*************************************************** Stuff : The Secret Lives of Everyday Things (New Report, No 4) by John C. Ryan, Alan Thein Durning Our Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (January 1997) 88 pages Reviews : Mother Jones, September/October 1997 "Documenting a day in the life of the average North American consumer, Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things deconstructs the American Dream by unraveling the hidden costs behind the objects around us. From our morning cup of Colombian coffee to our South Korean-made sneakers, the book traces the environmental impact of the consumer decisions most of us make without thinking. Authors John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durning of Seattle's Northwest Environment Watch tell us greenhouse gases produced in making one burger are equivalent to those emitted in a six-mile drive to the burger joint. Only occasionally verging on preachiness, this readable 88-page book is definitely worth the paper it's printed on." Susan McGrath, The Household Environmentalist, Seattle Times,, 5/11/97 "...A lively and mind-boggling investigation of what goes into the 120 pounds of resources we each consume every day. You can read it and be horrified by the impact of our consumption or read it and marvel at the complexity of modern commerce, depending on your outlook." Asta Bowen, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 3/17/97 "Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things is a book I always wanted to write. It is a call to explore the possibility that 'less stuff can mean more happiness.'" Bill McKibben, author of Hope, Human and Wild "Wow! Great Stuff!" From the Back Cover : If you don't know your stuff, you don't know your world. Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things takes you to the places and people you touch every day-when you sip your coffee, tie your shoes, click your mouse, or step on the gas. Once you follow a day in the life of an average North American and see the secret lives of your food, your clothes, and your toys, your world will never look the same. About the Author : Alan Thein Durning is founder and executive director of Northwest Environment Watch and author of award-winning books such as This Place on Earth and How Much Is Enough? Formerly senior researcher at Worldwatch Institute, he lectures widely and drinks more coffee than he cares to admit. *************************************************** How Much Is Enough? : The Consumer Society and the Future of the Earth (The Worldwatch Environmental Alert Series) by Alan B. Durning Our Price: $7.96 You Save: $1.99 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (June 1992) 200 pages Reviews : Synopsis Consuming goods and services has become a central goal of life in industrial lands the world over. In this book, Alan Durning of the Worldwatch Institute explores the roots of the consumer society, exposes the toll that our appetites have taken on the earth's natural systems, and suggests that there are other paths to fulfillment. Customer Comments : A reader from Boston, MA , September 10, 1998 Good but something was missing. I read the book. I agreed with all the points. I was properly impressed with his statistics and anecdotes. But overall I felt something was missing, although I can't put my finger on it. After reading this book, rather than feeling charged up to go and do something about it I felt rather ho-hum instead. I don't think the book is polemical enough. It doesn't offer clear cut guides on what needs to change. The threat is always vague, "We can't keep this up or someday we'll run out." His discussion of the necessity of growth left me unconvinced, even though I desperately wanted to be convinced. The book is an interesting read, but it was just lacking something that kept it from being amazing. sue@kepler.lsmsa.edu from louisiana , July 5, 1998 Brilliant and informative evaluation of the consumer society Has it ever occurred to you that Americans go to shopping malls more often than they attend church or synagogue? Did you know that, directly or indirectly, we consume our own weight in basic resources EVERY DAY? Half a billion people--those who belong to the consumer society--use up almost all of the world's resources and create most of the pollution. This is one of those books that leaves a lasting impression upon the way you perceive the society you live in. This book is not only a smooth read, but is PACKED with carefully researched information in a most wonderful way. Durning backs up all his statements with solid facts. What else would you expect from a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute? And aside from the conscientious fact-checking, Durning has another Worldwatch habit: he not only presents complex problems in understandable ways, but also presents multi-pronged, workable solutions. Overall, a concise book chock full of careful thinking. *************************************************** This Place on Earth : Home and the Practice of Permanence by Alan Thein Durning Our Price: $11.96 You Save: $2.99 (20%) Usually ships in 2-3 days Paperback - (September 1997) 336 pages Reviews : Nature and Ecology Editor's Recommended Book. Alan Durning spent several years traveling the world as an environmental policy analyst. When a Filipino tribeswoman asked him to describe his home, he found that he could not, answering weakly, "In America, we have careers, not places." Determined to change all that, he brought his family to his native Northwest to make a home--by which Durning means learning the geology and ecology of a place, as well as its human present and past. Durning looks into matters such as recycling, urban planning, and community building, and he proposes ways in which we can all tread a little more lightly on the earth, especially by sharing goods and knowledge with our neighbors. This is a lively, hopeful addition to the literature of place. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title From Booklist , October 1, 1996: Weary of traveling the globe while working for an environmental organization, Durning decided it was time to put down some roots. He and his family moved to Seattle, in search of a community as much as a home. Interspersed with the story of Durning and his family is an environmental history of the Pacific Northwest, and it is not a cheery tale. From the near extinction of certain wildlife species in the early 19th century to the explosion of the beef industry in the late 20th century, people exploited the land for wealth. In the present day, though, Durning finds many people who are working to strike a balance between economic activities and conserving the planet. Business-wise, the book calls for us to embrace an idea that Japanese industry adopted a few years ago: any form of waste equals money being lost. A significant book that deserves a wide readership. From Kirkus Reviews , August 15, 1996: A thoughtful portrait of the Pacific Northwest from a recent returnee there. With family roots in