The Earth: natural history: general interest Books

Book SynopsisBack from the Collapse covers the evolution, Euro-American-driven collapse, and large-scale restoration of Great Plains wildlife through efforts by the nonprofit organization American Prairie to assemble a protected area of 3.2 million acres on the plains of northeast Montana.Trade Review"This book would be an excellent addition to courses in ecology, conservation, and natural resource management, and will also interest naturalists and professional land managers working and living in the region."—A. L. Mayer, Choice"In Back from the Collapse: American Prairie and the Restoration of Great Plains Wildlife, Freese convinces us that the reintroduction of wildlife in the Great Plains is necessary and good by giving us the history of our planet earth and the Great Plains, by describing a thriving ecosystem that was destroyed by hunting, ranching and farming, and by recounting American Prairie's restoration successes."—Natalia Nebel, NewCity Lit“Grasslands are crucial to Earth’s biological diversity. North America once had a bounteous share. No one is better qualified to tell the story of such prairie ecosystems—the disruption of their dynamics, the collapse of their wildlife populations, and the vital possibility of saving and restoring them—than Curt Freese. This is an important, fascinating book.”—David Quammen, author of The Tangled Tree and Breathless“Curt Freese brings our nation’s ecologically rich but too-long-overlooked grasslands into sharp focus. He delivers a well-researched and approachably written account of the collapse of Great Plains wildlife populations and a challenge to readers—to envision the role that large protected areas can play in biodiversity conservation, especially in the face of climate change.”—Alison Piper Fox, chief executive officer of American PrairieTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps List of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1: History Chapter 1: How It Started Chapter 2: From Sea, Ice, and Forest Emerges a Prairie Chapter 3: From the End of One Faunal Collapse to the Dawn of Another Chapter 4: From Euro-American Settlement to Today Part 2: Wildlife Collapses and Recoveries Chapter 5: American Beaver and River Otter Chapter 6: Ungulates Chapter 7: Carnivores Chapter 8: Rocky Mountain Locust Chapter 9: Black-tailed Prairie Dog and Black-footed Ferret Chapter 10: Pallid Sturgeon and Other Fish Stories Chapter 11: Grassland Birds Part 3: Conclusion Chapter 12: Where We’ve Been and Where We Need to Go Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn The Carpathians, Patrice M. Dabrowski narrates how three highland ranges of the mountain system found in present-day Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine were discovered for a broader regional public. This is a story of how the Tatras, Eastern Carpathians, and Bieszczady Mountains went from being terra incognita to becoming the popular tourist destinations they are today. It is a story of the encounter of Polish and Ukrainian lowlanders with the wild, sublime highlands and with the indigenous highlandersGórale, Hutsuls, Boikos, and Lemkosand how these peoples were incorporated into a national narrative as the territories were transformed into a native/national landscape.The set of microhistories in this book occur from about 1860 to 1980, a time in which nations and states concerned themselves with the frontier at the edge. Discoverers not only became enthralled with what were perceived as their own highlands but also availed themselves of the mountainTrade ReviewThe Carpathians is, in many ways, a pioneering effort, one that will hopefully put the Carpathians back on historians' mental maps and pave the way for further studies. * History:Reviews of New Books *Dabrowski is admirably open-minded and even-handed in explaining the perspectives of different actors and the visions of the highlands that they articulated. While engaging in ongoing, nuanced exploration of the relationship between the local and the national, she is attentive to those, such as the Jewish residents of the region, who could never quite speak on behalf of either local society or the nation but nonetheless played significant roles in the mutual constitution of both * H-net Poland *Patrice M. Dabrowski has written an excellent book on a topic that has been long neglected. With the publication of The Carpathians, this major mountain range is finally beginning to catch up with the Alps and the Pyrenees as another kind of borderland that offers scholars a unique perspective on the development of modern national identities and everyday life. * Slavic Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: The Tatra Mountains of Galicia 1. Where Freedom Awaits 2. On the Mountain Pass 3. Transforming the Tatras 4. Turn-of-the-Century Innovations Part II: The Eastern Carpathians of Galicia and the Second Polish Republic 5. The Hutsul Region and the Hand of Civilization 6. The Advent of the Railway 7. A New Alpine Club 8. A Poland of Regions Part III: The Bieszczady Mountains of the Polish People's Republic 9. A Novel Wilderness 10. Tourism for the Masses 11. Battling for the Soul of the Bieszczady 12. Power, Ecology, and the Public Sphere Conclusion

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Book SynopsisPhiladelphia Trees is a pocket-sized resource for identifying the native trees, commonly encountered exotics, and popular ornamentals of the Philadelphia metropolitan area and adjacent counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Each of the 118 tree-identification entries features a description of a tree species or several related species; a list of places to see specimens; individual photos of leaves, bark, fruits, and seeds; striking portrait photos; and winter-silhouette drawings. The guide also contains a section on more than fifty of the best parks, botanical gardens, and preserves for viewing trees in and around Philadelphia. Included in this section are ten maps identifying specific trees in such places as Fairmount Park, one of the world’s largest urban parks, and the Morris Arboretum, the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A third section, “Great Trees of Philadelphia,” highlights fifty special, historic, and record-breaking trees. Using this field guide, nature lovers will be able to identify and locate the fantastic trees that this unique region, sometimes called “the cradle of American horticulture,” has to offer.

