Customer Reviews (2)

Ecology at the heart of faith
This has been an eye opener for me.I'm being made aware of how closely everything created is connected and I'm viewing nature in a much more relation-based attitude.My cat has more meaning for me.I used to consider her a nuisance at times; now I realize that she needs relationship with me since she has no other cats to interact with.I'm gazing with awe at the insects "dancing in the autumn sunshine".They seem to be celebrating life.And this book certainly causes me to review the necessity to conserve energy.I can use my car less,I've gotten rid of my gas guzzler; I recycle paper, plastic and glass; buy my milk in returnable glass containers, etc.I highly recommend this as a great read for anyone who cares for the universe.We must change our attitudes and behavior before there is no recovery attainable.

Ecological Theology
In his latest book, Edwards offers "a partial sketch of how ecological conversion can find inspiration from within the traditions of Christian faith."

Based on the God-centered (not human-centered) teaching of the bible, he explores an ecological theology that honors and respects all creatures. Today, he suggests, many Christians accept care of creation as God's will, yet fail to see their actions as discipleship with Jesus. Jesus knew God was involved with every sparrow that falls to the ground, Edwards reminds us. Connecting the living memory of Jesus with the issues that confront the global community is essential if ecological action is to be seen "not only as ethically responsible but also as radically Christian."

He shares his vision of actions and attitudes that could result from a widespread conversion to this radical Christianity, carried out in all aspects of daily life as well as through public witness by the church. Among other changes, he sees a critical challenge to current economic and political practices and acceptance of the reality that resources of earth are finite and "current Western consumption patterns...bring death and destruction to other species in our planetary community life." Other topics Edwards addresses include writings on the future of the world by theologians Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Karl Rahner and an ecological theology of the Eucharist.

This timely, clearly written resource, with its strong summary chapter, extensive notes, and detailed index, is ideal for those wishing to further their understanding of the ecological icrisis facing our world and ways that we can make a difference today. The entire work or specific chapters could be used by families, small groups, or educators. ... Read more

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Today there is a bewildering diversity of views on ecology and the natural environment. With more than two hundred distinct and valuable perspectives on the natural world—and with scientists, economists, ethicists, activists, philosophers, and others often taking completely different stances on the issues—how can we come to agreement to solve our toughest environmental problems?

In response to this pressing need, Integral Ecology unites valuable insights from multiple perspectives into a comprehensive theoretical framework—one that can be put to use right now. The framework is based on Integral Theory, as well as Ken Wilber’s AQAL model, and is the result of over a decade of research exploring the myriad perspectives on ecology available to us today and their respective methodologies.


Dozens of real-life applications and examples of this framework currently in use are examined, including three in-depth case studies: work with marine fisheries in Hawai’i, strategies of eco-activists to protect Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, and a study of community development in El Salvador. In addition, eighteen personal practices of transformation are provided for you to increase your own integral ecological awareness. Integral Ecology provides the most sophisticated application and extension of Integral Theory available today, and as such it serves as a template for any truly integral effort. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ecology or Wilber Theory?
Four Stars * * * *
(unfortunately Amazon com doesn't provide the option for revising one's rating)

I had high hopes for this book.Both authors have impeccable credentials.Sean Esbjorn-Hargens has written some excellent articles introducing Wilber's multi-perspectival paradigm into mainstream academia.And Michael Zimmerman is an important environmental philosopher in his own right.Therefore, as someone who supports and contributes to the integral project, I was looking forward to reading this 800 page opus, which from the reviews seemed fascinating.I expected to find many perspectives here and many interdisciplinary thinkers and visionaries discussed, and their insights drawn upon.What I didn't expect to find, but perhaps should have expected, was such an unquestioning reliance on Wilberian theory alone.The two authors seem to have no presence of their own.