Seattle, Durning spent several years working in Washington, D.C., for environmental-policy groups. While he was visiting the Philippines in connection with his work, however, a tribeswoman asked him to describe his home. He could not, he relates, answering weakly, ``In America, we have careers, not places.'' Seeing the pity in her eyes, he decided to bring his wife and young children back to the Northwest and make a true home there. To gauge by this modestly written but rich book, he has done well. By making a home, Durning means knowing the geology and ecology of a place--but also knowing the patterns of human history and change. Dense with information lightly presented, Durning's book turns to discussions of such matters as recycling, the history of suburbs, and the causes of urban sprawl. He notes that the assumption that mobility, not accessibility to goods and services, underlies Americans' desire to own private cars ``is lethal to cities,'' and that each of us lives at some cost to the planet (``at one cup a day, I go through the harvest of a coffee tree every six weeks''). Durning proposes ways in which we can trim that cost by reducing materialist expectations, by recycling, and by sharing things and talents with our neighbors, making community as a result. (His account of erecting a recycled basketball hoop for the neighborhood children is a charming case in point.) Along the way he looks at large-scale efforts to make the Northwest more livable, among them the Boeing Corporation's installation of energy-efficient lighting at an annual savings of $375,000 and downtown Portland's closing several thoroughfares to create pedestrian malls. ``The politics of place is a politics of hope,'' Durning observes. This is a hopeful, and welcome, addition to the literature of place, and there is much to learn in its pages. Book Description : Simplify, downshift, sustainability. What does it all mean? Alan Durning returns to his home ground to consciously carve out a new life away from the mainstream of politics and power. This Place on Earth is both a personal journey and a working blueprint for anyone interested in a better life. Customer Comments : platerb@ksg.harvar.edu from Cambridge, MA , November 22, 1998 Well written but could have been so much more. Durning pulled his punches on several topics in this book, depriving readers of his valuable insight on some of the most controversial topics in the environmental movement today. The two most glaring examples of this are his cursory discussions of immigration and abortion. He doesn't discuss whether we should address the environmental impacts of immigration, or even write about whether these impacts actually exist. And although Durning goes into great detail about his wife's precarious health during her second pregnancy and his own fears about overconsumption in the US, Durning doesn't dive into why he and his wife decided to carry to term their third pregnancy instead of aborting. Durning has written extensively and eloquently on the problems of overconsumption in the US, it would have been very enlightening to see how Durning reconciled their decision to have a third child with his environmental convictions. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title tomgray@igc.org from Vermont , September 7, 1998 Penetrating look at the problem of sustainability. This is an excellent book, covering the topic of sustainability and mingling personal experiences and episodes with illustrative examples from the Pacific Northwest. Durning offers up-to-the-minute ideas on the policies that are needed to achieve a truly sustainable society, and provides specific case studies where the exist to back up his recommendations. But this book is more than policy blather--Durning chronicles his own decision to return to the region of his childhood and shares his personal thoughts and reactions as that decision is played out. Fine writing and a message that our throwaway, consumer society badly needs to hear. A reader, January 21, 1997 One of the most important books of 1996 Durning has written a fascinating book that examines the potential of the Pacific Northwest bioregion and the people that live there. This book demonstrates that the personal is political, and shows readers how his/her own impact on the planet can be lessened. It is, by far, one of the most important books written in 1996, and one of the most important books that you can read in the year ahead! - *************************************************** Beyond Growth : The Economics of Sustainable Development by Herman E. Daly Our Price: $12.00 You Save: $3.00 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (September 1997) 264 pages 1st Fl, Shelves Alexander library 333.7 DAL BENTLEY 333.7 DAL Kalgoorlie-Boulder 333.7 DAL ARMADALE 333.7 DAL Public Library Stock 333.7 DAL Reviews : Herman Daly is probably the most prominent advocate of the need for a change in economic thinking in response to environmental crisis. an iconoclast economist who has worked as a renegade insider at the World Bank in recent years, Daly has argued for overturning some basic economic assumptions. He has a wide and growing reputation among environmentalists, both inside and outside the academy. Daly argues that if sustainable development means anything at this historical moment, it demands that we conceive of the economy as part of the ecosystem and, as a result, give up on the ideal of economic growth. We need a global understanding of developing welfare that does not entail expansion. These simple ideas turn out to be fundamentally radical concepts, and basic ideas about economic theory, poverty, trade, and population have to be discarded or rethought, as Daly shows in careful, accessible detail. These are questions with enormous practical consequences. Daly argues that there is a real fight to control the meaning of "sustainable development," and that conventional economists and development thinkers are trying to water down its meaning to further their own ends. Beyond Growth is an argument that will turn the debate around. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title Booknews, Inc. , December 1, 1996 If you're beginning to feel that the phrase "sustainable development" might be going down the semantic doublespeak path where being fired from your job is now dubbed "occupationally challenged," then Daly is the economist for you. The innovative scholar and World Bank rabble rouser argues that the catchword of environmentalists and international financiers is being used by both to further their own ends. Sustainable development, as conceived by Daly, becomes a radical proposition of economy as part of the ecosystem, requiring that we give up an ideal of economic growth and reevaluate basic ideas about economic theory, poverty, trade, and population. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title Customer Comments : Tom Birdwell (bim@fred.net) from Washington, DC , June 19, 1998 Fuses Christian ethics w/environmental economics effectively Herman Daly fills a spiritual void in the field of economics. He explains how current capitalist economic theories dependent on unlimited growth are not only destructive to the environmental resource base upon which the economy depends, but also morally indifferent to unwanted side effects such as the unequal distribution of wealth. The strength of Daly's work is such that it may help bring two important advocacy groups that are not normally associated we each other--environmentalists and Christians--together into a powerful constituency. *************************************************** For the Common Good : Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future by Herman E. Daly, John B. Cobb (Contributor) Our Price: $16.00 You Save: $4.00 (20%) Usually ships in 2-3 days Paperback - (April 1994) 534 pages 1st Fl, Shelves, Alexander library 330.1 DAL Reviews : Booknews, Inc. , April 1, 1990 Daly (economist, the World Bank) and Cobb (philosophy, Claremont Graduate School) expose the outmoded abstractions of mainstream economic theory. They conclude, in particular, that economic growth--the prevailing yardstick for measuring economic success--is no longer an appropriate goal as energy consumption, overpopulation, and pollution increase. Instead, they propose a new measure for the economy--the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. - Customer Comments : A reader from Iowa, USA , September 7, 1998 Interesting though a bit biased in analysis The text is not bad in any way; meaning that the conclusions are reachable based on the assumptions made to get there. Although definitely biased against "free-market" (which is clearly not "free" nor a "market" in the examples chosen), it is not as prescriptive as I had expected. Perhaps four stars is a bit generous, but the book was better than I expected and better than most of this genre. If someone is interested in getting a left-end-of-center view on the issues of sustainability, it does have some good commentary. dgeson@plinet.com from Denver, CO , January 27, 1998 United Nations proponent, environmentalist and socialist. A very leftist view point that encourages to not let the common individual make his own decisions in a free market place, unless of course those decisions are in line with the philosophy of the United Nations, otherwise they are over ruled by the self-appointed "I am right" elitists. *************************************************** Our Ecological Footprint : Reducing Human Impact on the Earth by Williams E. Rees, Phil Testemale (Illustrator), William Rees, Mathis Wackernagel (Contributor) Our Price: $11.96 You Save: $2.99 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (November 1995) (avail in Perth library system -- call # 333.7 WAC) Reviews : Synopsis Equipped with useful charts and thought-provoking illustrations, this book introduces a revolutionary new way to determine humanity's impact on the Earth and presents an exciting and powerful tool for measuring and visualizing the resources required to sustain households, communities, regions, and nations. Customer Comments : LanceOlsen@aol.com from Montana, USA , June 13, 1998 Science News gave good review of "ecological footprint" I came upon this book in Science News, a weekly that covers breaking science news across the world. SN reviewers, hard to impress after seeing so much science every week, gave the concept of "ecological footprint" a good discussion. hakoon@tm.net.my from Masai, Johor, Malaysia. , September 7, 1997 Thought provoking, jolts one from the rat race... I stumbled upon this book in the journal D&G, at a time I was thinking hard about the direction of the civilization. So I ordered one. It was an unassuming book, neatly printed and illustrated with black and white caricatures. At first I thought it was a mistake to order such a book. But as I read on, the insights of the authors emerged, so profound, yet so simply explained. Really, after swallowing all the contents for five consecutive nights, one will ask, "How come I did not think of this??". The concept is vivid : it tried to explain what the ecological footprint means : how much of land is required to support yourself. And it turned out that there is already not enough for the world. Further proliferation of current lifestyles is suicidal. The authors devoted a whole long chapter on proposals of alternative lifestyles. These are nowhere hardcore technical, rest assured. They are blindingly simple, and yet hard to swallow. Just ask any Tom, Dick and Harry whether he or she wants such a life, you will get an awkward stare : are you in your right mind? The authors may be right, but when we have gone so far astray, we have forgotten the road from which we come. This book cannot score 10 points, though. The examples on how an economy can develop without growth are not solid enough. While the writers are not economists, to force the reader to think twice about current lifestyles, they must fork out a marvelous thesis, which has yet to be clearly stated. This is a good book at the introductory level. Although it sometimes touch on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the reader is not expected to have an a priori understanding. Its explanation is vivid and simple. While it may insult Professors and those high brow academics, it is a book easy to follow. Worth a try. *************************************************** Nature's Services : Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems by Gretchen C. Daily (Editor), Joshua S. Reichert Our Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 2-3 days Paperback - (February 1997) 416 pages Reviews: Nature's Services brings together world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines to examine the character and value of ecosystem services, the damage that has been done to them, and the consequent implications for human society. Contributors present a detailed synthesis of our current understanding of a suite of ecosystem services and a preliminary assessment of their economic value. Nature's Services represents one of the first efforts by scientists to provide an overview of the many benefits and services that nature offers to people and the extent to which we are all vitally dependent on those services. The book enhances our understanding of the value of the natural systems that surround us and can play an essential role in encouraging greater efforts to protect the earth's basic life-support systems before it is too late. *************************************************** The Work of Nature : How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us by Yvonne Baskin, Abigail Rorer (Illustrator), Paul R. Ehrlich Our Price: $27.50 Usually ships in 2-3 days Hardcover - (April 1997) 288 pages Reviews : From Booklist , April 15, 1997 Baskin, a science journalist with a pleasingly lucid style, reports on the findings of an innovative ecological survey conducted in the hopes of answering the question, "What are the possible consequences of the accelerating losses in biodiversity?" Biodiversity is more than the earth's "lavish array of