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Book SynopsisNatural Designs chronicles the life and work of the earliest and most influential Spanish historian of the New World, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo (1478–1557). Through a combination of biography and visual and textual analysis, Elizabeth Gansen explores how Oviedo, in his writings, brought the European Renaissance to bear on his understanding of New World nature. Oviedo learned much from the humanists with whom he came into contact in the courtly circles of Spain and Italy, including Giovanni Battista Ramusio and Pietro Bembo, and witnessed Christopher Columbus regaling Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand with news from his inaugural voyage to the Indies. Fascinated by the Caribbean flora and fauna Oviedo encountered on his arrival to the Caribbean in 1514, he made them the protagonists of his writings on the Indies. From his consumption of the prickly pear cactus, which led him to believe his death was imminent, to the behavior of the iguana, which defied his efforts to determine if the lizard was fish or flesh, his works reveal the challenges at the heart of Spain’s encounter with the biological wonders of the Americas. Natural Designs foregrounds Oviedo’s role as a writer, illustrator, and editor of New World nature. As much as Oviedo is credited as a pioneer in the literary genre of American natural history, his contributions to early modern conceptions of the flora and fauna of the Indies are still not widely understood and appreciated. Gansen situates us in the early sixteenth century to reappraise the works of the Spanish historian who first shaped these realities.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive work on Minnesota’s natural history and ecology—updated, expanded, and copiously illustrated to account for profound changes to the state’s natural landscape over the past twenty-five years The story of Minnesota’s natural landscape, reaching back to the time of the glaciers, covers at least 12,000 years. Yet even against that vast expanse, recent decades have significantly transformed the natural world that is Minnesota’s greatest resource. In the twenty-five years since the first publication of Minnesota’s Natural Heritage, the definitive volume on the state’s natural history and ecology, human activity and climate change have profoundly altered the major ecosystems that give our state its rich and varied character. The second edition of Minnesota’s Natural Heritage introduces readers to these ecosystems—the lakes and rivers, forests and prairies, farmlands and wetlands—and explains how they have come to be, how they function, and how they have changed so rapidly and dramatically in recent years. Full-color illustrations document the state’s striking natural beauty in all its vigor and fragility, while maps, drawings, diagrams, and graphs amplify points of historical, ecological, and geological interest. The most complete treatment of Minnesota’s natural environment, compiled and accessibly written by scientists whose collective knowledge spans the book’s expansive content, Minnesota’s Natural Heritage is the one indispensable companion for both visitors and inhabitants, as enlightening to page through as it is valuable to study.Trade Review"Anyone with a deep affection for Minnesota’s natural resources, highly seasonal and variable climate, diverse ecosystems, and beautiful landscapes should read the second edition of Minnesota’s Natural Heritage. This book chronicles the evolution of our state’s natural systems and the challenges of sustainably managing them in the context of climate change. It should be part of every home reference library."—Mark Seeley, author of Minnesota Weather Almanac"This second edition of Minnesota's Natural Heritage is just as engaging as the first and is supported with beautiful photos, illustrations, and graphs. But now readers learn of new and serious threats facing Minnesota’s prairies, forests, and waters. Will we restore and protect this natural legacy for future generations? For anyone who cares about nature, this book is a must read."—Peggy Ladner, former director, The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota"Dr. Tester was my favorite professor at the University of Minnesota. I bought his book’s first edition immediately when it came out, and I have waited with anticipation for the update. It does not disappoint. His immense knowledge of ecology and of Minnesota are in full display and in a voice that everyone can understand. Outstanding!"—Tom Landwehr, executive director, Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters"John R. Tester and colleagues’ new edition inspires Minnesotans—and others who appreciate this great state—with information about our precious natural resources, including ways to protect and restore them from long-standing environmental problems and new challenges such as climate change. The book explores each of the biomes in Minnesota, listing the species and ecology one can find there and the ways we can work to restore its glory."—Jessica Hellmann, director, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota"Well organized and infused with amazing photographs of the landscape and wildlife that makes this area so special."—Rochester Post-Bulletin "With lovely photos, illustrations, and tables of information, this is a great book for the cabin owner or traveling summer cabin user to enjoy whether checking a specific topic or settling down with a long read."—Ely Echo"The book takes definitive looks at our landscape, climate and weather, forests, prairie, wet-lands, lakes, streams and rivers. It concludes with important comment on the future of this marvelous state, and how we should care for it."—Star Tribune Table of ContentsContentsPreface to the Second EditionPreface to the First EditionAcknowledgments1. The LandscapeGeologic HistoryChanging Landscapes Since GlaciationThe Present Landscape2. Climate and WeatherSolar RadiationTemperaturePrecipitationCloudsWindObserved Climate Change3. Principles of EcologyEnvironmentEcosystem Structure and FunctionPopulations and Communities4. Deciduous ForestDeciduous Forest EcologyAnimals and Community InteractionsForest Management and Conservation in Minnesota5. Northern Coniferous ForestNorthern Coniferous Forest EcologyAnimals and Community InteractionsPresent Status of the Northern Coniferous Forest6. Tallgrass PrairiePrairie Forest BorderTallgrass Prairie EcologyAnimals and Community InteractionsPresent Status of the Tallgrass Prairie7. WetlandsPrairie WetlandsAnimals and Community Interactions in Prairie WetlandsPeatlandsAnimals and Community Interactions in PeatlandsOther Wetlands Occurring in MinnesotaPresent Status of Wetlands8. LakesFormation and DistributionPhysical and Chemical CharacteristicsLake CommunitiesEcosystem FunctionAnimals and Community InteractionsMinnesota’s LakesPresent Status of Minnesota’s Lakes9. Streams and RiversOrigins of Streams and RiversPhysical and Chemical CharacteristicsStream CommunitiesEcosystem FunctionRiver Continuum ConceptAnimals and Community InteractionsMinnesota’s Streams and RiversPresent Status of Minnesota’s Streams and Rivers10. The FutureStemming Habitat LossFeeding a Growing Human Population SustainablyAdapting to a Changing ClimateReversing the Spread of Invasive SpeciesReducing Damaging Chemicals in the EnvironmentRecovering Threatened Species PopulationsPlanning Statewide Conservation ActionRestoring EcosystemsA Perspective to Live WithAppendixesA. Counties and Major Rivers in MinnesotaB. Trees and Shrubs Found in MinnesotaC. Common Herbs Found in MinnesotaD. Mammals Found in MinnesotaE. Birds Breeding in MinnesotaF. Amphibians and Reptiles Found in MinnesotaG. Fishes Found in MinnesotaH. Metric Equivalents of English Weights and MeasuresLiterature CitedPermissionsIndex

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Book SynopsisHow Japanese coastal residents and transnational conservationists collaborated to foster relationships between humans and sea life Drawing the Sea Near opens a new window to our understanding of transnational conservation by investigating projects in Okinawa shaped by a “conservation-near” approach—which draws on the senses, the body, and memory to collapse the distance between people and their surroundings and to foster collaboration and equity between coastal residents and transnational conservation organizations. This approach contrasts with the traditional Western “conservation-far” model premised on the separation of humans from the environment.Based on twenty months of participant observation and interviews, this richly detailed, engagingly written ethnography focuses on Okinawa’s coral reefs to explore an unusually inclusive, experiential, and socially just approach to conservation. In doing so, C. Anne Claus challenges orthodox assumptions about nature, wilderness, and the future of environmentalism within transnational organizations. She provides a compelling look at how transnational conservation organizations—in this case a field office of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Okinawa—negotiate institutional expectations for conservation with localized approaches to caring for ocean life. In pursuing how particular projects off the coast of Japan unfolded, Drawing the Sea Near illuminates the real challenges and possibilities of work within the multifaceted transnational structures of global conservation organizations. Uniquely, it focuses on the conservationists themselves: why and how has their approach to project work changed, and how have they themselves been transformed in the process?Trade Review"This is a fascinating, original, and important ethnography of how conservation can decolonize itself and the multiple benefits of doing so. In thought-provoking and clear prose, C. Anne Claus has provided a sympathetic and challenging account that will be warmly welcomed by anyone working with, on, or for conservation. It is especially interesting for anyone who wants to better understand how large conservation organizations like the WWF function—and change."—Dan Brockington, author of Fortress Conservation and Nature Unbound "Claus’ book offers a most captivating and original ethnographic study that brings together several important topics that have hitherto not been put into dialogue, like the way different boarders - ecological, linguistic, social, sensorial- are linked and function as agents in the reconfiguration of human lives."—Contemporary Japan "Through rich ethnographic engagement with conservationists, and local practices that could be glimpsed through the beautiful interludes, this book is an invaluable contribution to scholarly efforts to decolonise conservation that, ultimately, draws the sea near to the readers themselves."—Ethos: Journal of Anthropology "An important contribution of anthropological ethnography to the studies of conservation and environmentalism. Concise yet enriching discussions of Japanese and Okinawan center–peripheral relations also make this ethnography an excellent case study and teaching resource for contemporary Japanese society and environmental politics."—American Anthropologist"The book’s clear prose offers an account of a case study that will certainly be engaging for many environmental scholars across disciplines. We are fortunate Claus made the ethnography personal - storifying it ensures that broader audiences are not deprived of the clear writing and important takeaways of Drawing the Sea Near."—Electronic Green Journal"In her new book, C. Anne Claus introduces some of the activities of marine conservation NGOs on the islands of Ishigaki and Okinawa. The result is an original, ethnographically rich, and convincingly interdisciplinary monograph of interest not only to environmental anthropologists and Okinawan studies scholars, but also to scholars working in development studies, political ecology, and nature conservation more broadly. "—Japan Review"The beauty of the volume lies in it moving beyond simply presenting egregious failures of transnational conversation, as such critiques are already well-documented in the literature, to presenting methodical, well-researched, and rich ethnographic detail that highlights the history of conversation and the need for equity and social justice. The author does so with descriptions and detail that easily conjure up the colours and flavours of the sea and local peoples. "—Anthropological ReviewTable of ContentsContentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Drawing Near1. The Airport Problem: Transnational Politics at Japan’s EdgeA Song of Scientific Pluralism2. Satoumi: Localism, Environmentalism, and the Development of an Oceanic SocionatureShiraho’s Nearshore Sea (ino)3. Conservation in Collaboration: Transforming Practices at World Wide Fund for Nature’s Field StationSeeing the Sea4. Gustatory Engagements: The Taste of Okinawa’s SeaGods and Ghosts of the Sea5. Transnational Conservation: Compositions, Circumventions, and ConflictsSea Stories6. Touching and Smelling: Challenging Scientific Authority in Coral EncountersAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisExploring one of the greatest potential contributors to climate change—thawing permafrost—and the anxiety of extinction on an increasingly hostile planet Climate scientists point to permafrost as a “ticking time bomb” for the planet, and from the Arctic, apocalyptic narratives proliferate on the devastating effects permafrost thaw poses to human survival. In Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood, Charlotte Wrigley considers how permafrost—and its disappearance—redefines extinction to be a lack of continuity, both material and social, and something that affects not only life on earth but nonlife, too.Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood approaches the topic of thawing permafrost and the wild new economies and mitigation strategies forming in the far north through a study of the Sakha Republic, Russia’s largest region, and its capital city Yakutsk, which is the coldest city in the world and built on permafrost. Wrigley examines people who are creating commerce out of thawing permafrost, including scientists wishing to recreate the prehistoric “Mammoth steppe” ecosystem by eventually rewilding resurrected woolly mammoths, Indigenous people who forage the tundra for exposed mammoth bodies to sell their tusks, and government officials hoping to keep their city standing as the ground collapses under it. Warming begets thawing begets economic activity— and as a result, permafrost becomes discontinuous, both as land and as a social category, in ways that have implications for the entire planet. Discontinuity, Wrigley shows, eventually evolves into extinction.Offering a new way of defining extinction through the concept of “discontinuity,” Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood presents a meditative and story-focused engagement with permafrost as more than just frozen ground.Trade Review "A myth-busting, pioneering ride through climactic upheaval in the Russian Arctic, where extinction is not an end but a becoming. Charlotte Wrigley’s tales of life and matter, death and survival co-mingle, surprise, disrupt, and provoke. Masterful riffs about time across scales reimagine worlds beyond the hubris of scientific technofixes and other false promises of redemption."—Jennifer E. Telesca, author of Red Gold: The Managed Extinction of the Giant Bluefin Tuna "Charlotte Wrigley challenges what we know—or think we know—about permafrost, the finality of extinction, and the role humans play in the Anthropocene. An engaging and thought-provoking read."—Jonathan C. Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl "Grounded in the permafrost landscapes of northern Siberia, Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood traverses issues fundamental to our time: the meanings of extinction, the experiences of earth-shaking change, the seductions of engineering both genetic and geological. Told through the many lives—and possible death—of permafrost, Charlotte Wrigley’s theoretically rich narrative pushes us to imagine better worlds."—Bathsheba Demuth, author of Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait "Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood rewards its readers with its sensory experience and its philosophical meditations, arming them with new questions with which to challenge their own slow-churning surroundings."—Science Magazine "Wrigley’s sustained and disparate application of the notion of discontinuity to a wide array of environmental questions makes for a sophisticated, thought-provoking, and often brilliant exploration that enriches scholars’ understandings of how non-living entities can intrude into human endeavors in unexpected ways."—Andy Bruno, The Russian Review

