Five Summer Reading Picks From Environmental Defense Staff Members
Summer vacation season is in full swing - need a good read for your beach bag? Check out 5 reviews from Environmental Defense staff and scientists about books that inspired, enlightened and entertained them.
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
Review by Dr. James Wang, climate scientist
“This wonderfully entertaining novel packs a strong environmental message. Edward Abbey masterfully depicts the Southwest’s stark beauty — from the smallest wildflowers to the largest rock arches. Interludes of whitewater rafting down the Colorado, snow-field glissading down high mountain peaks, and rappelling in the rocky maze of the Canyonlands area are classic versions of adventure-sporting that’s so popular today. And Abbey fires up the environmentalist in us with his visionary critique of the car culture that has blighted our national parks and the dam that destroyed the wondrous Glen Canyon.”
Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving Our Seas
by Rod Fujita
Review by Leslie Valentine, staff writer
“A must-read for anyone who visits a beach, lives near a coast or loves the ocean (and who doesn’t?). A marine ecologist at Environmental Defense, Rod Fujita unravels the mystery of the sea, revealing its web of life and how we humans are woven into it — and have shaped it, for better and worse. At the heart of this beautifully-written book lies Fujita’s belief in the ocean’s resiliency and unwavering faith that we can turn the tide against ocean decline. He shapes the complex science of ocean ecosystems into a tale as mesmerizing as the ocean itself.”
The Founding Fish
by John McPhee
Review by Dr. Jake Kritzer, Puleston fellow
“Here’s a fun fish fact: Like salmon, many fish migrate annually from the open ocean into waterways along the Atlantic coast. Pulitzer-prize winner John McPhee takes us on the journey of the world’s largest herring species, the American shad. There is more to a seemingly simple fish than meets the eye. McPhee tracks its life cycle, acquaints us with the fly-fishermen and ichthyologists who know it intimately, and explains how over-fishing and dams threaten the fish. Casting us back in time, McPhee visits Thomas Jefferson fishing for shad in Virginia, and conjectures that the fish might have helped Washington’s army survive the treacherous Valley Forge winter. McPhee lets the fish’s story make its own case for conservation in this engaging book.”
Cradle to Cradle
by Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart
Review by Andy Darrell, Living Cities program director
“Architect Bill McDonough teams up with chemist Michael Braungart to create a blueprint for eliminating waste in all aspects of design, from the industrial scale to consumer products. The book’s ideas are best expressed in its real-world examples, which show how public and private sector leaders can help their bottom line, the natural world and their communities. Simple choices like the synthetic “paper” on which the book is published demonstrate that taking care of the environment makes economic and practical sense. This approach works if it is built in up front — and if designers are given the freedom to innovate. While the book is a great read for all environmentalists, I recommend it especially to municipal leaders, architects and corporate leaders.”
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
by Bill Bryson
Review by Michelle Bicek, Living Cities program associate
“If you’re an avid hiker, pack this hilarious adventure in your beach bag or backpack this summer. The book tracks the trek of two 40-ish, out-of-shape men attempting to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. This account of their foibles is sprinkled with fascinating details of the trail’s wildlife and history, including tales of famous and not-so-famous hikers. In his more serious moments, Bill Bryson argues for the protection of this fragile strip of wilderness.”