Encyclopedia of Environment and Society
FIVE-VOLUME SET
- Paul Robbins - University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
Environmental Sciences (General)
The Encyclopedia of Environment and Society brings together multiplying issues, concepts, theories, examples, problems, and policies, with the goal of clearly explicating an emerging way of thinking about people and nature. With more than 1,200 entries written by experts from incredibly diverse fields, this innovative resource is a first step toward diving into the deep pool of emerging knowledge. The four volumes of this Encyclopedia represent more than a catalogue of terms. Rather they capture the spirit of the moment, a fascinating time when global warming and genetic engineering represent only two of the most obvious examples of socio-environmental issues.
Key Features
- Examines many new ideas about how the world works, what creates the daunting problems of our time, and how such issues might be addressed, whether by regulation, markets, or new ethics
- Demonstrates how theories of environmental management based on market efficiency may not be easily reconciled with those that focus on population, and both may certainly diverge from those centering on ethics, justice, or labor
- Offers contributions from experts in their fields of specialty including geographers, political scientists, chemists, anthropologists, medical practitioners, development experts, and sociologists, among many others
- Explores the emerging socio-environmental problems that we face in the next century as well as the shifting and expanding theoretical tools available for tackling these problems
- Covers regions of North America in greater detail but also provides a comprehensive picture that approaches, as effectively as possible, a cohesive global vision
Key Themes
- Agriculture
- Animals
- Biology and Chemistry
- Climate
- Conservation and Ecology
- Countries
- Geography
- History
- Movements and Regulations
- Organizations
- People
- Politics
- Pollution
- Society
Packed with essential and up-to-date information on the state of the global socio-environment, the Encyclopedia of Environment and Society is a time capsule of its historic moment, and a record of where we stand at the start of the 21st century, making it a must-have resource for any library. These inspiring volumes provide an opportunity for more new ways of thinking, behaving, and living in a more-than-human world.
“This superb interdisciplinary work should find a place on the shelves of every public and academic library that has the least bit of interest in environment issues—which should mean just about all.”
—Booklist (Starred Review)
"...As befits the topic, this beautifully packages, wonderfully illustrated, interdisciplinary resource has more than 1,200 entries written by specialists. A helpful reader's guide groups topics like agriculture, conservation and ecology, movements and regulations, politics, pollution, and society. A resource guide, chronology, glossary, and list of the UN's economic indicators complete the set."
“Nearly 300 scholars have contributed to this survey of socio-environmental issues. The consistent aim is to emphasize not just the interrelationships between the Earth’s natural environments and human society, but the inseparability of the two. This excellent guide will serve high school, public and academic libraries.”—Lawrence Looks at Books, Gale Reference Reviews
“The editor describes this work as sitting astride the imagined boundary between society and environment, reflecting new knowledge gained through understanding the ‘intense entanglement’ of human and nonhuman spheres, and transcending old dichotomies of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ approaches to legislation, economics, and societal challenges. The 1,200 entries vary in length from one column to several pages. Current, representative biographies, including appropriate Web-based resources, compensate for the entries’ brevity. Hundreds of entries for geographic and topographic features, nation-states, and political entries appear along with the seemingly random terms (e.g., democracy, expertise, fodder, humidity, livelihood, obesity, pragmatism), each of which is significant in socioenvironmental discourse.
The comprehensive index includes the names of some 1,000 individuals, agencies, organizations, and seminal book titles, plus 37 feature films noted for representations of nature. Cross-referencing to related entries is generous. A ‘Reader’s Guide’ groups entry titles by broad headings (‘Geography,’ ‘History,’ ‘Movements and Regulations,’ and more), providing helpful context. Inclusion of the complete set’s index is curious, as is the repetition of 19 colored maps at the beginning of each volume. Providing more content and depth would have been preferable to these duplications. This important work gives a well-focused snapshot of environmentalism in the early 21st Century, and it will remain valuable into the future both for its content and as a yardstick to measure progress toward sustainability and conservation. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and general readers.”
—CHOICE
