Product Description
Archaeology as Human Ecology is a new introduction to concepts and methods in archaeology. It deals not with artifacts, but with sites, settlements, and subsistence. Karl W. Butzer's goal is to interpret the ecosystem of which an archaeologicial site or site network was part. Components of this study include geo-archaeology, archaeobotany, zoo-archaeology, and archaeometry. These methods are then used in examining interactions between human communities and their biophysical environment: the impact of settlement on site formation and the effects of subsistence activities on plants, animals, soils, and overall landscape modification. Finally, the methods and theoretical approach, are applied to examine the processes of cultural change and continuity. The approach of Archaeology as Human Ecology goes far beyond traditional environmental archaeology, which is concerned with simple reconstruction. It provides a clear, systemic approach that immediately allows an assessment of interactions. For the first time, it attempts to develop a comprehensive spatial archaeology - one that is far more than derivative spatial analysis. ... Read more

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Ecologists need to analyze their field data to interpret relationships within plant and animal communities and with their environments. The purpose of this book is to show ecologists and environmental scientists what numerical and statistical methods are most useful, how to use them and interpret the results from them, and what pitfalls to avoid. Subjects treated include data requirements, regression analysis, calibration (or inverse regression), ordination techniques, cluster analysis, and spatial analysis of ecological data.The authors take pains to use only elementary mathematics and explain the ecological models behind the techniques.Exercises and solution are provided for practice.This is the only book written specifically for ecologists that explains such techniques as logistic regression, canonical correspondence analysis, and kriging (statistical manipulation of data). This is a reissue of a book first published in 1987 by Pudoc (The Netherlands). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Data Analysis in Community and Landscape Ecology
Esse livro é excelente para estudos e análises ecológicos de vegetação e ordenação com técnicas multivairada.

Data Analysis in Community and Landscape Ecology
A easy reading and comprehensive book about data analysis in community and landscape ecology. This is the book that every young ecologist should have in his/her bookshelf

A standard work in vegetation ecology
This is a standard in the discipline of vegetation ecology and probably the best introductiion to the field. This is a thoroughly revised new edition of the original book from 1986. It is a good introduction to the various methods available for analysis of vegetation data, like correspondence analysis, principle components analysis and regression analysis. A good point about this book is that consistently works with the same example dataset for explaining all different analysis methods. This clearly shows the differences in outcome of the different methods. A bad point is that its not always written very clearly and includes some very theoretical parts. ... Read more

Product Description
This book highlights new and emerging uses of stable isotope analysis in a variety of ecological disciplines. While the use of natural abundance isotopes in ecological research is now relatively standard, new techniques and ways of interpreting patterns are developing rapidly. The second edition of this book provides a thorough, up-to-date examination of these methods of research.

As part of the Ecological Methods and Concepts series which provides the latest information on experimental techniques in ecology, this book looks at a wide range of techniques that use natural abundance isotopes to:

• follow whole ecosystem element cycling
  
• understand processes of soil organic matter formation
  
• follow the movement of water in whole watersheds
  
• understand the effects of pollution in both terrestrial and aquatic environments
  
• study extreme systems such as hydrothermal vents
  
• follow migrating organisms

Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science is an ideal resource for both ecologists who are new to isotopic analysis, and more experienced isotope ecologists interested in innovative techniques and pioneering new uses. ... Read more

Product Description
This practical manual of amphibian ecology and conservation brings together a distinguished, international group of amphibian researchers to provide a state-of-the-art review of the many new and exciting techniques used to study amphibians and to track their conservation status and population trends. The integration of ecology and conservation is a natural outcome of the types of questions posed by these disciplines: how amphibians can and should be sampled, marked, and followed through time; how abundance and population trends are measured; what are the robust statistical methods that can be used in ecology and conservation; what roles do amphibians play in community structure and function; how do animals function in their environment; and what affects the long-term persistence of species assemblages?

Although emphasizing field ecology, sections on physiological ecology, genetics, landscape ecology, and disease analysis are also included. The book describes the latest statistical approaches in amphibian field ecology and conservation, as well as the use of models in interpreting field research. Much of this information is scattered in the scientific literature or not readily available, and the intention is to provide an affordable, comprehensive synthesis for use by graduate students, researchers, and practising conservationists worldwide. ... Read more

Product Description
Intended for graduate and upper level undergraduate courses in behavioural ecology where students are already familiar with the basic ideas, this book continues to define the subject. A completely new set of contributions has been brought together once more to take account of the many exciting new developments in the field. Each chapter presents a balanced view of the subject, integrating a clear exposition of the theory with a critical discussion of how predictions have been tested by experiments and comparative studies. In addition, the book points to unreconciled issues and possible future developments. Edited by two of the most highly regarded experts in the field, this new volume contains contributions from an international authorship and continues the tradition of clarity and accessibility established by the three previous editions.

• The latest edition of a classic in behavioural ecology.
  
• Divided into three sections: Mechanisms and Individual Behaviour, From Individual Behaviour to Social Systems, and Life Histories, Phylogenies and Populations.
  
• Contributions from the world's leading researchers.