Even so, there are many good things about this work:

o For me the most valuable element in this book is the emphasise (as part of ist multi-perspectival methodology) on "interiors", that is, on the fact, always obvious to me but denied by mainstream science, that animals are not "objects" but have a rich inner life just as humans do.This then opens the way to many revolutionary insights involving inetrsubjectivity and cross-species communication. For its ground breaking contributions in this field alone, Integral Ecology is extremely important.

o And the multiperspectival approach to ecology is itself worth presentingm, and in this respect Integral Ecology constitutes the beginning of an important "paradigm shift" in science, moving away from an obsession with externals and objectivity only, to realization that objective reality and objective methodology is one of a number of perspectives.Within the context of pragmatic ecology, the multiperspectival theory means rejecting of limited approaches of development only, preservation only, and so on, while including the insights of each.

o One of the most intersting parts of the book is an all too short appendix which gives a brief listing of 200 different ecological perspectives, everything from Acoustic Ecology to Zoosemiotics.I would have preferred this section to have been several times longer then its 40-odd pages.

o As to be expected with the Integral community and the high standard they place on learning and on citations, the book is comprehensively and impressively researched, with 134 pages of footnotes as reference, very appealing to academic "geeks" like myself!

o I know this is rather trite, but I love the graphic showing the four aspects (quadrants) of the frog on the cover and the inside frontpiece.

o Finally, for anyone who is intersted in a synoptic overview of Wilber's increasingly elaborate and complex Integral Theory, but cannot be bothered reading the thousands of pages in print and online, this book can serve as an excellent primer, with clear text and useful diagrams.

But if I give this book four stars rather than the five it would certainly deserves from the above points, it is because of the following:

o as mentioned, an excessively uncritical tone as regards Mr Wilber himself. His name seems to appear on every second page, and you won't find a single challenge to even one of his ideas. This would be fine if this was a religious or hagiographic work, but it is an academic text. And even within the Wilber community itself those like Mark Edwards who, while sympathetic to Wilber, have positively critiqued his work, and suggested where his theory can be improved (and Wilber somewhere even praises Edwards' critiques).Michael Zimmerman has elsewhere (the Integral World website) provided a very readable synopsis of Edwards, so there is no reason that some of these critiques can't get at least a passing mention, considering how many pages are devoted to Wilber's ideas otherwise.

o Associated with the above is the fact that no one else but Wilber is considered in establishing the foundations for such an important field as integral ecology.The result is that integral ecology is reduced to nothing but a subset of Wilber's integral theory found in Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World and many other books.But I could think of Vladimir Vernadsky (The Biosphere: Complete Annotated Edition), James Lovelock (Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth and other books) and Erich Jantsch (Self Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications (Systems Science and World Order Library. Innovations in Systems Science)) as examples of interdisciplinary scientists,and Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo's Teaching & Method of Practice in philosophy and spirituality, and Oliver Reiser (Cosmic Humanism, sadly long out of print) in both science and philosophy.

o One thing I felt in reading this book is a certain cognitive disjunction.In some places it reads as a primer on Wilber's philosophy, in others as a textbook on Ecology.Both are equally referred to, but they are not integrated.It is like two totally unrelated books that somewhow became slpiced together.

o A poor understanding of hard science seems to be a problem with much of the Wilberian movement, which comes instead from a postmodern philosophical, transpersonal psychological, and Eastern spiritual perspective.Take Darwinian evolution.As it is well known that Wilber prefers Intelligent Design (see his A Brief History of Everything p.20 (2nd edition, Shambhala, 2000), and also Frank Visser's Integral World website), I was curious to see how Esbjorn-Hargens and Zimmerman would handle this touchy (for Wilberians) subject.Sure enough, Darwinian science gets a curt and dismissive coverage, e.g. "No one has any idea how such an enormously complex code [as DNA] could have arisen by chance encounters of amino acids.So daunting is the task of explaining DNA that the world-famous defender of atheism, Antony Flew, recently became a theist who now believes in the existence of a God..." (p.79)Now, mind you, the authors (like Wilber himself) are not denying the development of life itself, only the scientific explanation of how life evolves.Again, were this a religious or philosophical book there would be no problem.But for me at least the value of the book is diminished because of this.Integral Ecology has to include many things, and among those things is real science.

o Finally (and this is admittedly a small thing, but is I believe symptomatic of problems with this work as a whole, and of the whole Integral initiative established by Wilber), I found it rather surprising that on the top of the inside front flap there is a recommendation by Wilber "This is the finest book on ecology bar none".Well, he would recommend it, because it is so uncritically about his ideas!But one wonders at the culture of narcissism of the Integral Institute, that it is considered necessary to have the master recommend a book about himself.