organisms," to use Baskin's lovely phrase; it embraces the myriad interactions among those species (at least 100 million, according to some estimates) that make the planet "hospitable for humanity." As scientists become increasingly attuned to the complexity of the interconnectedness of plants and animals, from the tiniest of microflora that keep our soil fertile, to the largest of mammals, they are beginning to recognize the functional role of each species in the ceaseless work of keeping our air and water clean. People do, indeed, need each and every life-form on the planet; the eradication of other species through the destruction of natural habitats will lead inexorably to the demise of their own. Donna Seaman Copyright 1997, American Library Association. All rights reserved Synopsis The lavish array of organisms known as "biodiversity" is an intricately linked web that makes the Earth a uniquely habitable plane. In this book, a noted science writer examines the threats posed to humans by the loss of biodiversity and explains key findings from the ecological sciences. It is the first book of its kind to clearly explains the practical consequences of declining biodiversity of ecosystem health and function and, consequently, on human society. In The Work of Nature, noted science writer Yvonne Baskin examines the threats posed to humans by the loss of biodiversity. She summarizes and explains key findings from the ecological sciences, highlighting examples from around the world where shifts in species have affected the provision of clean air, pure water, fertile soils, lush landscapes, and stable natural communities. Distilling and bringing to life the work of the world's leading ecologists, The Work of Nature is the first book of its kind to clearly explain the practical consequences of declining biodiversity on ecosystem health and functioning. *************************************************** Earth Community, Earth Ethics by Larry L. Rasmussen Our Price: $21.00 You Save: $9.00 (30%) Usually ships in 1-2 weeks Hardcover - (October 1996) 366 pages Reviews: Midwest Book Review Earth Community, Earth Ethics scans our global situation and brings into relief the extraordinary range of dangers threatening all life on our planet. Earth Community, Earth Ethics goes on to explore the worlds of religion, ethics, and human symbolism to glean from them the resources for a necessary "conversion to earth". Earth Community, Earth Ethics concludes by sketching a constructive ethic that can guide us out of our present situation. Earth Community, Earth Ethics builds on the foundations of international discussions of sustainable development and dhows how the environmental predicaments underscores a variety of crisis afflicting modern industrial society in economics, politics, gender discrimination, and reproductive relations. Earth Community, Earth Ethics is a vitally important contribution for all personal, academic, governmental, corporate, and organizational ecological studies reference book collections. The author, Larry L. Rasmussen : lrasmusn@uts.columbia.edu , May 13, 1997 Book award for Earth Community, Earth Ethics Earth Community, Earth Ethics has been selected for the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, 1997. This $150,000 prize for best book in religion joins the Grawemeyer Awards in music, education, and world order. *************************************************** The Forgotten Pollinators by Stephen L. Buchmann, Gary Paul Nabhan (Contributor) Our Price: $13.56 You Save: $3.39 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (September 1997) 320 pages Reviews : Amazon.com In The Forgotten Pollinators, two researchers delve into the little-known and fascinating world of pollination. The authors, an entomologist and an ethnobotanist and nature writer, illustrate in clear yet proficient language the importance of this interaction between insect and plant, which provides the world with one-third of its food source. Using colorful examples--including a moth that rappels down cliffs to pollinate a plant in Hawaii--they also explain how modern developments are threatening this essential process. Published through the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the book is aimed at raising awareness about the potential loss of pollinators and their plants, while showing the larger picture of a fragile ecosystem through the eyes of some of its more unnoticed inhabitants. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title The New York Times Book Review, Carol Kaesuk Yoon A pleasing concoction of natural and cultural history illustrating how pollination works and how easily it can be disrupted. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title From Booklist , July 19, 1996 : Nearly everyone is familiar with Rachel Carson's alarming prediction of a "silent spring," but few remember that she also predicted a "fruitless fall." This dire phenomenon is inevitable: if the bees, bats, butterflies, birds, and beetles that pollinate plants go extinct, the plant species they fertilize will die, too. What we're really seeing in the loss of biodiversity is the "extinction of ecological relationships" between plants and animals. Nature is, after all, interaction and mutuality. Buchmann, a research entomologist, and Nabhan, author of eight books, including The Geography of Childhood (1994), and director of science at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, offer their own form of mutualism in this eye-opening and, thanks to illustrations by Paul Mirocha, eye-pleasing book. Buchmann and Nabhan take turns relating their fascinating observations of the habits of various pollinators in such diverse locales as Utah's Virgin River watershed and the Galapagos Islands in an effort to convey a sense of what exactly is at risk: nothing less than our sources of nutrition--ultimately, our very lives. Donna Seaman Copyright 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title From Kirkus Reviews , May 1, 1996 :Pollinators are the Rodney Dangerfields of the animal world: They just don't get no respect. So claim entomologist Buchmann (Hayden Bee Research Center) and Nabhan (Director of science/Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum) in this at once delightful and disturbing tour d'horizon of those for whom the flowers bloom. ``One in every three mouthfuls of food we eat, and of beverages we drink'' is served up to us by pollinators, notes E.O. Wilson in his introduction. Butterflies are out there working for us, as are the hummingbirds and fig wasps, pygmy gliders and panurgine bees, carrying pollen to stigma, allowing seeds to set. Pollination is one of nature's vital processes, fine-tuned and mesmeric in its endless cycles, feedback loops, checks and balances. But as in so many other instances, humans are busy as the bees disrupting the process, bombing pollinators with pesticides, fragmenting their habitat, cutting off the nectar corridors, such that the ``current rate of species loss constitutes a biodiversity crisis of unprecedented