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Book SynopsisExploring one of the greatest potential contributors to climate change—thawing permafrost—and the anxiety of extinction on an increasingly hostile planet Climate scientists point to permafrost as a “ticking time bomb” for the planet, and from the Arctic, apocalyptic narratives proliferate on the devastating effects permafrost thaw poses to human survival. In Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood, Charlotte Wrigley considers how permafrost—and its disappearance—redefines extinction to be a lack of continuity, both material and social, and something that affects not only life on earth but nonlife, too.Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood approaches the topic of thawing permafrost and the wild new economies and mitigation strategies forming in the far north through a study of the Sakha Republic, Russia’s largest region, and its capital city Yakutsk, which is the coldest city in the world and built on permafrost. Wrigley examines people who are creating commerce out of thawing permafrost, including scientists wishing to recreate the prehistoric “Mammoth steppe” ecosystem by eventually rewilding resurrected woolly mammoths, Indigenous people who forage the tundra for exposed mammoth bodies to sell their tusks, and government officials hoping to keep their city standing as the ground collapses under it. Warming begets thawing begets economic activity— and as a result, permafrost becomes discontinuous, both as land and as a social category, in ways that have implications for the entire planet. Discontinuity, Wrigley shows, eventually evolves into extinction.Offering a new way of defining extinction through the concept of “discontinuity,” Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood presents a meditative and story-focused engagement with permafrost as more than just frozen ground.Trade Review "A myth-busting, pioneering ride through climactic upheaval in the Russian Arctic, where extinction is not an end but a becoming. Charlotte Wrigley’s tales of life and matter, death and survival co-mingle, surprise, disrupt, and provoke. Masterful riffs about time across scales reimagine worlds beyond the hubris of scientific technofixes and other false promises of redemption."—Jennifer E. Telesca, author of Red Gold: The Managed Extinction of the Giant Bluefin Tuna "Charlotte Wrigley challenges what we know—or think we know—about permafrost, the finality of extinction, and the role humans play in the Anthropocene. An engaging and thought-provoking read."—Jonathan C. Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World’s Largest Owl "Grounded in the permafrost landscapes of northern Siberia, Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood traverses issues fundamental to our time: the meanings of extinction, the experiences of earth-shaking change, the seductions of engineering both genetic and geological. Told through the many lives—and possible death—of permafrost, Charlotte Wrigley’s theoretically rich narrative pushes us to imagine better worlds."—Bathsheba Demuth, author of Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait "Earth, Ice, Bone, Blood rewards its readers with its sensory experience and its philosophical meditations, arming them with new questions with which to challenge their own slow-churning surroundings."—Science Magazine "Wrigley’s sustained and disparate application of the notion of discontinuity to a wide array of environmental questions makes for a sophisticated, thought-provoking, and often brilliant exploration that enriches scholars’ understandings of how non-living entities can intrude into human endeavors in unexpected ways."—Andy Bruno, The Russian Review

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Book SynopsisLife on Earth is facing a mass extinction event of our own making. Human activity is changing the biology and the meaning of extinction. What Is Extinction? examines several key moments that have come to define the terms of extinction over the past two centuries, exploring instances of animal and human finitude and the cultural forms used to document and interpret these events. Offering a critical theory for the critically endangered, Joshua Schuster proposes that different discourses of limits and lastness appear in specific extinction events over time as a response to changing attitudes toward species frailty. Understanding these extinction events also involves examining what happens when the conceptual and cultural forms used to account for species finitude are pressed to their limits as well. Schuster provides close readings of several case studies of extinction that bring together environmental humanities and multispecies methods with media-specific analyses at the terminus of life. What Is Extinction? delves into the development of last animal photography, the anthropological and psychoanalytic fascination with human origins and ends, the invention of new literary genres of last fictions, the rise of new extreme biopolitics in the Third Reich that attempted to change the meaning of extinction, and the current pursuit of de-extinction technologies. Schuster offers timely interpretations of how definitions and visions of extinction have changed in the past and continue to change in the present.Table of ContentsIntroduction | 1 Part I 1 Photographing the Last Animal | 43 2 Indigeneity and Anthropology in Last Worlds | 69 Part II 3 Literary Extinctions and the Existentiality of Reading | 109 4 Concepts of Extinction in the Holocaust | 134 Part III 5 Critical Theory for the Critically Endangered | 167 6 What Is De-Extinction? | 198 Conclusion | 231 Acknowledgments | 247 Notes | 251 Index | 279

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Book SynopsisJabbour Douaihy’s Autumn Equinox is a diary of a young man recently resettled in his Lebanese village after going to college in the United States. It continues from the end of May through the September equinox of 1986, narrating his efforts to remake himself through adjustments to his reading, writing, and eating habits, his dress, his posture, his family relationships, his love life. . . . The diary begins with a view of an Israeli bombing in South Lebanon and ends with a description of refugee families fleeing to the mountain villages. Otherwise, except for allusions to what is going on in the capital, the Lebanese Civil War is far from the story, although its violence has never been far from this village. America, personified by a Lara who does not answer his letters, is a faraway land of nostalgia. The village is here, at the center of the young man’s narration, peopled by comic characters who seem to insist on their own unchanging selfhoods and to resist his attempts to be different. The Civil War and the Occupation, the author seems to be saying, are not the only sources of turmoil. Violence and revenge have been part of the people’s consciousness, and people might indeed need to redefine themselves while at the same time adjusting to the environment.