In the end, what can I say about this book?Would I recommend it?

Yes I would, because despite its flaws (which reflect in microcosm the flaws of the Wilber Integral community as a whole), it still does constitute an important and groundbreaking work.If you are a fan of Wilber, it serves as a masterful if uncritical application of his ideas to the field of ecology.If you are interested in different approaches to ecology, I would also recommend it, as it does make a very good case for the value of multiple but equally valid perspectives, if you are not bothered by the excessive overburden of Wilber theory.Certainly it serves as a useful reference in either field.

But at the same time, a truely comprehensive Integral Ecology will have to wait until there is a wider synthesis of many different insights.It cannot be limited to just the theories of one man alone.

A remarkable integration of knowledge from many previous diverse fields
Integral Ecology gives us the first of major application of Ken Wilber's integral model beyond his own writings. Not surprisingly its scope and depth are vast, and the scholarship upon which it rests detailed and exquisite. This amazing investigation will be required reading and an invaluable resource for future ecologists for many years to come.

Allan Combs, author of the forthcoming Consciousness Explained Better; The Radiance of Being; Changing Visions (with Ervin Laszlo), etc.

Integral Ecology
I feel I must preface this review with a note that I am not an ecologist, environmental studies specialist, or educator in an environmentally related field. I am, however, quite familiar with integral theory as set out by Ken Wilber, as pertains to my own area of expertise. In addition to this, I have read a few of his articles that define and outline integral ecology.

Integral Ecology is an advanced text of study. It is suitable for those well read in either integral theory or environmental studies. It would likely be most useful as a advanced text in a university or college situation. The overall purpose of the book is to present the theory, show how it relates to environmental issues, and then integrate this new way of looking at potential issues into actual study.

In this way, the first part of the book presents Ken Wilber`s integral theory. I think the authors do a very good job of summarizing and clarifying this somewhat confusing and complex topic. Explained in the most simplistic terms, this philosophy recognizes that everyone has their own perspective and this perspective colors the way that each person views a particular situation. In this way, some may see an environmental calamity whereas others might not even see an issue. It's not as simply as educating others on such issues.

Parts two, three, and four, build upon the information presented in the previous section. Part two moves into more explanation of integral ecology, specifically framework definition and concepts that are important to grasp before moving onto more depth in the next section. Section three then examines how integral ecology would change the way environmental issues would be studied. Finally, the last portion of the book provides a number of interesting and informative case studies which not only illustrate this method of study in real life use but also help to further clarify issues and concepts.

