Environment: An Interdisciplinary Anthology

By Brent Ranalli

Book Overview

This major, definitive anthology of writings is a complete and up-to-date guide to environmental literacy.

This major anthology is the first to apply a fully interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies. A comprehensive guide to environmental literacy, the book demonstrates how the sciences, social sciences, and humanities all contribute to understanding our interrelationships with the natural world. Though not specialized, Environment is a book that even specialists can learn from. Ten innovative case studies--climate shock, species endangerment, nuclear power, biotechnology, sustainable development, deforestation, environmental security, globalization, wilderness, and the urban environment--are followed by readings from specific disciplines. These can be integrated with the case studies to shape individual interests and teaching strategies. The volume presents an imaginative array of texts, from scientific papers to poetry, legal decisions to historical accounts, personal essays to economic analysis. Taken together, these selections provide a balanced, authoritative, and up-to-date treatment of key issues in environmental studies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300110774
• ISBN13: 9780300110777
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 984 Pages
• Weight: 2.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Great Read & Excellent Resource

This book is a compilation of highly readable selections about humans and the natural world. It includes excerpts from the best classic and current writings in the field. I had feared it would be too technical, but it has quickly become one of my favorite reads and reference sources. I'm a resource manager and also teach a survey course in environmental science. It's impossible to be an expert in environmental science, because the world we live in is far beyond our comprehension. As I tell students, studying the environment should be humbling. We earthlings know just enough about the earth to be dangerous, until we learn to manage ourselves and our societies. This volume brings human and technical perspectives on the environment together, from the perpectives of history, anthropology, forestry, agriculture, engineering, theology, biology, medicine and other disciplines. Enjoy!

Great collection of environmental studies articles

One of the difficulties of the field we call "environmental studies" is that seemingly everything and anything is included within its scope. What aspect of humanities, social science, biology, chemistry, engineering, economics, et cetera, is NOT affected by and influencing the environment? This book, useful as a text in an introductory environmental studies course, makes this point very clear. The authors state in their introductory comments, "Environmental Studies establishes knowledge of special natural phenomena and specific human institutional beliefs and practices. It then mediates between them. Environmental Studies characterizes complex natural conditions on Earth and describes the interface of human with non-human activity" (p. 2). In additional, "A working description of Environmental Studies thus involves several levels. First, Environmental Studies pursues and draws upon individual disciplines to understand the constituent elements of larger problems and solutions. Then, to grasp and define such problems and issues, Environmental Studies combines the results of an appropriate set of these disciplines and may even foster new ones. Finally, in practical terms, Environmental Studies brings together relevant disciplines and concepts to address environmental issues and to resolve [or attempt to resolve] environmental problems" (p. 3). What are these environmental problems, and potential solutions? You've got 950 pages of them in this book. All of the many readings are rather short (2-3 pages). Sometimes, this is because the article itself was short. Other times, the editors have whittled the article to its fundamentals. still in the original author's own words, but edited for brevity. The authors focus on 10 interconnected issues: - climate shock - species in danger - nuclear power - biotechnology and GMOs - sustainable development - deforestation - war and peace - globalization - wilderness - the urban environment That's part one. Part two discusses "foundational disciplines and topics": - biological interactions (biodiversity, soil and agriculture, air and water, energy, and toxicology) - human dimensions (the "inner life"; ethics, philosophy, and gender; poetry; history; and nature writing) - social connections (politics and public policy, law and environmental justice, economics, human population, and anthropology) - conviction and action The topics above are also coordinated with the 10 general topics, so the reader can "see" the interdisciplinary nature of problem definitions and solutions. From the biblical chapter of Genesis, to Silent Spring, to Chief Seattle's speech, and all the way to the environmental root and consequences of war, this volume has material of interest to all. Very readable, interesting, well-organized, and highly recommended.