ISBN: 0-87156-352-5. $27.00.
of the
Economic globalization is the most fundamental
redesign of the world’s political and economic ar-
rangements since the industrial revolution. Public dis-
cussions of NAFTA and GAIT, however, have failed
to adequately describe the profound changes that are
being formulated or to critically examine the theories
behind them.
In The Case Against the Global Economy, Jerry
Mander and Edward Goldsmith gather more than 40
economic, agricultural and environmental experts to
convey a complete picture of how globalization will
affect our lives. They call for a halt to the current rush
toward the global economy and offer a compelling
alternative vision of local production for local needs
and social equity valued above economic gain.