Who said that, How'd they do that, What the --!
This was a very good book, and very readable if you have some familiarity with Ecology or with Wilber's theory; if you are lucky enough to be familiar with both this should be a walk in the park.
There is a great deal of material that the writers try to synthesize, so it is difficult to summarize the book adequately, but I'll try to give the bare bones version.
Ecological views consist of a WHO a WHAT and a HOW. The WHO is usually an individual or groups of individuals who are interested in the planet, the WHAT is the terrain they are interested in. The writers hold that perspectives are fundamental to all forms of knowledge, but like a good constructive postmodernist, they claim that a "good¨ perspective can lead to "real" knowledge.Thus a perspective a WHO takes (sometimes unreflectively) leads them to look at a specific dimension of the WHAT (a terrain) and ask HOW can I learn more about it? What are these terrains? Well theoretically they can me a huge amount but the writers focus on 4 major perspectives available to a WHO that have been explored historically.These are the I domain ("subjective realities of any being at all levels of its perception"), WE domain (inter-subjective realities of any being at all levels of its communion), IT ("objective realities at all levels of its organization"), ITS ("inter-objective realties of any being at all levels of its intersection").
Having just foreshadowed this point, all beings have depth and complexity. Depth can be mapped as levels of interior and cultural experience/meaning-communication respectively. Complexity shows up as emergent properties in the physical domain (physics, chemistry, biology to give most obvious example), and nested systems within systems in how objective properties relate to each other (most systems approaches are dealing with this).Interestingly the depth dimension in beings applies to both what we look at and who does the looking, i.e. the researcher/theorist and the "being" looked at.This view leads to the importance of the individual who is looking. Some time is spent at showing how interior depth is important in a person's ability to adequately engage certain approaches, since certain kinds of knowledge are only available by 1st person acquaintance. To really study the emotional lives of chimps, you probably shouldn't send someone with anti-personality disorder (or what use to be called a psychopath, sociopath); you want someone with a very developed sensitivity to the emotional domain in both its span (types of emotions) and depth (profundity/subtlety of emotions).The writers cover much more material in the levels of a Who that is simply too complex to summarize in this format, but hopefully the above gives you a sense for the direction they take.
A little summary so far from a diagram(p261) I domain (WHO: researcher, HOW: Comparative psychology, WHAT: Animal as psychologically structured organism), WE domain(WHO: researcher, HOW: long term field study, WHAT: animal as culturally regulated organism), IT domain(WHO: researcher, HOW: direct observation, WHAT: Animal as physical and behavioral organism), ITS (WHO: researcher, HOW Functional fit analysis, WHAT: Animal as system-bound organism).
These domains are then further subdivided into two each giving eight total. This is done because you can try to take an insider's or outsider's perspective relative to each domain. I'm just going to give examples: I domain divides into Zone 1(animal phenomenology/experience) and Zone 2(developmental Ethology, mental development of animals). The WE domain divides into Zone 3(Zoohermeneutics, animal interpretations), and Zone 4(Zooethnography, animal culture). The It domain divides into Zone 5(Cognitive Ethology, animal cognition, a field waiting for its own Pinker to popularize itselfº ) and Zone 6(Zoology, animal biology). The ITS domain divides into Zone 7(Biocybersemiotics, socio-communication) and Zone 8 (Socioecology (animal societies).
All this dividing and mapping is useful in getting a fuller, richer, and more accurate understanding of the environment and our relationship to it. Most theorists or researches tend to only include 1-3 of the eight possible views highlighted above and because they don't properly see the role of their Who and the HOW in enacting the WHAT they tend to take their WHAT as the only way to see it (reductionism) and their HOW as the only way to again knowledge about it (epistemological reductionism).
Also since they include depths of interiors in all beings they can and do talk about the spiritual implications of this view. There is much more detail to the theory then I was able to summarize. Also if you're left feeling this is too abstract to be applicable, blame me not the book.Half the book is concerned about what it means to apply/enact their perspective when dealing with ecological issues. It even includes three insightful case studies from three independent authors. There are numerous notes and citations to help the interested reader delve deeper into the topics mentioned. I appreciated the academic carefulness of the writers.They also classify around 200 ecological approaches within their eight domains. I hope integral books keeps coming out with such nice publications, and no I'm no academic, I'm just a curious dude.
Finally I think the book would appeal to two kinds of people: those who know a lot about ecology and are interested in bringing their knowledge into some sort of relatedness, and those who know Ken Wilber's integral theory and would like to see what it looks like when applied to a specific domain like ecology.

A Superb Synthesis
It is hard to do justice to this extraordinary book.Its scope is enormous, scholarship meticulous, degree of synthesis rare, and its spirit both inclusive and generous.

The book applies Ken Wilber's integral framework (the most inclusive and integrative conceptual framework currently available) to the field of ecology.It thereby manages to incorporate ideas and perspectives from more than 200 approaches to ecology.It does this by incorporating the contributions of each approach, while also identifying the partiality of each, and then going beyond them all to offer an inclusive, multidisciplinary (or actually transdisciplinary), multiperspectival synthesis.The result is an extremely impressive yet readable text that offers a superb, uniquely encompassing and synthetic overview of ecology.