Customer Reviews (2)

A leader in the field
This book is highly regarded in the field of behavioral ecology, and its more of a new volume than an 2nd ed. It focuses on the most advancing areas of the field, so if you are interested in other areas not covered in this edition, like predator-prey dynamics, check out the previous edition. This is a technical book so of course it requires some time and lots of thought to get through, but its definately worth it. For a mult-authored book, this one has been beautifully edited with smooth transitions from chapter to chapter. My favorite chapter was the one on sexual selection. I was already familar with the topic but this account of sexual selection was quite inciteful. If you are seriously studying animal behavior or behavioral ecology (there is a slight difference), this book is a must. Rightly so, it focuses on the ecological and evolutionary aspects of behavior, but there are a few chapters on the proximate cause of behavior as well. Animal behavior has long been studied and described, but it is only with the rigors of evolutionary thought that they are explained and understood, as evident by this book. This field has progressed much in the last few decades, and most would be surprised at how developed and rigorous it has become. The mathematical models presented are for the most part simple to understand and they adequately synthesize empirical evidence. If you are looking for an introduction to the field, start with their book, An Introduction to Behaviour Ecology.

Adequate overview of the field, but too expensive
The book basically summarises, without going too much into mathematical modelling which is such a hit with behavioural ecologist seeking regonition of their subject as a HARD science, just like experimental psychologists were doing in the 70's coming up with all sorts if theorem and formulas predicting and quantifying the learning process (to no avail though), the latest developments (NOT adavnces, as most of the theoretical breakthroughs and insights were back in the late 70's) in the field, though I would suggest the money is better spent on the great works of William Hamilton, in 2 volumes, Narrow Roads to Gene Land, or the book Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection edited by Tim Birkhead, whereby you can have an in depth exposition on inclusive fitness and the evolution of sex. ... Read more

Product Description
Understanding ecology is important in today s world. Yet, due to the sheer volume of conceptual material and morass of details to be digested, many students find it a difficult subject to grasp. Moreover, the dynamic nature of this discipline presents challenges to providing students with the most current information available. For some time now, instructors have been calling for a textbook that offers just the right balance of subject matter emphasis, clearly presented concepts, and engaging, fresh examples. Ecology authored by ecologists who each have more than 10 years experience teaching the subject is that book. To aid students in integrating material across the levels at which ecology is studied, the book is structured so that they are always reminded of connections among levels of the ecological hierarchy (from individuals to populations to communities to ecosystems) and links to evolution, a unifying theme for all of ecology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

its good
its good, the loose leaf version is especially great because you dont have to lug around the book all day

Good deal
I like the loose leaf version. You can stick it in a binder to keep it together and you can easily transport it around, which I find useful because instead of lugging around a book all day just to read one chapter you can carry that one chapter around.

great ecology book!
Nicely organized, clearly written, up to date, great images and figures, good foundational ecology book.

not a book
Warning - this version is not a physical book. It is a 6 month subscription to the ebook. The ebook can only be viewed in a web-browser, so cannot be accessed if you aren't currently connected to the internet.

Good for the Ecology Class
This book is great if you are taken Ecology, because it described how the population, animal rates, and environments is affect the world each dates. It gives exactlent facts about how we need to change this world and how the future can be effected by the results of each concepts above. ... Read more

Product Description

Edited by leading experts in contemporary environmental philosophy, this anthology features the best available selections that cover the full range of positions within this rapidly developing field. Divided into four sections that delve into the vast issues of contemporary Eco-philosophy, the Fourth Edition now includes a section on Continental Environmental Philosophy that explores current topics such as the social construction of nature, and eco-phenomenology. Each section is introduced and edited by a leading philosopher in the field. For professionals with a career within the environmental field including law, politics, conservation, geography, and biology.

Customer Reviews (6)

Good book
I bought this book USED (for a friend) and it came in much worse condition than I thought it would so be careful.

Perfect
Correct item shipped expeditiously with great follow up. You are a wonderful asset to this community.

Kind regards

Bazyli

** GREAT BOOK **

Excellent Breadth
This book was assigned reading for a college class on Sustainable Development.I'd already had some exposure to the philosophies & theories presented.It seems to be a good collection representing a wide range of ideas; a great piece for my reference shelf.In other words: a keeper!

a splendid collection of leading eco thinkers and writers....
....ably assembled and edited by Michael E. Zimmerman.This anthology spans the spectrum from animal rights to environmental protection to deep ecology, and by doing so provides a superb introduction to environmental studies as well as important supplementary reading reaching forward into the present.

An Excellent Introduction to Environmental Philosophy
Regardless of whether you are interested in deep ecology, animal rights, envirnmental ethics,eco-feminism or political ecology, this excellently edited edition will have something of interest for you. Those who are looking for a more scientific approach to examing our relationship with nature, as oppossed to the more philosophical writings of Muir, Thoreau and Abbey, this book will be especially appreciated.
Published primarily for use in environmetal philosophy/science courses at the university level, this book is very useful in providing a well researched, diversen sampling from some of the most important theorists in the field. Essays by J. Baird Calicott, Tom Regan, author of the revolutionary work "The Case Animal Rights", Holmes Rolston III, author of the seminal text "Environmetal Ethics", the Norweigan philosopher Arne Naess and , the so-called founder of the deep Ecology movement, Aldo Leopold, author of the famous "Sand County Almanac", as well as works by other important scholars such as George Sessions, Warick Fox, the famous eco-feminist historian Carolyn Merchant, John Clark and Gary Snyder along with many others.
Although the essays contianed in this text can be challenging at times, in the end the payoff definitely makes it worth the effort. This difficulty is, at least, in part due to the fact that what this book requires is a new way of examining our relationship with nature and a willingness to examine problems from a more holistic perspective, which can sometimes be a hard thing for those taught that the world is here simply for man's exploitation (gender specificity intended). This volume is particularly effective in giving students a well-rounded introduction to many of the most important issues in environmental writing today. As the seriousness of our ecological problems persist and even worsen, this book will continue to be a highly informative source of information for students and instructors for years to come. ... Read more