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Book SynopsisExamines the lure of mountains in German literature, philosophy, film, music, and culture from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century. Mountains have always stirred the human imagination, playing a crucial role in the cultural evolution of peoples around the globe and becoming infused with meaning in the process. Beyond their geographical-geological significance,mountains affect the topography of the mind, whether as objects of peril or attraction, of spiritual enlightenment or existential fulfillment, of philosophical contemplation or aesthetic inspiration. This volume challenges the oversimplified assumption that human interaction with mountains is a distinctly modern development, one that began with the empowerment of the individual in the wake of Enlightenment rationalism and Romantic subjectivity. These essays by European and North American scholars examine the lure of mountains in German literature, philosophy, film, music, and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, with a focus on the interaction between humans and the alpineenvironment. The contributors consider mountains not as mere symbolic tropes or literary metaphors, but as constituting a tangible reality that informs the experiences and ideas of writers, naturalists, philosophers, filmmakers,and composers. Overall, this volume seeks to provide multiple answers to questions regarding the cultural significance of mountains as well as the physical practice of climbing them. Contributors: Peter Arnds, Olaf Berwald, Albrecht Classen, Roger Cook, Scott Denham, Sean Franzel, Christof Hamann, Harald Höbusch, Dan Hooley, Peter Höyng, Sean Ireton, Oliver Lubrich, Anthony Ozturk, Caroline Schaumann, Heather I. Sullivan, Johannes Türk, Sabine Wilke, Wilfried Wilms. SEAN IRETON is Associate Professor of German at the University of Missouri. CAROLINE SCHAUMANN is Professor of German Studies at Emory University.Trade Review[E]xcellent coverage of the part played by mountaineering and its representations in the recuperation of German self-esteem post-1918, and into the evolution of the Bergfilm after 1945. . . . What makes mountain space so interesting from the point of view of the imagination - one of many insights available here -- are the ways in which time can be figured in it . . . . [A] collection whose historical depth and breadth of reference make it a resource for scholars of the spatial imagination. * FORUM FOR MODERN LANGUAGE STUDIES *[A]n invaluable and intellectually lively contribution to a growing international scholarship on the cultural significance of mountains. * ECOZON *[T]urns what could have been a tired exercise in Toposforschung into an absorbing and insightful investigation of geology, history, and culture. . . . Overall, reading this book is in many respects just like climbing a mountain: . . . because, in the end, one can look back and contemplate a magnificent view. * JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES *[Gives] extensive, insightful treatment to shifting discursive, cultural, and political valences of mountains in the German imagination. . . . [T]he range of the collection is quite broad. Nonetheless, the . . . essays on poetry, film, literature, and music address a set of related questions. . . . [T]o be praised not only for being the first to treat the cultural meaning of mountains so extensively, but also for tracing their meanings in such variety and depth. . . . Recommended. * CHOICE *In summary? To be sure--to stay with the metaphor - no first ascent, but an impressive high mountain tour that as it goes on opens vistas on not-yet-climbed routes. * GERMAN STUDIES REVIEW *An excellent example of a variety of approaches in interdisciplinary environmental humanities, the volume presents an informative and critical addition to the study of nature representation in German culture . . . . * WOMEN IN GERMAN NEWSLETTER *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Meaning of Mountains: Geology, History, Culture - Sean Ireton and Caroline Schaumann Prelude: Classical Mountain Landscapes and the Language of Ascent - Dan Hooley Terra Incognita? Mountains in Medieval and Early Modern German Literature - Albrecht Classen From Meadows to Mountaintops: Albrecht von Haller's"Die Alpen" - Caroline Schaumann Geo-Poetics: The Alpine Sublime in Art and Literature, 1779-1860 - Anthony Ozturk Time and Narrative in the Mountain Sublime around 1800 - Sean Franzel Faust's Mountains: An Ecocritical Reading of Goethe's Tragedy and Science - Heather I. Sullivan Spectacular Scenery and Slippery Descents: Narrating the Mountains of Tropical Polynesia - Sabine Wilke Fascinating Voids: Alexander von Humboldt and the Myth of Chimborazo - Oliver Lubrich From Eros to Thanatos: Hiking and Spelunking in Ludwig Tieck's Der Runenberg - Peter Arnds Geology, Mountaineering, and Self-Formation in Adalbert Stifter's Der Nachsommer - Sean Ireton "An Apparition from Another World" -- The Mountains of the Moon and Kilimanjaro from the Perspective of Nineteenth-Century Germany - Christof Hamman Leaving the Summit Behind: Tracking Biographical and Philosophical Pathways in Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensinfonie - Peter Höyng Elevation and Insight: Thomas Mann's Der Zauberberg - Johannes Turk "The Essence of the Alpine World Is Struggle": Strategies of Gesundung in Arnold Fanck's Early Mountain Films - Wilfried Wilms PhD "Mountain of Destiny": The Filmic Legacy of Nanga Parbat - Harald Hoebusch Spatial Orientation and Embodied Transcendence in Werner Herzog's Mountain Climbing Films - Roger F. Cook W. G. Sebald's Magic Mountains - Scott Denham Conflicting Ascents: Inscriptions, Cartographies, andDisappearance in Christoph Ransmayr's Der fliegende Berg - Olaf Berwald Works Cited Notes on the Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the lure of mountains in German literature, philosophy, film, music, and culture from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century. Mountains have always stirred the human imagination, playing a crucial role in the cultural evolution of peoples around the globe and becoming infused with meaning in the process. Beyond their geographical-geological significance,mountains affect the topography of the mind, whether as objects of peril or attraction, of spiritual enlightenment or existential fulfillment, of philosophical contemplation or aesthetic inspiration. This volume challenges the oversimplified assumption that human interaction with mountains is a distinctly modern development, one that began with the empowerment of the individual in the wake of Enlightenment rationalism and Romantic subjectivity. These essays by European and North American scholars examine the lure of mountains in German literature, philosophy, film, music, and culture from the Middle Ages to the present, with a focus on the interaction between humans and the alpineenvironment. The contributors consider mountains not as mere symbolic tropes or literary metaphors, but as constituting a tangible reality that informs the experiences and ideas of writers, naturalists, philosophers, filmmakers,and composers. Overall, this volume seeks to provide multiple answers to questions regarding the cultural significance of mountains as well as the physical practice of climbing them. Contributors: Peter Arnds, Olaf Berwald, Albrecht Classen, Roger Cook, Scott Denham, Sean Franzel, Christof Hamann, Harald Höbusch, Dan Hooley, Peter Höyng, Sean Ireton, Oliver Lubrich, Anthony Ozturk, Caroline Schaumann, Heather I. Sullivan, Johannes Türk, Sabine Wilke, Wilfried Wilms. Sean Ireton is Associate Professor of German at the University of Missouri. Caroline Schaumann is Associate Professor of German Studies at Emory University.Trade Review[E]xcellent coverage of the part played by mountaineering and its representations in the recuperation of German self-esteem post-1918, and into the evolution of the Bergfilm after 1945. . . . What makes mountain space so interesting from the point of view of the imagination -- one of many insights available here -- are the ways in which time can be figured in it . . . . [A] collection whose historical depth and breadth of reference make it a resource for scholars of the spatial imagination. * FORUM FOR MODERN LANGUAGE STUDIES *[A]n invaluable and intellectually lively contribution to a growing international scholarship on the cultural significance of mountains. * ECOZON *[T]urns what could have been a tired exercise in Toposforschung into an absorbing and insightful investigation of geology, history, and culture. . . . Overall, reading this book is in many respects just like climbing a mountain: . . . because, in the end, one can look back and contemplate a magnificent view. * JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES *[Gives] extensive, insightful treatment to shifting discursive, cultural, and political valences of mountains in the German imagination. . . . [T]he range of the collection is quite broad. Nonetheless, the . . . essays on poetry, film, literature, and music address a set of related questions. . . . [T]o be praised not only for being the first to treat the cultural meaning of mountains so extensively, but also for tracing their meanings in such variety and depth. . . . Recommended. * CHOICE *[A]n impressive high mountain tour that as it goes on opens vistas on not-yet-climbed routes. * GERMAN STUDIES REVIEW *An excellent example of a variety of approaches in interdisciplinary environmental humanities, the volume presents an informative and critical addition to the study of nature representation in German culture . . . . * WOMEN IN GERMAN NEWSLETTER *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Meaning of Mountains: Geology, History, Culture - Caroline Schaumann and Sean Ireton Prelude: Classical Mountain Landscapes and the Language of Ascent - Dan Hooley Terra Incognita? Mountains in Medieval and Early Modern German Literature - Albrecht Classen From Meadows to Mountaintops: Albrecht von Haller's"Die Alpen" - Caroline Schaumann Geo-Poetics: The Alpine Sublime in Art and Literature, 1779-1860 - Anthony Ozturk Time and Narrative in the Mountain Sublime around 1800 - Sean Franzel Faust's Mountains: An Ecocritical Reading of Goethe's Tragedy and Science - Heather I. Sullivan Spectacular Scenery and Slippery Descents: Narrating the Mountains of Tropical Polynesia - Sabine Wilke Fascinating Voids: Alexander von Humboldt and the Myth of Chimborazo - Oliver Lubrich From Eros to Thanatos: Hiking and Spelunking in Ludwig Tieck's Der Runenberg - Peter Arnds Geology, Mountaineering, and Self-Formation in Adalbert Stifter's Der Nachsommer - Sean Ireton "An Apparition from Another World" -- The Mountains of the Moon and Kilimanjaro from the Perspective of Nineteenth-Century Germany - Christof Hamman Leaving the Summit Behind: Tracking Biographical and Philosophical Pathways in Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensinfonie - Peter Höyng Elevation and Insight: Thomas Mann's Der Zauberberg - Johannes Turk "The Essence of the Alpine World Is Struggle": Strategies of Gesundung in Arnold Fanck's Early Mountain Films - Wilfried Wilms PhD "Mountain of Destiny": The Filmic Legacy of Nanga Parbat - Harald Hoebusch Spatial Orientation and Embodied Transcendence in Werner Herzog's Mountain Climbing Films - Roger F. Cook W. G. Sebald's Magic Mountains - Scott Denham Conflicting Ascents: Inscriptions, Cartographies, andDisappearance in Christoph Ransmayr's Der fliegende Berg - Olaf Berwald Works Cited Notes on the Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisOrganized as a series of monthly journal entries, Morning Comes to Elk Mountain is Lantz’s response to ten years of exploring the rough and unexpected beauty of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. A combination of memoir, natural history, Native American history, and geology, this book is enriched by 20 color photos and a map to appeal to the seasoned visitor as well as the newcomer to the refuge.The national wildlife refuge that’s the focus of the book was among the first established by President Theodore Roosevelt. He helped save the Wichitas from miners and land speculators, and instead the harsh yet scenic area became the nation’s first bison refuge, established to keep this American icon from slipping into extinction.Today the refuge hosts more than a million visitors a year, most of them coming to hike the trails, climb the rocks, photograph bison and prairie dogs, or simply commune with a beautiful, wild area that remains a spiritual landscape for the Kiowa and Comanche Indians who call it home.