... Read more

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Production of food fibre and fuel is vital for humanity, and as the world population continues to rise, demands on these resources is ever increasing. In a context of growing worldwide concern about sustainability and environmental impacts of cropland, grassland and forestry practices, this textbook provides an introduction to the processes that define the ecology and environment of plant production. Core principles are examined such as soil-plant relationships, genetic manipulation and diversity, yield and water requirements, as well as physical factors such as solar radiation, temperature and weather. Fully updated with new chapters on climate change and biofuels, this edition is an important text for students and researchers in agronomy, forestry, botany, ecology and environmental sciences.Praise for the first edition:'I highly recommend this book for undergraduate students in plant production courses. It is easy to read, well-structured and of high scientific levelalso useful for a more general readership'Scientia Horticulturae ... Read more

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This important new work--the first of its kind--focuses on the distribution patterns of landscape elements or ecosystems; the flows of animals, plants, energy, mineral nutrients and water; and the ecological changes in the landscape over time. Includes over 1,200 references from current ecology, geography, forestry, and wildlife biologcy literature. ... Read more

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A must for Landscape Architects
It's one of those books a landscape architect should have or read. ... Read more

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This book focuses on introduced plant species: their origins and impacts on native vegetation and ecosystems as well as the potential for their control. Aimed at advanced students and land managers concerned with plant community conservation, it includes practical explanations, case studies and an introduction to basic techniques for evaluating the impacts of invasive plants. ... Read more

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Buddhism is a tradition which has cultivated a profound sense of the interconnection of all life-forms in its doctrine of dependent origination. This teaching of interrelatedness may be a critical basis for the recovery of human reciprocity with nature and with all life-forms. This volume examines Buddhism's understanding of the intricate web of life. In noting the cultural diversity of Buddhism, it highlights aspects of the tradition which may be helpful in formulating an effective environmental ethics. It cites examples from both Asia and the United States of socially engaged Buddhist projects to protect the environment. Finally, the volume explores some of the theoretical and methodological issues involved in such a project. Elaborating upon topics introduced at a conference at the Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions, the authors analyze the prospects and the problems of using Buddhism as an environmental resource in both theory and practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to Buddhist environmentalism
This is a first rate academic introduction to Buddhist environmentalism. 'Buddhism and Ecology' is one of a series of volumes on world faiths and ecology produced by the Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions. It contains 19 essays from a variety of perspectives, all seeking to make a Buddhist contribution to the ongoing discussion of the environmental crisis.

While a number of essays are philosophical in nature, practical outcomes are not neglected. The essays consider Buddhism as practised in Thailand, Japan, India, America and elsewhere. Theravada, Mahayana and Zen traditions are specifically considered, as is 'engaged Buddhism'.

I would recommend this work as an excellent introduction to a continuing discussion, with only the following two reservations. First, most of the essays are written by American, or American based, authors. This is not necessarily a problem, and it reflects the nature of the conference which produced the papers presented here. But given the wealth of writers on Buddhism around the world, a greater breadth could have been represented. This leads to my second minor gripe, which is that there are no essays specifically on Tibetan Buddhism. This is a great shame, although, clearly, not everything can be considered, even in a fairly weighty tome such as this.

There is an extremely useful bibliography, and I now recommend this book to interested people, alongside 'Dharma Gaia', which covers similar ground, but in a more populist, less academic way. 'Dharma Rain' is another recent work covering similar ground in a slightly less academic fashion. ... Read more

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The best introduction to social ecology and communalism
As a dialectical thinker, Murray Bookchin (like such a distinguished social theorist as Karl Marx before him) developed his thoughts and ideas in accordance with the realities of his time. This book can be said to stand as Bookchin's final philosophical and political statement of views only in recognition of his death in 2006. Taken as a whole, Social Ecology and Communalism is an excellent introduction to both of the invariably woven topics. The brevity of the articles, along with Bookchin's concise yet rich writing style, make this a wonderful book for a study group/book club. Bookchin, here, continues to emphasize the persistent lessons serious radicals must learn from the past failing of socialist thought and action. In addition to the two previously published and now revised articles 'What is Social Ecology?' and 'The Communalist Project', two new articles appear with fresh insights and thoughts on radical politics heading into the 21st century. An excellent read.

Essays in Communalism
This collection, the last to be written during Murray Bookchin's life, is a basic introduction and overview to Bookchin's views and comments on anarchism, Marxism, ecology, and his own ideology of Communalism. It consists of four short essays: one on social ecology and its meaning, one which establishes Bookchin's idea of the separation of the concepts of the state and the public sphere, one on the state of the radical left in recent decades (this seems obligatory for any left-wing collection), and one on Communalism proper.