Product Description
In its analytical interpretation of the ecological responses of plants and animals to their environments, this classic and highly influential text draws upon studies of energy exchange, gas exchange, and chemical kinetics. The opening chapters discuss energy and energy budgets and their applications to plants and animals and define radiation laws and units. Succeeding chapters cover radiation, convection, conduction, and evaporation, and the book concludes with methods for the study of photosynthesis in plants and energy budgets in animals. This text will prove of value to students and environmental researchers from a variety of fields, particularly ecology, agronomy, forestry, botany, and zoology. 1980 edition. 174 figures. 30 tables.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Biophysical Ecology
I am reading this book in conjunction with a graduate course in ecophysiology that focuses on biophysical processes affecting plants and animals.The book provides expanded information on topics that are covered in class.The formulas seem daunting at first but can be understood with careful reading and simple algebra.However, the value of the book is the verbal explanations of the processes involved and how they affect plants and animals in the environment.

A fascinating book
I am a physicist, not an ecologist, but still found this book fascinating.It deals with the interface between physics and biology, focusing primarily on heat and mass transfer in living organisms.A large section of the book is devoted to radiative heat transfer, which is the dominant heat transfer mechanism in many every day situations.Gates has many interesting examples sprinkled through the text.For instance, there is an interesting discussing of evaporative cooling of birds and mammals, including the relative importance of panting versus sweating.An accompanying graph, from the author's research, shows the evaporative losses of a ground squirrel as a function of ambient temperature.There are also formulas given for estimating evaporative losses.There are many other interesting discussions (evaporation losses of lakes, body temperatures of birds, skylight irradiation on sloped surfaces, etc.).Lots of interesting stuff.The book requires knowledge of trigonometry.It would also be very helpful to have had exposure to heat transfer concepts, especially radiative heat transfer.Without that, book may be tough going for some.Overall, I found the book well written and very enjoyable ... Read more

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We look to ecologists for many things, from accurate descriptions of natural systems to guidance on our proper relationships to them. Yet ecologists often disagree on matters that affect their own field's basic philosophical underpinnings. This international gathering of twenty-three seminal readings both illustrates the range of philosophical approaches available to ecologists and provides a basis for understanding the thinking on which many of today's environmental ideas are founded.

Opening with a general introduction to the challenges of defining scientific ecology, tracing its genealogy, and distinguishing the science from various forms of "ecological-like" thinking, the volume is organized into thematic sections. Issues covered include the ontology of ecological entities and processes; selected concepts of community, stability, diversity, and niche; the methodology of ecology (rationalism and empiricism, reductionism and holism); and the significance of evolutionary law for ecological science.

This is the first introductory anthology on the philosophy of ecology edited by an ecologist and a philosopher. It makes a powerful statement on the value of ecological knowledge and thinking in alleviating the many problems of modern industrial civilization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Thorough yet accessible--a quality survey of its subject
This book is the only one I found on Philosophy of Ecology in general, and it is quality. The editors include many authors from many time periods to gather the discourse on ecology's biggest questions. I highly recommend it for scientists and others alike, because what we think about the nature of the world influences how we act in and on it. I checked it out from the library but I'm going to buy it as a staple in my referece library--it's that good.

Very important book!
This is one of the best books in the field of ecological sciences. Nowadays, there are few ecologists who use the 'search light' approach (sensu Popper). Theory is considered a secondary issue by the many people of the present generation, who think that a real ecologist should just "go to the field and describe what he sees there" (the 'bucket approach').

However, without a deep knowledge of the ideas, hypotheses, theories and history of Ecology, a researcher is unable to properly test knowledge, do valid generalizations, and thus contribute to the advancement of the field. This book provides an excellent 'Epistemology of Ecology', and together with McInstosh's "Background of Ecology" should be read by every student in the undergrad course, and also by professionals.

Perspectives Emerging
It may come as a surprise to many who first encounter this book that the science of ecology might have anything to contribute to philosophy in general -- this, despite the fact that popular notions of ecology are in the forefront of the search for new directions, be they in the guise ofthe "Deep Ecology" of Arne Naess, or the "Web of Life" advanced by Frijthof Capra. But scientific perspectives unique to ecology are arising, and making connections between ecological outlooks and how nature generally is perceived is the primary goal of this book -- as stated in its subtitle.

No dominant ecological perspective has yet emerged, but Keller and Golley do an excellent job of sampling the various issues. For example, Part One includes five papers that take sides on whether one should emphasize the entities in ecosystems (the Eleatic approach) or concentrate on the processes that are occurring (the Milesian stance.) Part Three presents the debate between the rational and the empirical approaches to ecology; Part Four between reductionism and holism; and the final section gives consideration to what ties (if any) should exist between contemporary evolutionary theory and ecosystems science.

I have used the volume (in early manuscript form) as the primary text for a graduate seminar I taught last year on "Philosophical Issues in Ecology" at the University of Maryland. Most students in the seminar were amazed to discover that philosophical issues have a history within the scientific practice of ecology, and they found the chapters of the book to be well- chosen illustrations of the various attitudes now vying for a permanent place in the evolving philosophy of ecology.