proportions.'' Buchmann provides the hard science of the pollinators' world: flower stalk architecture and nectar chemistry and flowering sequences; Nabhan contributes a felicitous dose of pleasing prose, framed as anecdotal remembrances: He's never happier than when poking about in a sere landscape, following the monarch butterflies on their winter migration, taking stock of the floral pantries. While this book can only be considered a preliminary investigation, trends indicate that pollinators may be getting ever more limited in supply as their world shrinks around them. Buchmann and Nabhan make the case for increased wildlands, intact forests, an ecological approach that prevents pollinator habitat from becoming islands, thus coffins, in a developed landscape. A cautionary tale: Kill the pollinators and you might as well kill yourself. Another of nature's elegant loops. (b&w illustrations) (Author tour) -- Copyright 1996, Kirkus Associates, Synopsis : ". . . a pleasing concoction of natural and cultural history illustrating how pollination works and how easily it can be disrupted. . . . More than the species and the land that holds them, the book suggests, the living world to be cherished includes everything that these creatures, plants, and places do--the much more vital and intangible biodiversity of interactions and relationships."--The New York Times Book Review. Synopsis : Without interaction between animals and flowering plants, the seeds and fruits that make up nearly 80% of the human diet would not exist. Here, the authors explore the vital but little-appreciated relationship between plants and the animals they depend on for reproduction--bees, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, and countless other animals. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title In The Forgotten Pollinators, Stephen L. Buchmann, one of the world's leading authorities on bees and pollination, and Gary Paul Nabhan, award-winning writer and renowned crop ecologist, explore the vital but little-appreciated relationship between plants and the animals they depend on for reproduction - bees, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, bats, and countless other animals, some widely recognized and others almost unknown. Scenes from around the globe - examining island flora and fauna on the Galapagos, counting bees in the Panamanian rain forest, witnessing an ancient honey-hunting ritual in Malaysia - bring to life the hidden relationships between plants animals and demonstrates the ways in which human society affects and is affected by those relationships. Buchmann and Nabhan combine vignettes from the field with expository discussions of ecology, botany, and crop science to present a lively and fascinating account of the ecological and cultural context of plant-pollinator relationships. More than any other natural process, plant-pollinator relationships offer vivid examples of the connections between endangered species and threatened habitats. The authors explain how human-induced changes in pollinator populations - caused by overuse of chemical pesticides, unbridled development, and conversion of natural areas into monocultural cropland - can have a ripple effect on disparate species, ultimately leading to a "cascade of linked extinctions." --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title Booknews, Inc. , December 1, 1996 : By invoking Rachel Carson in the volume's first chapter, entitled, "Silent Springs and Fruitless Falls," Buchmann and Nabhan let readers know right away that they are pleading another endangered species case. The wonder of their writing is that they make bees, beetles, butterflies, moths, bats and other pollinators come vividly alive even as they emphasize that the destruction of their habitat will destroy them too. Readers are treated to some rare anecdotal descriptions from around the globe and careful scientific research into the delicate balance between fauna, flora, and the birds and bees. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title The publisher, Island Press/Shearwater Books , July 15, 1996 :Alert to story in current issue of Time Magazine The July 15th issue of Time Magazine, on newstands now, carries a terrific story on pollinators and the role they play in the production of most of our food on page 60. Additional reviews are forthcoming in the book review sections of many major metropolitan papers. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title Customer Comments : A reader, December 23, 1996 The world is complex and wonderful, especially reproduction. Ever wonder where most plants come from? They come from seeds. Ever wonder where seeds come from? They come from sex. Ever wonder what plant sex is about (or why this is an issue)? It comes from beetles, bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats and winged pseudogenitalia in general, whether great or small. Pollination is the key to life on the terrestrial earth. Pollination of plants is also the key to life in much of the aquatic part of our planet, which is about the only omission for which the authors might be faulted. It is a mind-expanding exercise, to be sure, to ask ourselves what would happen if pollinator "X" suddenly disappeared from the scene. Buchmann and Nabhan have taken great care both to inform us that all would not be lost, because pollinator "Y" or "Z" is frequently waiting in the wings. But in many, many cases, pollinator "X" has never been studied and cannot even be named, let alone conserved. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title *************************************************** Going Native : Biodiversity in Our Own Backyards (Handbook, No 140) by Janet Marinelli (Editor) Our Price: $9.95 Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Paperback - 112 pages (August 1995) Brooklyn Botanic Garden; ISBN: 0945352859 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.31 x 9.02 x 5.96 *************************************************** Invasive Plants : Weeds of the Global Garden (21st Century Gardening Series, Handbook No. 149) by John M. Randall (Editor), Janet Marinelli (Editor) List Price: $9.95 Our Price: $7.96 You Save: $1.99 (20%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Paperback - 112 pages (January 1997) Brooklyn Botanic Garden; ISBN: 0945352956 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.28 x 9.03 x 6.04 Customer Comments : A reader , July 11, 1997 Concerned about weeds in the natural environment? stop here I work for the Department of Conservation in New Zealand. This book is refreshingly simple. Excellent pictures of around 50 species of invasive plants. The text explains weed environmental impacts, origins and distribution within the USA, and how to control the problem. It is designed to be understood by all, layman and professional alike. It probably has wider application than the authors intended, although the title hints at their broad understanding of environmental weeds as an international problem. They knew we are needing simple on the ground solutions