This booklet is, in my view, a mixed bag. On the one hand, Bookchin points out many interesting ideas, and makes many useful criticisms: he has correctly nothing but scorn for the spiritualism and 'lifestyle' approach of much of the modern environmentalist movements, he emphasizes the uselessness of trying to evade capitalist co-optation through withdrawals or communal living, radical lifestyles, etc., he argues against a one-sided approach to technology as some unmitigated evil, or against humans as if they were a parasitical species. As he says: "Capitalism has nothing to fear from an ecological, feminist, anarchist or socialist hash of hazy ideas (...) that leaves its social premises untouched."

On the other hand, a lot of Bookchin's ideas are themselves a hash of hazy ideas. His proposal of Communalism is based on idealistic and naive conceptions of citizenship and public virtue; he conceives of cities as possible 'poleis' in the Greek city-state style, where independent citizens come together to discuss and decide through direct democracy the issues of the day. This is a Kantian-Arendtian idea of the public sphere, which betrays not only an exaggeratedly positive and naive view of how the Athenian democracy actually worked (Bookchin admits its limitations in terms of voting rights and slavery, but does not see that the institutions themselves were hardly very democratic or effective either), but also indicates a hopeless idealism as regards current society. Bookchin argues: "In a Communalist way of life, conventional economics, with its focus on prices and scarce resources, would be replaced by ethics, with its concern for human needs and the good life. Human solidarity (...) would replace material gain and egotism." But not a word is said on how this is supposed to be achieved, except apparently by rejecting all existing left-wing movements and by "transcending its categories". We are left then to conclude that we should proceed through the method of moral appeals, a complete fallback to the level of utopian socialism; quite correctly refuted by Marx and Engels back in the day. (Speaking of which, Bookchin's criticisms of Marxism are equally weak.)

That is not to say that there is nothing useful in Bookchin's own choices of emphasis and new ideas, though. Bookchin may well have an interesting research idea when he points out that cities are more than just the locus of trade and bourgeois society, but that they also form a particular kind of community with a public sphere that is not found elsewhere, and where radicalism has its own history. His focus on the civil society and citizenship remind one of Hegel, and are in a sense more a foreshadowing of Marxism than a refutation. He also has a point when he says that the call for rule of law and constitutionalism, common in many historical radical movements, has been swept under the carpet by Marxists and anarchists alike, and deserves more examination.

As a critic Bookchin rhetorically strong and interesting. As a proponent of an alternative vision, not so much.

Another profound book from the pioneer of social ecology and libertarian municipalism!!!
For many decades, the late Murray Bookchin articulated a left libertarian vision of a rational ecological society and how we could achieve it. Arguing that ecological problems are rooted in social problems such as capitalism and the nation-state, Murray Bookchin's theory of social ecology is a radical departure from the misanthropy of deep ecology and the economic determinism of Marxism and classical anarchism. While Bookchin certainly has much to say about class exploitation, he manages nonetheless to transcend the workerist emphasis of much libertarian socialist theory by insisting that hierarchy in general, rather than just class, is the source of human misery and environmental destruction. Not only is this new anthology of essays an accessible introduction to social ecology, it is also a moving tribute to an important social thinker who revolutionized both ecology and political philosophy. Though late in life he chose communalism over anarchism per se, there's no denying the enormous impact his prolific writings have had on the anarchist movement. While all the essays in this book are thought-provoking and challenging, I most enjoyed the final essay, "The Communalist Project", which incidentally was the final essay he ever wrote. In this essay, Bookchin reflects upon the recent anti-corporate globalization protests and imparts his wisdom to the next generation of activists. Thank you Murray Bookchin for your life-long committment to social justice and the environment, and thank you AK Press for providing the world with such important literature! ... Read more