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Book SynopsisThese days, earthly coexistence often feels bad. As environmental crises amass, they cast a shadow over an imagined future and the promises of betteror at least predictabledays to come. In times of climate chaos, mass extinction, and rampant environmental injustice, it is easy to despair. But, here and there, a glimmer of joy or optimism shines forth and reminds us that it is possibleeven necessaryto love and to hope amid the ruins. The contributors to this volume grapple with a plurality of interrelated ecological feelings: care, concern, contempt, empathy, fear, grief, hope, joy, numbness, optimism, possessiveness, regret, and saudades. Informed by a rhetorical perspective, the essays collected here reveal what sets our ecological feelings into motion. Crucially, they also uncover some of the rhetorical practices through which we might collectively feel our way into a more harmonious earthly coexistence.

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Book SynopsisTwo generations have passed since the publication of Wilma Dykeman’s landmark environmental history, The French Broad. In Through the Mountains: The French Broad River and Time, John Ross updates that seminal book with groundbreaking new research. More than the story of a single river, Through the Mountains covers the entire watershed from its headwaters in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains to its mouth in Knoxville, Tennessee.The French Broad watershed has faced new perils and seen new discoveries since 1955, when The French Broad was published. Geologists have learned that the Great Smoky Mountains are not among the world’s oldest as previously thought; climatologists and archaeologists have traced the dramatic effects of global warming and cooling on the flora, fauna, and human habitation in the watershed; and historians have deepened our understanding of enslaved peoples once thought not to be a part of the watershed’s history. Even further, this book documents how the French Broad and its tributaries were abused by industrialists, and how citizens fought to mitigate the pollution.Through the Mountains also takes readers to notable historic places: the hidden mound just inside the gate of Biltmore where Native Americans celebrated the solstices; the once-secret radio telescope site above Rosman where NASA eavesdropped on Russian satellites; and the tiny hamlet of Gatlinburg where Phi Beta Phi opened its school for mountain women in 1912.Wilma Dykeman once asked what the river had meant to the people who lived along it. In the close of Through the Mountains, Ross reframes that question: For 14,000 years the French Broad and its tributaries have nurtured human habitation. What must we start doing now to ensure it will continue to nourish future generations? Answering this question requires a knowledge of the French Broad’s history, an understanding of its contemporary importance, and a concern for the watershed’s sustainable future. Through the Mountains fulfills these three criteria, and, in many ways, presents the larger story of America’s freshwater habitats through the incredible history of the French Broad.Trade Review“John Ross has given us a valued lens to the meandering lifespan of one of our storied rivers, embraced by the ancient Appalachian Mountains. It is a welcome contemporary companion to Wilma Dykeman’s iconic The French Broad in weaving the interconnectivity of land, water, and unfolding human habitation. In a larger sense, Through the Mountains is a universal chronicle of the abiding promise and peril of our nation’s vast network of rivers.” —Dr. Doug Orr, coauthor, Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia, coeditor, The North Carolina Atlas: Portrait for a New Century “Through the Mountains gives us fresh perspectives on the natural and cultural history of the French Broad River watershed in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. As John Ross leads us through centuries of human habitation in the watershed, a clear theme emerges: the ongoing tension between economic development and environmental preservation, and the need for humankind to discover—or reclaim—sustainable ways of living within our natural world.” —Jim Stokely, son of Wilma Dykeman, author of The French Broad, published as part of the Rivers of America Series by Rinehart in 1955 and subsequently by the University of Tennessee Press “John Ross has produced a fascinating and well-documented book incorporating current trends and research with a view to the past and the future of the French Broad watershed. Along with Wilma Dykeman’s 1955 book on the French Broad, Through the Mountains . . . is a must read for those of us who live in and love this region.” —Jefferson Chapman, Director Emeritus, McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture “Now, for the first time, I know where I live!” —Tom Garden, Western North Carolina resident of fifty years, Asheville, North Carolina