I was quite impressed by how the editors were able to winnow down the component papers to their most essential elements and by how the publisher was able to put this volume on the street at a price that is affordable to the typical graduate student. I foresee a significant potential for this compendium as a textbook and as a catalyst for initiating productive debate on issues that address not only ancient philosophical abstractions, but affect our attitudes towards urgent contemporary problems as well. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of specially commissioned articles looks at fragmented habitats, bringing together recent theoretical advances and empirical studies applying the metapopulation approach. Several chapters closely integrate ecology with genetics and evolutionary biology, and others illustrate how metapopulation concepts and models can be applied to answer questions about conservation, epidemiology, and speciation.

The extensive coverage of theory from highly regarded scientists and the many substantive applications in this one-of-a-kind work make it invaluable to graduate students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines.

* Provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of all aspects of metapopulation biology, integrating ecology, genetics, and evolution
* Developed by recognized experts, including Hanski who won the Balzan Prize for Ecological Sciences
* Covers novel applications of the metapopulation approach to conservation ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Only for hardcore metapopulation scientists
Ecology, Genetics and Evolution of Metapopulations
I am a virologist with some background in evolution and population genetics. I bought this book trusting the editorial reviews that said "the book is for anyone interested in metapopulations". Well, it is not for me!

This book is not a textbook for a graduate-level course or an accessible overview for a scientist looking for a good introduction to the field. The book is heavy with jargon, even heavier with math and modeling. The scope is pretty broad, but relies mostly on treatment of special cases with little overview of general evolutionary and genetic consequences of metapopulation structure. I think it is oriented towards people who know the field already and know it well. For them this book is probably a "must have", but for others - pick up a copy at the library, flip through and xerox any section that you find interesting enough. ... Read more

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Product Description

The Second Edition of Freshwater Ecology is broad, up-to-date treatment of everything from the basic chemical and physical properties of water to advanced unifying concepts of the community ecology and ecosystem relationships as found in continental waters. With 40% new and expanded coverage, this text covers applied and basic aspects of limnology, now with more emphasis on wetlands and reservoirs than in the previous edition. The authors take a synthetic approach to ecological problems, teaching students how to handle the challenges faced by contemporary aquatic scientists.

Product Description
Examines the relationship between spiritual disciplines and the natural world. ... Read more

Product Description
The ecological perspective on language and language education has in recent years become a major focus of interest in the fields of second language teaching and learning, and linguistics and education in general. This is the first book-length attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of an ecology of language learning, including both theoretical discussions on language, semiotics, emergence, and self, and the practical consequences of an ecological view for classroom work.This book is of interest to all language educators, second and foreign language teachers and researchers, and other education professionals. ... Read more

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Global warming, air and water pollution, ozone-layer depletion, species extinction - these are all the results of what philosopher Frederic L. Bender calls our "culture of extinction." In this probing analysis of the basic cultural assumptions and historical factors that have led to the current dire ecological situation, Bender argues that our only chance of avoiding imminent disaster is to recognise and then change the destructive trends in contemporary culture that will surely be our undoing if left unchecked. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Deep ecology according to Frederic Bender
Fredric Bender's book "The Culture of Extinction" is an extensive study of a wide variety of subjects, culminating in the author's creative reformulation of deep ecology.

Bender believes that humans are naturally adapted to a hunter and gatherer lifestyle, and that the "fall" of humanity started with the invention of agriculture. This made it possible to feed an expanding population, while making it increasingly difficult to control population growth. Bender's view of history is somewhat idiosyncratic. For instance, he downplays the Palaeolithic killing spree of our ancestors, while claiming that the Goddess-centred religions of the Neolithic were a first step towards anthropocentrism. His criticism of Judaism and Christianity is probably too simplistic, although he certainly has a point claiming that these religions *could* be given an anti-environmental slant. Bender is somewhat more negative of Christianity than Judaism, believing that Neo-Platonism and Gnosticism made the Christians hostile to the body, the material world and hence to Nature.

Bender further criticizes the anthropocentrism of Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Locke and early modern science. Another chapter takes on what the author calls nihilism, a category he believes includes positivism, neo-classical economics and behaviourism. He also attempts (somewhat unconvincingly) to derive "ought" from "is" in a section criticizing G.E. Moore's ethical intuitionism. Curiously, Bender seems to have a generally positive view of Karl Marx, a thinker who was obviously very far removed from Green ideas.

The last section of "The Culture of Extinction" deals with contemporary strands of environmentalist thought. The author is very critical of Murray Bookchin. He is somewhat more positive towards ecofeminism and groups such as Sea Shepherd and Earth First. His main sympathies are with the bioregionalists and deep ecologists, however. There is also a section on Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis.

Bender spends considerable time delineating his own version of deep ecology, which seems to be based on Mahayana Buddhism's concept of "emptiness" (shunyata). Also, he draws from Taoism, Shintoism and Spinoza. In the end, however, it's difficult to see any substantial differences between Bender and Arne Naess, except perhaps a stronger emphasis on social justice issues (the author seems to be a leftist politically). Bender's philosophy seems to be pantheist and vaguely spiritual. He calls it nondualism and believes that dualist thinking is the root problem of the human predicament and our attacks on nature.

"The Culture of Extinction" could have needed better editing, and seems somewhat disjointed. The author moves across a very wide area and his style of writing is uneven. People who know their deep ecology by heart will probably discover little that is new in it. It feels like just another "dark Green" book. Above all, it's a statement of the personal faith of Frederic L. Bender. I give the book three stars (the OK rating) for the effort.

An excellent synthesis
In this book, Bender has managed to pull together ideas that might be seen by some as difficult to reconcile -- recent scientific research, deep ecology, general systems theory, nondualist spirituality, and leftist political activism -- to create one of the most stimulating works that I have read in a long time.