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This influential work is the most important and widely citedbook ever published in ecological anthropology. It is a classic case study of human ecology in a tribal society, the role of culture (especially ritual) in local and regional resource management, negative feedback, and the application of systems theory to an anthropological population. It is considered a major work of theory, yet it is also empirically grounded in Rappaport's meticulous collection of quantitative and qualitative data on such "material" matters as diet and energy expenditure, as well as such mental-cognitive-ideational domains as myth and folk taxonomies. Rappaport's tour de force is a recognized classic because it contributes in so many ways to anthropological theory, ethnographic methodology, ecological anthropology, and the anthropology of religion. This enlarged edition offers a carefully reasoned,empirically focused reassessment of Rappaport's original study in the context of ongoing theoretical and methodological problems. ... Read more

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Excellent Book
May well be the best book I've ever read about a pig related monetary system. ... Read more

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Physics and chemistry are distinguished from biology by the way generalizations are codified into theories tested by observation and experimentation. Some theories have been sufficiently tested to qualify as laws. In ecology, generalizations worthy of being called theories are less common because observations and experimentation are difficult and exceptions are more common. In this book, Walter K. Dodds enumerates generalizations in ecology. Introductory material describes how the practice of science in general, and ecology specifically, yields theories and laws. Dodds also discusses why such ideas are only useful if they have predictive ability, and delineates the scope of these generalizations and the constraints that limit their application. The result is a short book that delves deeply into important ecological ideas and how they predict and provide understanding. ... Read more

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This book presents a comprehensive overview of all aspects of ecology, including evolution, ecosystems theory, practical applications, plants, animals, biogeochemical cycles, and global change. This balanced approach has made Ecology and Field Biology, Sixth Edition the best-selling ecology book on the market. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great book for class, but...
The text itself is fine and wonderful for class but unfortunately as soon as I opened the book half the table of contents and preface can apart from the spine and the rest are just as easy to pull out.

Ecology Text
Textbook in great condition.Was here in a timely manner.Needed for a college course and will come in handy.

A Very Useful Book
For a book that attempts to survey such a vast field, this does a good job. I find myself picking it up for reference purposes at least once every few months. Clear, concise explanations of ecological concepts and plentiful illustrations make this a useful volume.

If you are actually interested in ecology (rather than just getting a textbook for a required course), this is one of those textbooks that you will probably end up keeping on the bookshelf rather than selling at the end of the semester.

Did not receive it, but got money back
I did not receive my book because it was out of stock.Some weeks later, I got my money back.

Great Deal
Fast delivery.Book was in great shape for a great price.Thanx! ... Read more

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In this age of increasing human domination of the Earth's biological and physical resources, a basic understanding of ecology is more important than ever. Students need a textbook that introduces them to the basic principles of ecological science, one that is relevant to today's world, and one that does not overwhelm them with detail and jargon.

Peter Cotgreave and Irwin Forseth have designed this book to meet the needs of these students, by providing a basic synthesis of how individual organisms interact with their physical environment, and with each other, to generate the complex ecosystems we see around us. The unifying theme of the book is biodiversity-its patterns, causes, and the growing worldwide threats to it.

Basic ecological principles are illustrated using clearly described examples from the current ecological literature. This approach makes the book valuable to all students studying ecology. Examples have been chosen carefully to represent as wide a range of ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic, northern and southern hemisphere) and life forms (animal, plant and microbe) as possible. Particular attention is paid to consequences of global change on organisms, populations, ecological communities and ecosystems. The end result is a text that presents a readable and persuasive picture of how the Earth's natural systems function, and how that functioning may change over the coming century.

Features include:
· strong coverage of applied and evolutionary ecology
· applications of ecology to the real world
· a question-orientated approach
· the only comprehensive treatment of ecology written for the introductory student
· an emphasis on definitions of key words and phrases
· an integration of experimental, observational and theoretical material
· examples drawn from all over the world and a wide variety of organisms
· a logical structure, building from the response of individual organisms to physical factors, through population growth and population interactions, to community structure and ecosystem function
· suggested further reading lists for each chapter
· boxes to explain key concepts in more depth
· dedicated textsite featuring additional information and teaching aids www.blackwellpublishing.com/cotgreave

Peter Cotgreave is an animal ecologist who has worked for the University of Oxford and the Zoological Society of London. His research interests centre on abundance and rarity within animal communities. Irwin Forseth is a plant physiological ecologist who has taught introductory ecology and plant ecology at the University of Maryland since 1982. His research focuses on plant responses to the environment. The authors have studied organisms as diverse as green plants, insects and mammals in habitats from deserts to tropical rainforests. They have worked in ecological research and education in Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean. ... Read more