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Book SynopsisHailed as a “nonfiction epic . . . in the tradition of Jared Diamond’s best-seller Collapse, and Simon Winchester’s Atlantic” (Dallas Morning News), Jack E. Davis’s The Gulf is “by turns informative, lyrical, inspiring and chilling for anyone who cares about the future of ‘America’s Sea’ ” (Wall Street Journal). Illuminating America’s political and economic relationship with the environment from the age of the conquistadors to the present, Davis demonstrates how the Gulf’s fruitful ecosystems and exceptional beauty empowered a growing nation. Filled with vivid, untold stories from the sportfish that launched Gulfside vacationing to Hollywood’s role in the country’s first offshore oil wells, this “vast and welltold story shows how we made the Gulf . . . [into] a ‘national sacrifice zone’ ” (Bill McKibben). The first and only study of its kind, The Gulf offers “a unique and illuminating history of the American Southern coast and sea as it should be written” (Edward O. Wilson).Trade Review"A sensitive and sturdy work of environmental history. . . . [Davis] has a well-stocked mind, and frequently views the history of the Gulf through the prism of artists and writers including Winslow Homer, Wallace Stevens, Ernest Hemingway and John D. MacDonald. His prose is supple and clear. . . . A cri de coeur about the Gulf’s environmental ruin." -- Dwight Garner - New York Times"A wide-ranging, well-told story, by turns informative, lyrical, inspiring and chilling for anyone who cares about the future of ‘America’s Sea.’" -- Gerard Helferich - Wall Street Journal"In the tradition of Jared Diamond's best-seller Collapse and Simon Winchester's Atlantic comes Jack E. Davis' nonfiction epic, The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea, which strives both to celebrate and defend its subject—the Gulf of Mexico. . . . Detailed and exhaustive, written in lucid, impeccable prose, The Gulf is a fine work of information and insight, destined to be admired and cited." -- William J. Cobb - Dallas Morning News"Splendid . . . . Davis is a historian, and this book is packed with research, but The Gulf does not read like a textbook. He is a graceful, clear, often lyrical writer who makes sometimes surprising, always illuminating connections—it's not a stretch to compare him to John McPhee. And he is telling an important story, especially for those of us who live around what he calls the American Sea. What happens to it happens to us, and the more we know, the better equipped we'll be to deal with a future on its shores." -- Colette Bancroft - Tampa Bay Times"An incisive, comprehensive and entertaining portrait of the world’s most diverse and productive marine ecosystems—from its lusty birth in the chaos of shifting continental plates to its slow and agonizing death of a million cuts inflicted by oil and gas extractors, dredge-and-fill operators, ‘condo-canyon’ developers, industrial-scale fishers, fertilizer-dependent farmers, chemical plant entrepreneurs, love-it-to-death snow birds and so many more. . . . Amid all of the pollution and exploitation, this could easily have been a grim history of ‘Paradise Lost.’ But in Davis’ skilled hands it as much love story as tragedy." -- Ron Cunningham - Gainesville Sun"Jack Davis has delivered a unique and illuminating history of the American Southern coast and sea as it should be written: how humanity and the environment evolved over ten millennia as a single system." -- Edward O. Wilson, author of The Social Conquest of Earth"This vast and well-told story shows how we made the Gulf of Mexico, in particular, into what local activists have begun to call a 'national sacrifice zone,' at enormous cost to its residents of all species. It’s a sobering tale, and one hopes that reading it will help us hit bottom and acknowledge the need to change." -- Bill McKibben, author Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet"A tremendous book. Davis is not only one of our preeminent environmental historians, but also a first-rate storyteller and prose stylist. Lay readers and scholars alike will be delighted by The Gulf, a lovely evocation of the natural world and the problematic ways our nation has profited from it." -- Blake Bailey, author of Cheever"The Gulf takes on troubling environmental issues with a lyrical voice and a steady appreciation of history." -- Mark Kurlansky, author of Paper: Paging Through History"Like its subject, The Gulf is big, beautiful, and beguiling. Meticulously researched and sparklingly written, it is also a cautionary tale about a paradise ill-served by humankind." -- William Souder, author of On a Farther Shore"An astonishing work of environmental history, sweeping in its narrative scope while also being wonderfully intimate in its richness of detail. The march of history and the vibrancy of place live on its every page, and the environmental story it tells could not make for more urgent reading in these perilous times." -- Darcy Frey, Harvard University"Steering seamlessly between nature writing and historical narrative, Davis offers an elegant epic of how America’s relationship with the Gulf of Mexico defines our character and our future." -- Cynthia Barnett, author of Rain: A Natural and Cultural History"With the narrative force of the Gulf Stream, Jack E. Davis takes readers to an unforgettable geography of wonders, oddities, and characters famous and unknown. Davis’s writing shimmers with salt haze, delights like a flock of pelicans, and threatens like oil on a white sand beach. If you thought you knew the Gulf, guess again. If this is your introduction to it, lucky you." -- Jordan Fisher Smith, author of Engineering Eden and Nature Noir"The Gulf starts with the geology of plate tectonics, proceeds through Indian settlements before the arrivals of Europeans, advances to hurricanes, the Dead Zone, and oil pollution, then analyzes the future. And it does all this very, very well. Books which attempt such comprehensive treatments of a subject are too often, as the saying goes, a mile wide and an inch deep. This book is 1,000 miles wide and 10,000 feet deep. It's an extraordinary achievement." -- John M Barry, author of Rising Tide and The Great Influenza"[A] magnificent chronicle of the Gulf of Mexico. . . . A work of astonishing breadth: richly peopled, finely structured, beautifully written. It should appeal equally to Gulf coast residents and snowbirds, students of environmental history, and general readers." -- Robert Eagan - Library Journal (starred review)"Vivid. . . . As Davis demonstrates in this absorbing narrative, the history of the Gulf teaches us that nature is most generous whenever we respect its sovereignty." -- Henry L. Carrigan - Bookpage"A perceptive historical survey of America’s Gulf Coast, this fascinating work accents the region’s nexus between nature and civilization. . . . Marked by thorough knowledge and fluid writing, this work will enhance any collection of American and environmental history." -- Gilbert Taylor - Booklist, Starred review"Comprehensive and thoroughly researched. . . . Davis makes the convincing argument that wiser, far-sighted practices—including those aimed at combating climate change—could help the Gulf region to remain a bastion of resources for the foreseeable future." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Book SynopsisSea glass—shards of old glass that have been shaped and polished by the waves—can be found in a wide array of colors and can be simply collected or made into gorgeous jewelry. Seeking Sea Glass will open up a new world for those on the hunt for these unique treasures, teaching you where to go, when to go, what to look for, and more. This unique guide is beautifully illustrated with Cindy Bilbao's photographs capturing the magic of sea glass.