Deep Ecology Reformulated
Bender offers the following reformulation of the deep ecology platform. He believes the platform's language should be forthright about deep ecology's debt to ecology, hence also its biological nondualism. At the same time, since there are many paths to deep ecology, if you accept some, but not all of the points, you are to that extent still a supporter of the deep ecology movement. Bender takes into account some of Naess's 1993 reflections and his own earlier arguments. The following are proposed nondogmatically, or, as Naess now suggests, as a set of abstract, general statements that most supporters of the deep ecology movement might accept.

Proposed New Deep-Ecology Platform

1. Everything on earth is both interdependent and transient.
2. Each species' self-realization requires and contributes to that of all others.
3. Nonhumans do not exist for humans' sake.
4. Continued evolution without catastrophic setback requires the preservation of biodiversity, especially at the genetic andecosystemic levels.
5. Other things being equal, human action is justifiable when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and complexity of the biotic community; it is wrong when it tends otherwise.
6. Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive and rapidly worsening.
7. Significant reduction of human impact requires first doing no further harm, then protecting and restoring biodiversity, wild-' ness, and evolution.
8. Deep ecology supporters encourage the deep questioning if human happiness, progress, and technology as commonly .1 defined. The necessary changes include deliberately and humanely lowering the human population, redesigning the global economy, adopting low-impact technology, and changing personal lifestyles as required for ecological sustain- ability.
9. Ecological sustainability also requires peace and justice throughout the world, and recognition that quality-of-life is about more than material standard of living. Especially in the poorest countries, social justice and long-term ecological sustainability are equally necessary, if people's material, self-preservation, rootedness, and spiritual-growth needs are to be met.
10. Those who subscribe to these points have an obligation directly or indirectly to try to carry out the necessary changes. Though the platform's applications vary considerably, in general deep ecology supporters work for local self-sufficiency and autonomous cooperation, and against centralization of power, exploitation of the weak, and corporate-controlled economic globalization.

The platform, in short, poses a counteroffer to the culture of extinction, outlining numerous possibilities for engagement for those who take nondualism, ecology, ecocide, or overshoot seriously. Thus, deep ecology is potentially a solution, not only to ecocide, but to nihilism.

Important for the philosophy of deep ecology
I would say that anyone who has a serious theoretical interest in deep ecology and Green theoretical issues should have a copy of this expensive book. The book is important for the philosophy of deep ecology, and the radical environmental and deep Green political movements. Bender wants to help "draw millions to deep ecology."
This book has forced me to look at the evolution of deep ecology, as reflected in the writings of Arne Naess, in a new, supportive yet more critical manner. For Bender, the distinguishing characteristic of deep ecology is "nondualism" (what we would perhaps call ecocentricism). He argues that Naess has moved away from this nondualist position as reflected in the original 1972 statement and also become more apolitical.
It has a thoughtful and very interesting discussion of Bender's own "ecosophy", named after the place where he wrote much of his book. His book concludes with a ten-point "Proposed New Deep-Ecology Platform" which incorporates his critique.
Bender is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado and was, according to book cover information, the editor of _The Communist Manifesto: A Norton Critical Review_; _The Betrayal of Marx_; and _Karl Marx: The Essential Writings_. What is interesting for me is that such a substantive book on deep ecology has been written by someone who very definitely considers himself part of the Left. Bender now takes his place alongside other Left deep ecologists who have books out, like Richard Sylvan, Andrew McLaughlin and Andrew Dobson.
Bender wants to reformulate deep ecology and we all need to pay attention to what he is telling us. I did find the book on the abstract side. Overall however, this book is a wonderful achievement and will help us all move forward on the deep ecology path.

Knowledgable forecast
Written for the academic, but geared to present a total picture, The Culture of Extinction is an in-depth look at what we have created on this planet and what we can expect if we do not listen to this writer and others who are shouting as loud as they can.Excellent for the classroom. ... Read more

Product Description
Christianity struggles to show how living on earth matters for living with God. While people of faith increasingly seek practical ways to respond to the environmental crisis, theology has had difficulty contextualizing the crisis and interpreting the responses.

In Ecologies of Grace, Willis Jenkins presents a field-shaping introduction to Christian environmental ethics that offers resources for renewing theology. Observing how religious environmental practices often draw on concepts of grace, Jenkins maps the way Christian environmental strategies draw from traditions of salvation as they engage the problems of environmental ethics. He then uses this new map to explore afresh the ecological dimensions of Christian theology.

Jenkins first shows how Christian ethics uniquely frames environmental issues, and then how those approaches both challenge and reinhabit theological traditions. He identifies three major strategies for making environmental problems intelligible to Christian moral experience. Each one draws on a distinct pattern of grace as it adapts a secular approach to environmental ethics. The strategies of ecojustice, stewardship, and ecological spirituality make environments matter for Christian experience by drawing on patterns of sanctification, redemption, and deification.

He then confronts the problems of each of these strategies through critical reappraisals of Thomas Aquinas, Karl Barth, and Sergei Bulgakov. Each represents a soteriological tradition which Jenkins explores as an ecology of grace, letting environmental questions guide investigation into how nature becomes significant for Christian experience.