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The underlying premise of this study is captured in the first verse of Psalm 24, which states that "the earth is the Lord's" and no one else's. This is a major theological tenet that undergirds the biblical tradition. Insights from contemporary science prompt us to look anew at our understanding of the natural balance within the universe and at humankind as a manifestation of life within that universe. Theology calls us to reexamine the role that worship plays in our acknowledgment of these realities. After a discussion of some scientific principles, the book examines several biblical themes in order to discover how they might help to fashion a liturgical perspective that is faithful to biblical faith and contemporary in its eco-sensitivity. ... Read more

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Covers the topics of major interest in contemporary research: life-history evolution; kin selection and inclusive fitness; and the evolution of sex and sexual selection. The text should be suitable for any course which explores theoretical models of evolutionary ecology from first principles. ... Read more

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Over the last year, the world has seen some cataclysmic changes. Eastern Europe is no longer yoked with Soviet communism, Germany is again a single, powerful nation, and Russia itself is pursuing a free-market economy at an almost frantic pace.Yet as we focus on the triumph of democracy, it is easy to overlook the potentially catastrophic changes that face the world environment, changes that are inextricably linked to the workings of the political and economic institutions of our time.Beyond Interdependence builds upon the Brundtland Commission's landmark report Our Common Future, a book that has been hailed as "the most important document of the decade on the future of the world" and has sold over one-half million copies in nineteen foreign languages.Dr. Jim MacNeill, the principal author of both works, has in this latest study extended the Commission's analysis of the critical relationships between the global environment, the world economy, and the international order.Together with his eminent colleagues, Pieter Winsemius and Taizo Yakushiji, MacNeill shows that while our global economy and ecology have become completely interlocked, they have remained separate in our institutions, and in the minds of our policymakers.The result is a wide range of domestic and international policies that are accelerating the depletion of Earth's basic ecological (and economic) capital--its rivers, lakes, and oceans, its soils and forests, its flora and fauna, and its ozone shield.These short-sighted policies also threaten us in the next century with a greater rise in global warming and sea level than have occurred in the ten-thousand years since the last ice age. The authors argue that this environmental degradation and resource depletion will be the principal source of interstate conflict in the post-cold war world.Providing a fresh analysis of the issues of global change, and taking into account such recent events as the tidal-shift in East/West relations and the G7 Economic Summit in Houston, Beyond Interdependence shows how industrialized nations can take unilateral action to address environmental threats while improving macroeconomic efficiency and international competitiveness.It also demonstrates how developed nations can negotiate a series of mutually advantageous "bargains" with Eastern European and Third World nations.With its incisive analysis and far-reaching recommendations for policy reform, Beyond Interdependence shows us how we can act urgently but intelligently to advance our common future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

one of the best texts for business challenges-sustainability
This book reviewed by Pieter Winsemius has practical knowledge on how to tackle the enviromental challanges our industries will have to face in the yers ahead to be profitable and sustainable. ERfficiency, effectiveness andequity are the key terms. ... Read more

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Using an energy systems language that combines energetics, kinetics, information, cybernetics, and simulation, Ecological and General Systems compares models of many fields of science, helping to derive general systems principles.

First published as Systems Ecology in 1983, Ecological and General Systems proposes principles of self-organization and the designs that prevail by maximizing power and efficiency. Comparisons to fifty other systems languages are provided. Innovative presentations are given on earth homeostasis (Gaia); the inadequacy of presenting equations without network relationships and energy constraints; the alternative interpretation of high entropy complexity as adaptive structure; basic equations of ecological economics; and the energy basis of scientific hierarchy.

Part I introduces energetics, hierarchy, and systems modeling. Part II features design elements: intersections, autocatalytic modules, loops, series, parallel elements, and webs. Part III includes embodied energy, spectra of energy quality, temperature, complexity, spatial distribution, and diversity. Part IV discusses production, consumption, ecosystems, succession, economic systems, anthropological models, urban and regional models, global biogeochemistry, and the universe. ... Read more