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Book SynopsisClimate Ghosts deals with the important issue of climate change and human impact on three species: woodland caribou, common loons, and lake sturgeon. Environmental historian Nancy Langston explores three “ghost species” in the Great Lakes watershed—woodland caribou, common loons, and lake sturgeon. Ghost species are those that have not gone completely extinct, although they may be extirpated from a particular area. Their traces are still present, whether in DNA, in small fragmented populations, in lone individuals roaming a desolate landscape in search of a mate. We can still restore them if we make the hard choices necessary for them to survive. In this meticulously researched book, Langston delves into how climate change and human impact affected these now ghost species. Climate Ghosts covers one of the key issues of our time. Trade Review"Nancy Langston supplies three examples of seemingly impossible and precarious recovery stories for migratory species that offer ways forward for anyone interested in addressing environmental inequality and climate change's impacts on migratory species…Through the stories of caribou, sturgeon, and loons, Climate Ghosts challenges its readers to examine personal and societal relationships and responsibilities to migratory species." * H-Net *"The most recent addition to The Mandel Lectures in the Humanities at Brandeis University series, Prof. Langston brings her readers a profound message of both warning and encouragement to action, of the potential for tragedy and the potential for renewal. While what has already happened cannot be changed, what happens next can be; but to act wisely, an understanding of these species in and of themselves as well as their existence in their environment must be achieved. Climate Ghosts is clearly a step towards such knowledge." * The Well-read Naturalist *"Historical information, dating back several centuries, is skilfully combined with details on present and planned restoration actions, providing insights into the past, present and possible future of these threatened species. Throughout the book, the prose flows well and without complex jargon, making this an enjoyable and accessible read. I would highly recommend Climate Ghosts to anyone interested in migratory species and climate change." * Oryx *“Like the species it examines, Climate Ghosts covers a lot of ground . . . . We learn about the animals’ biology, the cultural beliefs regarding them, the reasons for their decline, and the efforts to restore them. This is a story of trauma and loss, one that asks, ‘How do we keep from turning away?’. But it is also one that provides some hope in the dark and a possible way forward.” * Isis *“. . . . Nancy Langston takes the reader on a scientific and cultural tour in the far North, analyzing the combined effects of accelerated climatic processes and Anthropocene land-use change, as well as showing the spiritual depths of the Indigenous tribes who consider caribous, sturgeons, and loons totems. Further, the volume successfully provides a general introduction to the geography and history of the northern regions inhabited by these animals. To help save these ghost species, the author presents and analyzes the successful and less successful attempts to conserve, protect, and translocate them, outlining conservation strategies for the coming decades of climatic anomalies and incorporating the deep knowledge of Indigenous people of the ecology of the North. The volume has a well-deserved place on the bookshelves of ecologists, conservationists, and cultural anthropologists.” * Conservation Biology *“Teachers seeking contemporary examples to use to discuss climate change, threatened species, habitat destruction, and human impact need look no further: Climate Ghosts has that and more.” * American Biology Teacher *"Climate Ghosts is as much a call to address the violent and ongoing legacies of settler colonial racism, as it is to salvage particular animals and ecosystems in decline. This is a must read book—written with humility, head, and heart." -- Brinda Sarathy, University of Washington Bothell“Nancy Langston has written a stunning work of environmental history that illuminates the challenges facing wildlife vulnerable to climate change. While the book carries a dire warning, Langston draws hope from recent restoration programs, arguing that species on the brink should not be written off as doomed." -- John Sandlos, Memorial University of Newfoundland“By centering Indigenous rights and values, Langston shows how we can deepen our relationships with other human beings, and with fish, birds, and mammals; she understands each other as relatives. Climate Ghosts challenges us to engage critically with Indigenous dispossession, ecosystem change, and species restoration.” -- Michael Dockry, University of Minnesota“Maang, nme, adik (loon, sturgeon, caribou) are our older siblings. To the Anishnabek, these are relatives with as much right to be here as we have, and to treat a relative as a ‘resource’ is shameful. In this impassioned and detailed account, Nancy Langston shows how our lifeways are harming our siblings. She makes clear what will happen not only to our older siblings but to ourselves if we do not change." -- Kathie Brosemer, Environmental Director, Sault TribeTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsChapter 1: Ghosts in the AnthropoceneChapter 2: Woodland Caribou Histories in the Upper Great LakesChapter 3: Caribou Futures in a Warming WorldChapter 4: Indigenous Communities and Lake Sturgeon RestorationChapter 5: The Gift of the LoonEndnotesBibliography

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Book SynopsisBecause every drug certified by the FDA must be tested using the horseshoe crab derivative known as Limulus lysate, a multimillion-dollar industry has emerged involving the license to bleed horseshoe crabs and the rights to their breeding grounds. William Sargent presents a thoroughly accessible insider’s guide to the discovery of the lysate test, the exploitation of the horseshoe crab at the hands of multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates, local fishing interests, and the legal and governmental wrangling over the creatures’ ultimate fate. In the end, the story of the horseshoe crab is a sobering reflection on the unintended consequences of scientific progress and the danger of self-regulated industries controlling a limited natural resource. This new edition brings the story up to date as companies race to manufacture alternatives to the horseshoe crab blood, which is now essential for testing vaccines such as those developed to counter COVID-19. However, horseshoe crab populations are still dwindling, with profound implications not only for the future of the crabs themselves but also for the ecosystems that depend on them.Trade Review"A popular interest book about how a 300 million year old organism became essential to the modern pharmaceutical industry. Sargent traces the discovery of horseshoe crab blood as the perfect in-vitro test for gram-negative bacteria through the development of a multi-million dollar business. He recounts the battles between multinational pharmaceutical companies to "bleed" enough crabs for Limulus lysate and the demand for crabs by the bait fishery. Regulation of the fishery by individual states complicates the issue of preserving this natural resource."-- "Northeastern Naturalist" "Makes for fascinating reading . . . Crab Wars offers a compact introduction to the horseshoe crab and the controversy it has recently engendered."-- "Journal of the History of Biology" "Here's a species older than time, a species key to the great migrations transecting our planet--and in the space of a few years our short-term interests have brought it close to ruin. It's a powerful metaphor (one wishes it were only a metaphor) and its tale is told with enormous care and balance. And with just the faintest hint of optimism at the end."--Bill McKibben, author of The End of NatureTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Part I: Early Lessons Introduction Chapter 1: A Day in the Life of a Hunter-Gatherer Chapter 2: Carl Shuster Chapter 3: First Lessons Chapter 4: At an Ancient Orgy Part II: Commercialization Chapter 5: The Conversation Chapter 6: Bleeding the Crab Chapter 7: Crabs and Ponies Chapter 8: “Flugate” Chapter 9: Confessions of a Horseshoe Crab Farmer Chapter 10: A Garden Party Part III: Environmental Conflicts Chapter 11: Fishing for Bait: The Conch and Eel Fisheries Chapter 12: A Day at the Beach: Red Knots and Horseshoe Crabs Chapter 13: The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Chapter 14: Jay Harrington vs. Bruce Babbitt Chapter 15: A Bizarre Incident Chapter 16: The Decision Chapter 17: The Loophole Chapter 18: Raw Lysate: A New Industry Chapter 19: Numbers, Numbers, Numbers Chapter 20: Dr. Ling Jaek Ding Chapter 21: Three Surprises Chapter 22: The New Kid on the Block: Pease Industrial Park Portsmouth, New Hampshire Chapter 23: On Pins and Needles: Operation Warp Speed Chapter 24: Three Asian Crabs Chapter 25: Afterthoughts Index

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Book SynopsisShould we alter animals' DNA to save them from extinction? What secrets will old ice reveal to us about the Earth's deep past? How is the world's most expensive — and explosive — substance made? Great science writing offers fascinating insights into our surrounding environments, inspires awe at the wonders of the natural world, and also seeks to understand and address some of the biggest problems of our time. Science writing encompasses the vastness of the universe and all the diverse life forms within it. Stories abound in both the microscopic and the astronomical, from the scientists trying to reverse-engineer brain circuitry to the largest radio telescope of its kind on Earth which could help us detect alien life. This much-loved anthology — now in its thirteenth year — selects the most thought-provoking, poignant and dazzling science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. With a foreword by scientist and engineer Professor Mary O'Kane AC, The Best Australian Science Writing 2023 covers another remarkable year filled with watershed moments in science.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, M?ori traditional stories, understandings, and history stand alongside geothermal science in an exploration of the thermal phenomena of the Volcanic Plateau. The text provides information about the natural history of the area, its formation, and its significance to M?ori.