By being particularly sensitive to the ways in which environmental problems are made intelligible to Christian moral experience, Jenkins guides his readers toward a fuller understanding of Christianity and ecology. He not only makes sense of the variety of Christian environmental ethics, but by showing how environmental issues come to the heart of Christian experience, prepares fertile ground for theological renewal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Theological jargon and no content
I put very few books down, and this one was terribly disappointing.Written in thick theological jargon that conveys essentially nothing, the author remained aloof in his abstract theological world for the first seventy pages and tied none of his concerns back to real world science or environmental concerns.If you love the incoherent rambling style of academics where one sophisticated but empty sentence follows the next, then this book is for you.I tried my best but really found nothing substantive to talk about here.Christians should stop being so concerned about finding a legitimate ethic for the environment in their text and simply get on with the business of being ecological concerned.If you want a meaningful issues - deal with the real science and the practical issues facing the world, and leave this "theo-babble" alone.

graced by ecologies of grace
This is an excellent new addition to my resources on eco-stewardship. As a clergy member of the Presbyterian church deeply concerned about the moral issue that is our current environmental global reality, I find this book both practical and refreshing. With the eloquance of a gifted writer, and grit of a versed theologian, Dr. Jenkins puts his practical global experience into a very useful framework for us "practioners" of theology and eco-stuff. I appreciate his logical breakdown of the field of eco-ethics into three- ecological spirituality, eco-stewardship, and ecojustice. All these areas are not only hot these days, but of real use for those of us clergy that are desperately seeking ways to link parish work and our heart felt eco-priorities. Kudos to Dr. Jenkins- and may his books keep flowing! I highly recommend this one. - Rev. Rob Mark

Systematic Theology and Environmental Philosophy Meet
Willis Jenkins engages Karl Barth, Thomas Aquinas, and Sergei Bulgakov--master theologians from all 3 major branches of Christianity--and puts them in a well-read and -considered dialogue with theories in environmental philosophy and ethics.If you have an interest in ways that serious systematic theology can engage with environmental concerns, this is the book for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Among the most far-reaching effects of the modern environmental movement was the widespread acknowledgment that human beings were inescapably part of a larger ecosystem. With this book, Linda Nash gives us a wholly original and much longer history of "ecological" ideas of the body as that history unfolded in California's Central Valley. Taking us from nineteenth-century fears of miasmas and faith in wilderness cures to the recent era of chemical pollution and cancer clusters, Nash charts how Americans have connected their diseases to race and place as well as dirt and germs. In this account, the rise of germ theory and the pushing aside of an earlier environmental approach to illness constituted not a clear triumph of modern biomedicine but rather a brief period of modern amnesia. As Nash shows us, place-based accounts of illness re-emerged in the postwar decades, galvanizing environmental protest against smog and toxic chemicals. Carefully researched and richly conceptual, Inescapable Ecologies brings critically important insights to the histories of environment, culture, and public health, while offering a provocative commentary on the human relationship to the larger world. ... Read more

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Progress requires the conquest of nature. Or does it? This startling new account overturns conventional interpretations of Marx and in the process outlines a more rational approach to the current environmental crisis.

Customer Reviews (6)

Brilliant excavation of Marx's ecology
John Bellamy Foster has a justified reputation as a left-wing writer on ecological issues and the intersection between the Red and the Green. In this book he totally vindicates that reputation, because "Marx's Ecology" is an exceedingly well-written, occasionally brilliant book about the ecological thought of Marx and Engels and the philosophical background of the same. Marx and Engels both, it must be noted: Foster correctly rejects the fashionable tendency to leave Engels by the wayside as a mere epigone or someone who warped the True Faith of Marx. On the contrary, as the author shows: Engels was perhaps even the greater ecological thinker of the two, and this book also provides much of a defense and vindication of his much maligned philosophical texts on these topics, including but not limited to "The Dialectics of Nature" and the "Anti-Dühring".

Foster starts out by tracing the importance of Marx's studies of classical philosophy, in particular the Epicurean school, and locates the basis of his entire intellectual project in Epicurus' attempt to unite both the possibilities of freedom and of a consistent causal materialism. Until now, Marx's doctorate thesis on Democritus and Epicurus had often been seen as merely a convenient topic for him to work on, while he was really focused on Hegel - but Foster shows convincingly that in reality the Epicurean strand of thought in Marx is equal at least to the Hegelian, and of course Hegel himself was much influenced by that classical philosophy also.

The writer then in a very accessible manner traces the vagaries of attempts to develop a consistent materialism throughout the history of philosophy, focusing on Bacon, the early mechanistic materialists such as Hobbes, and the Enlightenment materialists like d'Holbach and La Mettrie. Foster shows how Marx and Engels were influenced both by particularly this aspect of Enlightenment thought, but were dissatisfied with the mechanistic aspects of it and its determinism, and wanted to reconcile it with the idea of freedom. This led eventually to the development of the 'dialectical' way of thinking, being-as-becoming, and after Marx and Engels undertook their studies of political economy this was worked out as their historical materialist theory.

Another major part of the book is tracing the influence of ecological and biological thought in their day and preceding it on Marx and Engels. Darwin, of course, is the main figure here, and Foster tells the reader all about the interactions the two had with Darwin and his supporters, about whom they were very enthousiastic. But also the developments in geology, with Lyell and the foundation of non-biblical earth sciences, receive due attention. In so doing, Foster attempts to explain what Marx could have meant when he remarked about the theory of evolution by means of natural selection that it was "the basis in natural history for our view".