for identification and control of these species that threaten natural ecosystems everywhere. It is applicable in New Zealand with many of the species being recognised as a problem here and in Australia. The other plants in this book may well become a problem here in future and I will be looking out for them here as I go about my business. The section on control methods was balanced covering both mechanical and chemical methods. As we say down under "Good on you" to the authors. *************************************************** All About Weeds by Edwin Rollin, Spencer, Emma Bergdolt (Illustrator) List Price: $8.95 Our Price: $7.16 You Save: $1.79 (20%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. Paperback - 333 pages (August 1974) Dover Pubns; ISBN: 0486230511 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.69 x 8.42 x 5.43 Reviews : Synopsis To the gardener and farmer, weeds have to be hoed out and plowed under, but weeds are also a fascinating group of plants. This veritable Who's Who among weeds (good and bad) describes and illustrates 102 of the most common found throughout the United States--the most likely you are to come upon in nature jaunts and come to terms with in your garden and landscape. *************************************************** The Wild Lawn Handbook : Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn by Stevie Daniels Our Price: $14.36 You Save: $3.59 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (September 1997) 256 pages Reviews : From Booklist , January 15, 1995 Native grasses, wildflowers, ground covers, and moss are Daniels' answer to "monotonous single-species turfgrass lawns." Her book is a primer for gardeners who want to reduce or stop using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, conserve water, or turn their yards into a collection of plants that attracts birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. There are detailed instructions on choosing a wild lawn and on installing and maintaining the lawn, and even a chapter on landscaping ordinances. Daniels divides the wild lawns into chapters on prairies and native grasses, meadows, moss lawns, woodlands, ground covers, and front-yard gardens. The result is little need for polluting fertilizers and demanding watering regimens--and you won't have to mow ever again. This comprehensive book includes 16 color photographs. George Cohen Copyright 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title Book Description : Now available for the first time in paperback, The Wild Lawn Handbook is the definitive guide to transforming the traditional grass lawn into a beautiful alternative lawn using native grasses, ferns, mosses, wildflowers, low-growing shrubs, and perennials. In the last few years, there has been a media outcry to raise the publics awareness of the toxicity and water-wasting nature of the American lawn, making wild lawns one of today’s hottest gardening topics. This is the first comprehensive book to show you the way step-by-step. If you are unsure of the consequences...you’ll be convinced when you see the beautiful alternatives in a portfolio of color photography in the center of the book and the fat lists of sources and support material in the back. The New York Times Stevie Daniels, the former editor of Organic Gardening magazine, has written articles on natural gardening and environmental Synopsis : The definitive guide to transforming the traditional grass lawn into a beautiful alternative lawn using native grasses, ferns, mosses, wildflowers, low-growing shrubs, and perennials is now available in paperback. color insert. Customer Comments : A reader, June 19, 1997 An indispensable guide for progressive gardeners. There are quite a few books out now about why we shouldn't stick with the traditional grass lawn, but this is the best one I've seen to explain the practical alternatives, with inspiring photos and helpful appendices. Ms. Daniels is really concerned with the aesthetics as well as the politics of environmentally friendly yards. I recommend it to all my friends who are thinking about getting rid of some or all of the grass. A "9" just because I wish it had more pictures! --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title *************************************************** Noah's Garden : Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back Yards by Sara Bonnett Stein Our Price: $9.60 You Save: $2.40 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (April 1995) Reviews : Amazon.com : What kind of grass is planted behind your house? What insects burrow in your soil, and what birds eat them? What's happening in that compost pile you're so proud of? This book may well change the view from your patio. A former old-style suburban gardener, Sara Stein writes convincingly of the ecological history of suburbia and the necessity of good stewardship of the land stolen from prairies and forests to make our back yards. Michael Pollan, author of Second Nature : A gentle but important manifesto. It joins the ecologist's vision to the gardener's art in the urgent work of translating the American lawn into something more beautiful and interesting and alive. The Washington Post : By offering readers a thousand and one fun things to know and do, Stein has made a contribution to environmental literature that is both useful and delightful. From Kirkus Reviews , March 1, 1993 : A personal perspective on the growing movement toward more natural and ecologically sound gardens in which snakes are as welcome as butterflies. In chapters that loosely follow the course of a year-- beginning in the fall and ending the following Thanksgiving--Stein (My Weeds, 1988, etc.) describes how she came to change radically the way she gardened. The author, who lives with her husband on six acres in Pound Ridge, New York, began to question conventional practices--large lawns surrounded by neat beds of flowers and occasional specimen plantings--when, a few years ago, she noticed the absence of many creatures she could recall from childhood. Creatures like orioles, bluebirds, box turtles, and Monarch butterflies, once common, were seen no more. Stein began reading books and consulting experts, and decided to try to reverse the trend by changing the way she maintained her land. To restore the delicate balance necessary for a native ecology to flourish, she planted not only shrubs and trees native to the region but ones that would encourage birds and beneficial insects to return. She deepened her pond so that fish and turtles could flourish in water purified by appropriate plant life; replaced most flower beds with plantings of native flowers and shrubs; restricted the lawns to a small patch; seeded the old lawns with native grasses; and began to restore woodland areas to their pristine state. Stein still plants favorite foreign species, but argues forcefully that the old methods of gardening not only require inordinate amounts of labor and chemicals to keep unsuitable plants alive but are dangerously inhospitable to indigenous inhabitants. A persuasive and informed plea to change the way we garden, thoughtfully defying old wisdom and suggesting, without ever being didactic, just what can be achieved even on the smallest suburban lot. -- Copyright 1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Synopsis : This book shows us how our landscape style of neat yards and gardens has devastated suburban ecology, wiping out entire communities of plants and animals. When Stein realized what her intensive efforts at making a garden had done, she set out to "ungarden." Her book interweaves an account of her efforts with an explanation of the ecology of gardens. Illustrations. Synopsis Arguing for a radical new approach to gardening, the author discusses the ravages of suburban landscaping and proposes a plan for restoring native plant and animal life to the nation's communities. By the author of My Weeds. Tour. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Synopsis : America's landscape style of neat yards and gardens has devastated suburban ecology. After a decade of intensive gardening, Stein thought she had created her personal Eden and then realized she had banished animals from her paradise. This book tells of her efforts to build a garden that welcomes all creatures. Line drawings and maps. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Customer Comments : adunten@netcenter.net from Houston, Texas , November 20, 1998 Wonderful book... a real eye-opener! I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone who ever hopes to own and landscape a plot of land, and to everyone else, too. I read it, then re-read it two weeks later. Sara Stein opened my eyes and changed my perspective, and she can open yours, too. More of a philosophical work than a practical how-to guide... most of her practical advice is specific to New England, but the fundamental ideas are universal. billyland@worldnet.att.net from Flat Rock, North Carolina , August 30, 1998 wonderful book about bringing Nature back into your garden. I was in the middle of reading Mrs. Stein's book when I encountered wild turkeys in my front yard, and realized what a fragile world exists here in my subdivision. Our formal garden was constructed with some thought about attracting birds, but with too many exotic species unsuitable to the place. Her careful research and explanation of the complexities of habitats is utterly convincing and we will be making significant changes in our gardens. If you read this book, I think you will, too. It was a joy to read. Lee Story (story@zk3.dec.com) from Massachusetts , May 15, 1998 Best of type, without a doubt. Very likely the best "how to" book I've read, Sara Stein's masterpiece is unquestionably the best introduction to natural planting and landscaping. The prose is a delight too. I look forward to reading her recent sequel. A reader , April 3, 1997 Possibly the best book ever written on this subject. Being a writer of similar books on the same subject I've read many books of ecological gardening. When I was researching for my latest book which would be called in English "THE WILD GARDEN-a gardening guide for the lazy" I drew extensively and benefited greatly from Ms. Steins book. Of all the books I've ever read on the subject this one is absolutely the tops. Ms. Stein has a way of making the reader aware of the disastrous muck-up we've done to ecology, blissfully ignorant of our actions. At the same time she refrains from preaching and her prose is fluid, easily understood and fun to read. It is my opinion, and I truly believe this, that Ms. Stein has done more for the conservation of nature than many national and international institutions. A shopper , February 24, 1997 The "Bible" for practical, native landscaping. It is rare that a book actually makes a change in your life but Noah's Garden did for me. Years ago my husband and I tried to explain to a landscape architect the natural effect we wanted. He did a pretty good job but suggested all sorts of exotic plants. If we had only had Sara Stein's book then! It is full of lower care native and natural planting tips and information. For those of you who find the sameness and sterility of suburban landscaping unattractive, Sara Stein has paradise waiting for you in this book. Do you wonder why you no longer have fireflies? Find out why and how to right this in Noah's Garden. A great, great book. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. *************************************************** Planting Noah's Garden : Further Adventures in Backyard Ecology by Sara Bonnett Stein Our Price: $24.50 You Save: $10.50 (30%) Usually ships in 2-3 days Hardcover - (May 1997) 448 pages Reviews : Nature and Ecology Editor's Recommended Book : In Noah's Garden, published in 1994, gardener and writer Sara Stein addressed the business of making a messy backyard--of restoring a naturally chaotic and dynamic "floral-faunal-microbial system" in the place of neatly tended, carefully selected and weeded, and ultimately artificial gardens. Just as charmingly written as its predecessor, Planting Noah's Garden furthers Stein's campaign to make lawns animated, full of disorder, life, and wildness. Studded with ringing tributes to alumroot, trillium, goldenrod, bellworts, and mayflowers, this is a lovely gardener's manifesto. Packed with practical instructions for planning and maintaining a garden of one's own, it's also wonderful entertainment for anyone with a green thumb. Fine Gardening : Stein's radical approach was never destined for everyone. But for those who may want to follow her lead, Planting Noah's Garden provides a wealth of how-to detail for reestablishing a natural landscape, inviting the rest of us to contemplate--and implement--a real compromise between Stein's ungardening and our suburbs' unyieldingness. Synopsis : Sara Stein's brilliant book, Noah's Garden, placed the author at the forefront of the new field of ecological gardening. In Planting Noah's Garden, she tells the even more fascinating story of the many ways people are redesigning their surroundings to welcome back the birds, butterflies, fireflies, and other creatures driven away by the sterility of the typical suburban landscape. 70 color photos. 