Environmental Books
For your reading pleasure!

submitted by Karen Oldham and Chris Gawle
Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitare. This is the story of Abbey's experiences during three seasons as ranger in Utah's high desert. Like Thoreau before him, Abbey reflects on the happiness a man can find within himself, particularly when alone in the wild. Unlike WALDEN, Abbey's book is concerned with wilderness preservation, and he goes after the spoilers with energy.

Carson, Rachel. Silent spring. The classic study of the interconnectedness of the natural world. When the delicate balance of living things is disturbed, as with overuse of chemicals, great harm can ensue.

McPhee, John. Encounters with the Archdruid and others. McPhee presents a portrait of David Brower, the single most influential American environmentalist in the last half of the 20th century who reportedly converted many people, to the preservationist cause through his work with the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and other organizations.

Schor, Juliet B. and Betsy Taylor, Eds. Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the 21st Century. Essays on how we can find ways of living that are satisfying but that also support the ideas of social justice, conservation of the environment, community, and other visions of modern society.

 prodigal.gif (6504 bytes)

 

 

spring.gif (13004 bytes)

 Dillard, Annie. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. A personal narrative of a year's explorations in the world of nature.

Gore, Al. Earth in the balance. Senator Al Gore warns about the global environmental crisis we are facing and the impending disasters which may occurr if action is not taken to remedy the earth's situation.

Kingsolver, Barbara. Prodigal Summer. A work of fiction which covers one summer in the lives of several people in a remote area of southern Appalachia. The central theme tying three separate story lines together is the importance and fragility of the biological ecosystems found in the natural world.

Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. Historical personal narrative of the author's experiences on his farm. Leopold outlines the ethics of the appreciation and respect that we must have for nature.

Lomberg, Bjorn. The Skeptical Environmentalist. Challenges widely held beliefs regarding the current environmental situation. Discusses why there is cause for optimism and why we need to prioritize resources to address our environmental problems.