Where there are mountains

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Gary Snyder

"Long rumored to exist, The Great Clod collects several essays published in The Coevolution Quarterly almost forty years ago when Snyder briefly described this work as 'The China Book,' and several others, the majority, never before published in any form. 'Summer in Hokkaido,' 'Wild in China,' 'Ink and Charcoal,' 'Wolf-Hair Brush,' these essays turn from being memoirs of travel to prolonged considerations of art, culture, natural history and religion"--Provided by publisher.

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David Day

A descriptive account of the extinction of nearly 300 species and subspecies between 1680 and 1980, profusely illustrated with drawings and watercolor paintings.

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Albert E. Cowdrey

Here is the story of the long interaction between humans, land, and climate in the American South. It is a tale of exploitation and erosion, of destruction, disease, and defeat, but also of the persistent search for knowledge and wisdom. It is a story whose villains were also its victims and sometimes its heroes. Ancient forces created the southern landscape, but, as Albert E. Cowdrey shows, humankind from the time of earliest habitation has been at work reshaping it. The southern Indians, far from being the "natural ecologists" of myth, radically transformed their environment by hunting and burning. Such patterns were greatly accelerated by the arrival of Europeans, who viewed the land as a commodity to be exploited for immediate economic benefit. Their greed and ignorance took a heavy toll on the land and all those it supported. Cowdrey documents not only the long decline but the painfully slow struggle to repair the damage of human folly. The eighteenth century saw widespread though ineffectual efforts to protect game and conserve the soil. In the nineteenth century the first hesitant steps were taken toward scientific flood control, forestry, wildlife protection, and improved medicine. In this century, the New Deal, the explosion in scientific knowledge, and the national environmental movement have spurred more rapid improvements. But the efforts to harness the South's great rivers, to save its wild species, and to avert serious environmental pollution have often had equivocal results.

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Amos Oz

"Notebook in hand, Amos Oz traveled throughout Israel and the West Bank -- to cities, towns, and obscure corners -- to talk with workers, soldiers, religious zealots, aging pioneers, new immigrants, desperate Arabs, young fanatics, dreamers, and visionaries. He asked them where Israel had come from, where it was now, where it was headed. What he heard is memorably recorded here in their distinctive voices, alongside Oz's keen descriptions, observations, and reflections. Oz tells the truth as he sees it and others see it, with courage and brutal frankness. This scrupulously is accurate, but passionate, reporting on the most urgent questions facing Israel today"--Publisher's description