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Book Synopsis'Andreas Raspotnik's book is a well-written history of the European Union's struggle for recognition in the Arctic; a struggle underpinned by attempts to define what the Circumpolar North means for the EU. Raspotnik adopts the lens of critical geopolitics, which proves very productive in terms of capturing the character of the EU-Arctic nexus. The Union is revealed as a reluctant geopolitical actor, as inherent EU drive to be present in a neighboring region interplays with the lack of genuine interest.'- Timo Koivurova, University of Lapland, Finland 'In spite of an interpretation that the European Union is 'no geopolitical actor' from the critical approach, the Union clearly impacts (Arctic) geopolitics in the fields of climate and environmental policies, fisheries and science, and benefits from the high geopolitical stability of the Arctic. This book is an informative study and in-depth analysis on European geopolitical agency in a distinct spatiotemporal context, the early-21st century's Arctic, and the EU's process to (re)construct European legitimacy there. Next step is to analyze, if the EU tries to influence the discourse on how to use (govern) the land and waters, as well as resources, of the Arctic.'- Lassi Heininen, University of Lapland, Finland The Arctic is a region that has seen exponential growth as a space of geopolitical interest over the past decade. This insightful book is the first to analyse the European Union?s Arctic policy endeavours of the early 21st Century from a critical geopolitical perspective.Exploring the EU?s decade-long undertaking to construct legitimacy in the Arctic between 2008 and 2017, Andreas Raspotnik investigates whether the EU can figure prominently in the Artic region as an international actor. This book presents the EU?s interest in the Arctic as a fascinating test case for how the EU aims to assert its policies and values in a neighbouring region. By providing an in-depth analysis of the EU?s process to establish legitimacy and credibility in the Arctic, Andreas Raspotnik sheds light on the debate regarding whether or not the EU can be perceived as a geopolitical actor.This contemporary and intriguing book will appeal to scholars and students of international relations, European studies, geography, and Arctic studies, as well as those on courses relating to international organizations and global/regional politics. It will also be of interest to the broader public with an interest in the challenges and opportunities of the Arctic region.Trade Review'Andreas Raspotnik has provided a clear-eyed assessment of the successes and failures of EU policy with regards to the Arctic. In doing so, he has established himself as one of the most exciting young scholars in both EU and Arctic studies.' --Michael Byers, University of British Columbia, Canada and author of International Law and the Arctic'Many recent books about international relations in the Arctic pretend to be about geopolitics - this one actually is. The book is well-researched, and Raspotnik provides a refreshing take on how the Arctic appeared on the European Union's ''neighbourhood radar''.' --Geir Honneland, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway'In his book, The European Union and the Geopolitics of the Arctic, Andreas Raspotnik skilfully excavates and interrogates the European Union's Arctic policies and strategies. The EU multi-faceted relationship with the High North is teased out - it cares about climate change, sustainability, governance, transport and economic opportunity, indigenous peoples and their rights as well as animal welfare. Love it or loath it, the EU's impact in the Arctic matters and this book explains how, why and where.' --Klaus Dodds, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK and co-author of The Scramble for the Poles (Polity 2016)Table of ContentsContents: PART I INTRODUCTION 1. The Geopolitics of an Arctic Meltdown and the Question of EUropean Arctic Space PART II GEOPOLITICS 2. The Thought Experiment Referred to as Geopolitics PART III THE ARCTIC 3. Arctic Geopolitics and the Regional Zeitgeist of the Twenty-First Century PART IV THE EUROPEAN UNION 4. EUropean Dimensions of Arctic Presence 5. An Action in the Making: The EU’s Arctic Policymaking Process 6. The EU’s Arctic Space-Making Practices PART V CONCLUSION 7. A European Geopolitical Subject in the Arctic? Index

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Book SynopsisBecause of the long-standing Canada-U.S. lumber trade dispute and the current pressure on the world's forests as a renewable energy source, much attention has been directed toward the modelling of international trade in wood products. Two types of trade models are described in this book: one is rooted in economic theory and mathematical programming, and the other consists of two econometric/statistical models--a gravity model rooted in theory and an approach known as GVAR that relies on time series analyses. The purpose of the book is to provide the background theory behind models and facilitate readers in easily constructing their own models to analyse policy questions that they wish to address, whether in forestry or some other sector. Examples in the book are meant to illustrate how models can be used to say something about a variety of issues, including identification of the gains and losses to various players in the North American softwood lumber business, and the potential for redirecting sales of lumber to countries outside the United States. The discussion is expanded to include other products besides lumber, and used to examine, for example, the effects of log export restrictions by one nation on all other forestry jurisdictions, the impacts of climate policies as they relate to the global forest sector, and the impact of oil prices on forest product markets throughout the world. This book will appeal to practising economists and researchers who wish to examine various policies that affect international trade, whether their interest is local or international in scope. Because the book provides the theoretical bases underlying various models, students and practitioners will find this a valuable reference book or supplementary textbook.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Canada – U.S. Softwood Lumber Dispute: Background Chapter 3: Spatial Price Equilibrium Trade Modelling: Theory Chapter 4: Modeling Bilateral Forest Products Trade Chapter 5: Economic Analysis of a Softwood Lumber Quota Regime and a Policy To Subsidize Biomass Generation of Electricity Chapter 6: Global Forest Products Trade Model Chapter 7: Softwood Lumber Trade and Trade Restrictions: Gravity Model Chapter 8: A Global Vector Autoregression Model for Softwood Lumber Trade Chapter 9: Spatial Price Equilibrium Trade Modelling: Theory

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Book SynopsisThe third full-length collection from physician and poet Jenna Le blends traditional form and the current moment. In Manatee Lagoon, sonnets, ghazals, pantoums, villanelles, and a “failed georgic” weave in contemporary subject matter, including social-media comment threads, Pap smears, eclipse glasses, and gun violence. A recurring motif throughout the collection, manatees become a symbol with meanings as wide-ranging as the book itself. Le aligns the genial but vulnerable sea cow with mermaids, neurologists, the month of November, harmful political speech, and even a family photo at the titular lagoon. In these poems, Le also reflects on the experience of being the daughter of Vietnamese refugees in today’s sometimes tense and hostile America. The morning after the 2016 election, as three women of color wait for the bus, one says, “In this new world, we must protect each other.”Manatee Lagoon is a treasury of voices, bringing together the personal and the persona, with poems dedicated to Kate Spade, John Ashbery, and Uruguayan poet Delmira Agustini. With this book, Le establishes herself as a talented transcriber of the human condition—and as one of the finest writers of formal verse today.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1957, The Uniqueness of the Individual is a collection of 9 essays published from the ten years preceding publication. The essays deal with some of the central problems of biology. These are among the questions put and answered from the standpoint of modern experimental biology. What is ageing and how is it measured? What theories have been held to account for it, and with what success? Did ageing evolve, and if so how? Is Lamarckism and adequate explanation of evolutionary process? Does evolution sometimes go wrong? Do human beings evolve in a way peculiar to themselves? Other essays touch upon the problems of scientific method and of growth and transformation. This book will be of interest to natural historians, evolutionists and anthropologists. Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Old Age and Natural Death, (1946) 2. An Unsolved Problem of Biology (1952) 3. A Note on ‘The Scientific Method’ (1949) 4. A Commentary on Lamarckism (1953) 5. The Pattern of Organic Growth and Transformation (1954) 6. The Imperfections of Man (1955) 7. Tradition: The Evidence of Biology (1953) 8. The Uniqueness of the Individual (1956) Index

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