This finally leads to a discussion of the fullest development of the thought of Marx and in particular Engels, and the aftermath. Here Foster tries to show that indeed the thought of both was not just thoroughly historical in nature, but also thoroughly embedded in natural history, and that their conception of man's "metabolism" with nature was fundamental to understanding their philosophy of history. He discusses somewhat the different degrees to which later authors have worked along the same lines or failed to perceive it. Interesting in particular is the mentioning of the line of Marxist or Marxist-inspired pathbreakers in biology, from J.B.S. Haldane to the Harvard school of Levins and Lewontin. It is telling that the latter two, in their famous work "The Dialectical Biologist" (The Dialectical Biologist), dedicated it to Friedrich Engels: "who got it right where it counted".

A wonderfully learned and useful book
My group and I used this book for a presentation in our class in Marx and Marxism over at CSUF (go Dr. Avila!) and we would recommend this book to anyone not only interested in Marx and ecology but natural history and the divergent systems of socialism that sprung up in tandem with Marx. Paul Proudhon, Charles Darwin, Malthus, John Evelyn, Francis Bacon, Epicurus and a doven others are the stars of this Altmanesque vehicle, each getting their due. So vast is its scope in terms of not only the social/political/scientific movements but also the personalities that created them and so compact and taut is the prose that this book becomes not just informative but fun and... dare I say it?... rather thrilling to read.

Capital ecologies
I was reading somewhere that Marx had been refuted, but you never know, the way the Bush gang is acting up it's only a matter of time before the classic challenge of Marx and Engels will see its stock rise as the Ann Coulter traitors realize she meant it. But will the corpus of ideas stand up? It seemed fitting to check out the cultural fire equipment--I appointed myself for the job. This book is a nice and a breezy, well done exploration of the mainline with an interesting twist on ecology. A bit after the fact, perhaps, since the legacy of known historical Marxism in action was not good here. But the relevance of Marx to ecological questions is not a hard rabbit to pull out of a hat. As interesting was the review of the Marxist viewpoint for which one fears there are no second chances in its current form which is lodged in a series of confusions through which the author takes us unwittingly, flawed material presented as 'store items'. Yet the tradition has infinite potential if anyone can extricate the material from its Hegelian, Darwinian confusions, and regrettable fallacies of (economic) theory.
One nice part of the book is the review of Marx's materialism, and the relation to his early studies of Epicurus. Thence the Hegelian sources of Marx and a history of Marx and Engels on Darwin. The problem with Marx's materialism is that it is, despite the obvious enrichment of the Greek source, too nineteenth century, and too obsessed as contra-Hegel. To transcend bourgeois society seems to ask for a philosophy that transcends the whole (bourgeois) philosophic tradition. But didn't Hegel steal on march on that question? To pick materialism against idealism was a strategic limitation. Hegel is too clever to outwit withmaterialist boilerplate from the age of scientism and water cooler jargon from hallways at Nasa. One is a Marxist anti-Hegelian yet armed with pilferred Hegelian material--the result is seen in the author's discussion of Hegel on Kant, a point on which Marxists tend to toe the line, like pragmatists with their 'naturalized Hegelianism'. Marx was brilliant but Marxism was outwitted by Hegel. Why not backtrack to Kant then, a gesture the author points to without intending it in, surprisingly, Engels whose reputation sits badly with his dialectics of nature, but the book shows thinking much more cogently in private with the Kantian third critique.
The most useful part of the book is the discussion of Marxism and Darwin. But here total confusion has always reigned in the 'over the falls' embrace of Darwin. And I was fascinated to read the author's giving the game away on Marx's obvious reluctance to let selectionist theory pass. For that we must admire Marx's instincts, for he smelt a rat, but the tide turned against him reservations. I think the Darwinist embrace produced by the Seond Internationale was a great failure of Marxism, as the 'critique of evolutionary economy' failed to make it into the tradition, in part because of the agenda on materialism. In a word, our fire equipment is not ready, for this and other reasons. Interesting little book anyway.

Original and Compelling
"Marx's Ecology" by John Bellamy Foster positively reasserts the long-neglected environmental aspects of Karl Marx's writing. Foster guides the reader through a fascinating look at Marx's personal intellectual development and the various thinkers who influenced him. The author reveals a Marx who was keenly aware of capital's strategy to alienate labor from nature. Foster also makes clear that Marx worked assiduously to develop a theory that might reconnect dehumanized labor with its degraded environment in hopes of creating a better, more sustainable world.

Indeed, Foster's book is an interesting study of intellectual history, with an emphasis on the debates that raged during Marx's lifespan in the 19th century. The ideas and discoveries of Darwin, Engels, Epicurus, Hegel, Malthus, Proudhon, and others are discussed at length. Foster presents a Marx who was clearly at the vanguard of progressive thought in his era and gives us considerable insight into how Marxcreated his materialist theory of history. We also understand why Marx privileged the environment but explicitly rejected the fashionable teleological and racist arguments of his time.

In particular, I found the discussion concerning Epicurus to be fascinating. Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher who had a profound influence on the Enlightenment and was the subject of Marx's doctoral dissertation. Foster tells us that Marx's unconventional interpretations have been confirmed by recent archaeological discoveries, although at the time Marx had been working from a small number of extant fragments of Epicurus' writings. In addition to explaining to the reader why Epicurus' ideas are important, Foster deepens our appreciation for Marx, whose intellectual capabilities were evident even at a fairly young age.