100 illustrations. Synopsis The ecology-minded author of Noah's Garden offers a guide to transforming suburban backyards into attractive gardens using the area's common native flora, along with advice on killing weeds, collecting wild seeds, and much more. In this new book, Sara Stein travels beyond her own garden to report on the many and diverse ways in which people in all parts of the country are working to undo the damage and help restore their backyard ecosystems. Along the way, we watch her transform a new subdivision lot into the kind of natural landscape that existed before the bulldozers of suburban sprawl erased everything in their path; we are introduced to an Omaha man whose tiny city lot serves as a migration stop for monarch butterflies; we see a multitude of wonderful variations on the American lawn; and we visit the author's own "stone terrace," a magical landscape that attracts all manner of fauna, including hummingbirds, butterflies, flocks of bluebirds - and people. If the first half of Planting Noah's Garden is an inspiration, the second half is practical. Here readers will find very specific descriptions of the ways in which they can take the necessary steps to transform their own gardens into rich and lively landscapes. Customer Comments : horthhill@yahoo.com from Vancouver, Canada , October 14, 1998 A brilliant book. "Planting Noah's Garden : Further Adventures in Backyard Ecology" is really Sara Steins' third book in a trilogy - it follows "My Weeds; A Gardener's Botany" (the first book) and "Noah's Garden : Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back Yards". Planting Noah's Garden starts off as the how-to sequel of Noah's Garden but becomes much more than that ...Stein not only candidly corrects mistakes and false assumptions from the earlier books but re-builds her vision of gardening, plants, wildlife restoration and growing old. She more or less takes apart her earlier reflections and explorations and re-fashions them into a concrete example of how to actually perceive and achieve a nation-wide natural backyard. Really, a brilliant book: a brilliant series... full of good thought and good advice. Jack Lewnes (jackl@olg.com) from Port Republic, MD USA , July 20, 1998 Essential reading for back yard, native plant oriented souls This book is totally enchanting. When I first read "David Copperfield" I told myself that I would read it again in a few years and it would read differently. And it has. "Planting Noah's Garden" has exactly the same feel. I have spent the last six months recommending this book to my naturalist friends. I have often though of passing my copy on, but have decided not to. I buy another copy instead. I have the feeling that this is a book that I will want to read again .and again. Sara states that "Children are part of the mega-fauna of every landscape." She writes about the basic need of children to look under rocks and logs, to climb trees, to discover the natural wonders that await them there. And, or course, she tells us how to make this happen. If you enjoy planting things, if you enjoy your yard, your children and your grandchildren, buy this book. It is a masterpiece. *************************************************** Gardening by Mail : A Source Book (5th Ed) by Barbara J. Barton, Ginny Hunt (Editor) Our Price: $19.20 You Save: $4.80 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (October 1997) Reviews : Synopsis This guide has long been acclaimed for its invaluable roster of plant and seed companies, nurseries, garden accessories, services, libraries, societies, newsletters, and books. Now, with a much requested and much needed guide to gardening resources on the Internet, Gardening by Mail is as current as it is authoritative. Line drawings. Synopsis : The most complete, best organized, and up-to-date source book for everything a gardener wants to know or buy. Over 2,000 listings cover mail-order suppliers of seeds, plants, and garden accessories and service companies in the US and Canada, plus magazines, newsletters, and books--each category with its own index. Line drawings. --This text refers to the paperback edition of this title Customer Comments : A reader from Hartlepool, England , October 22, 1998 Beg steal or borrow!! GARDENING BY MAIL Now on its 5th edition Barbara J Bartons book is just about the most comprehensive directory of gardening resources available. My copy is very well thumbed! Very wide ranging but top class! Beg, steal, borrow or buy. Published by Houghton Mifflin. $24.00 ISBN 0 395-87770-9 *************************************************** Second Nature : A Gardener's Education by Michael Pollan Our Price: $10.36 You Save: $2.59 (20%) Usually ships in 24 hours Paperback - (August 1995) Reviews : Synopsis More than eight years ago, Harper's editor Michael Pollan bought an old Connecticut dairy farm. He planted a garden and adopted Thoreau's viewpoint: Do not impose your will upon the wilderness, the woodchucks or the weeds. Here is his timely meditation and social history on man's relationship with nature and the environment. Customer Comments : A reader from Cary, North Carolina , December 14, 1998 Thought through. Even though the garden philosophy gets a little tiresome, the other 90% of the book is educational and extremely interesting. A reader, July 1, 1997 Captivating writer - recommending to all my friends. I read Pollans "A Place of My Own" and couldn't wait to read his first book "Second Nature". His writing captivates me and I hope he writes many more stories about anything. He's a wonderful teacher, story teller, yarn spinner and his inquisitive nature struck a strong cord. All my friends and relatives will get to enjoy it as a gift from me. Thanks Michael for a great read. A reader, November 24, 1996 A fresh exploration of gardens and what it means to garden. Many of us fall into the trap of thinking that our relationship to the land must be one of either two choices: either we ruthlessly exploit it, with no regard for any but short term use, or we refuse to "meddle" in it at all, letting nature do what it will. _Second Nature_ explores the third alternative, that of working with nature respectfully to produce something that we intend. Believing that our relationship with nature can not be broken down into simple nature versus culture arguments, Pollan explores the overlapping of nature and culture. To that end, he discusses Americans' historical and contemporary ideas of what makes a garden a garden and attitudes toward gardening and wilderness. There is wonderful, thought-provoking commentary on the tyranny of the American lawn, the sexuality of roses, class conflict in the garden, privacy, trees, weeds, and what it means to have a green thumb. Pollan's stories of his own adventures in the garden are interesting and often amusing. His writing is thoughtful and his insight frequently unexpected, as when, in the chapter " 'Made Wild by Pompous Catalogs' ", he points out that garden catalogues are selling not merely seed but their ideas about gardens. Pollan is also highly readable. It is hard not to like an author who says things like "...the Victorian middle class simply couldn't deal with the rose's sexuality" or "...there is a free lunch and its name is photosynthesis". _Second Nature_ is well worth reading. *************************************************** A-Z of Useful Plants by Jackie French, 1990. From after-shave, cough-mixture, glue and shampoo to tranquillisers, spices and wine. How to grow and make your own products. Includes Australian supplier list. Available from WA public libraries - 581.61 FRE Incredible Plants - Oddities, Curiosities & Eccentricies by Robert Lee Behme, 1992. Nature’s weirdest; little-known facts about rare and common plants; history of plant development; meanings behind botanical names; herbal cures; ancient knowledge and new scientific discoveries. Available from WA public libraries - 581 BEH