In the Epilogue, Foster shows how Marx's ecology fell out of the loop, a victim to Soviet ideology, Stalinist purges and other historical forces. But he shows how snippets of Marx's environmental thought has influenced scholars and activists throughout the 20th century. In fact, Foster suggests that Marx has been vindicated by some within the contemporary environmental movement. For example, Rachel Carson's work connecting corporate power with environmental and social degradation recalls (unconsciously?) Marx's work regarding the dialectic of nature and science. But with this book, Foster has effectively redrawn the circle, solidly connecting Marxist theory with the environment. Foster helps us understand that social justice and ecological sustainability are core Marxist values that can guide and inspire activists who are looking for solutions to today's environmental crisis.

In short, I strongly recommend this book for readers who are interested in intellectual history and/or eco-socialist theory, and congratulate Foster for an outstanding piece of research.

Marx as ecologist
In "Marx's Ecology," John Bellamy Foster defies conventional green thinking by raising the banner of materialism rather than spirituality in the fight to save the planet and humanity from ecologicalruin. In addition to restoring materialism to its proper place, Foster alsoshows that ecological questions were central not only to Marx, but otherMarxists such as Bebel and Bukharin. By restoring this lost tradition,Foster hopes to create a new basis for ecosocialism grounded in Marxistscience rather than mysticism.

Although most students of Marx are awareof materialist thought in such early works as the 1845 "Theses onFeuerbach," Foster argues convincingly that materialism made its debutin Marx's doctoral dissertation on the "Difference Between theDemocritean and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature," written four yearsearlier. According to Foster, the standard explanation for the dissertationis that Marx saw Epicurus as a kindred rebel spirit. This Epicurus soughtto overthrow the totalizing philosophy of Aristotle, just as thepost-Hegelians--including the young Marx--rose up against Hegel. What ismissing here is the element of materialism, which drew Marx to Epicurus inthe first place. Marx identified with the Enlightenment, for which Epicurusserves as a forerunner to the radical democrats of the 17th and 18thcentury. The materialism they all shared was crucial to an attack on thestatus quo, ancient or modern.

The Greek materialists, especiallyEpicurus, are important to Marx because they represent the first systematicopposition to idealist and essentialist thought. Just as importantly,Epicurus in particular anticipates the scientific revolution of theEnlightenment. His dicta that "Nothing is ever created by divine powerout of nothing" and "nature . . . never reduces anything tonothing" are in harmony with what we now know as "the principleof conservation." Foster also notes that Lucretius, anothermaterialist of the classical era, "alluded to air pollution due tomining, to the lessening of harvests through the degradation of soil, andto the disappearance of the forests; as well as arguing that human beingswere not radically different from animals."

In their early writings,Marx and Engels wed the materialism of the Enlightenment to a politicalcritique of the capitalist system, particularly targeting ideologues suchas Malthus. Taking aim at his false piety, the 1844 "Outlines of aCritique of Political Economy" challenges private property, especiallyin the land, asserting that:

"To make earth an object ofhuckstering--the earth which is our one and all, the first condition of ourexistence--was the last step in making oneself an object of huckstering. Itwas and is to this very day an immortality of self-alienation. And theoriginal appropriation--the monopolization of the earth by a few, theexclusion of the rest from that which is the condition of theirlife--yields nothing in immorality to the subsequent huckstering of theearth."

By restoring Marx's materialism to its proper place,"Marx's Ecology" provides a theoretical foundation for furtherexplorations in ecosocialism. Once we understand the proper connectionbetween nature and society, we can begin to act to confront the majorproblems facing humanity, from global warming to diminishing fresh watersupplies. In the final chapter, Foster cites a number of Marxist thinkerswho belong to the materialist tradition. Their examples can help to inspirea new generation of ecologically minded socialists.

Foster presents anunfamiliar side of Bukharin. His "Philosophical Arabesques," onlymade available in 1992, reveals a sophisticated dialectical materialist whogrounds his analysis of society in ecology. Bukharin writes of the"earth's atmosphere, full of infinitely varied life, from the smallestmicroorganisms in water, on land and in the air, to human beings. Manypeople do not imagine the vast richness of these forms, or their directparticipation in the physical and chemical processes of nature."

Asone of the founders of German Social Democracy, August Bebel not only spokewith some authority in the 1884 "Woman Under Socialism," he alsoseemed to be anticipating the dire consequences experienced today in thewake of clear-cutting:

"The mad sacrifice of the appreciabledeterioration of climate and decline in the fertility of the soil in theprovinces of Prussian and Pomerania, in Syria, Italy and France, and Spain.Frequent inundations are the consequence of stripping high ground of trees.The inundations of the Rhine and Vistula are chiefly attributed to thedevastation of forest land in Switzerland and Poland."

Finally, inan instance that seems to address Joel Kovel's complaint about the lack ofspirituality in Marxism and a possible alternative to Lewis Henry Morgan'sobsession with "improvement,", we have the example of RosaLuxemburg who wrote from prison in May, 1917:

"What am I reading?For the most part, natural science: geography of plants and animals. Onlyyesterday I read why the warblers are disappearing from Germany.Increasingly systematic forestry, gardening and agriculture are, step bystep destroying all natural nesting and breeding places: hollow trees,fallow land, thickets of shrubs, withered leaves on the garden grounds. Itpained me so when I read that. Not because of the song they sing forpeople, but rather it was the picture of the silent, irresistibleextinction of these defenseless little creatures which hurt me to the pointthat I had to cry. It reminded me of a Russian book which I read whilestill in Zurich, a book by Professor Sieber about the ravage of theredskins in North America. In exactly the same way, step by step, they havebeen pushed from their land by civilized men and abandoned to perishsilently and cruelly." ... Read more