Book Recommendations
See also Writing
Summer Books
Lonely Planet Code Green Experiences
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
Diane Wilson's book, An Unreasonable Woman Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation fisherwoman, leads a
one-woman crusade against Dow and other petrochemical
plants, which create 17% of America’s pollution from her
Texas town of 1,352. These factories have turned Seadrift
from a traditional fishing port into a massive chemical
cocktail that poisons the surrounding air, earth and
waters, sardonically dubbed Texas Gold, video excerpt. From Texas to Wall Street to the front lawn of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson's multi-million dollar mansion on Long Island -- all the while chased by Texas Rangers charged with bringing her to justice -- Diane pursues a reckless industry with a soft drawl, dogged determination and her own special brand of Southern bad-ass fisherwoman humor. In the 16 years since she began her fight, Diane has received death threats and suffered intimidation tactics; shots were fired at her house from a helicopter and her dog was poisoned.Democracy Now interview
Zodiac by Neal Stephenson (Author of Snow Crash etc). Set in Boston, hero Sangamon Taylor (S. T.) ironically describes his hilarious exploits in the first person, sometimes resorting to profanity. S. T. is a modern superhero, a self-proclaimed Toxic Spiderman. With stealth, spunk, and the backing of GEE (a non-profit environmental group) as his weapons, S. T. chases down the bad guys with James Bond-like Zen.
Other Books
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press, 2006). Our meal choices matter—a trip through America's food chain. First chapter free online.
Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties We need someone to write a review of this book.
Great Jobs for Environmental Studies Majors - by Julie DeGalan
link
Outside Magazine's picks
Bill McKibben's recent review in the NY Times recommends The End of Oil link and others
Mark Hertsgaard's Picks:
1. Earth Under Fire, by Gary Braasch (University of California Press), is the best book on global warming I’ve read this year. Braasch is an intrepid and accomplished photographer who has spent years traveling to all parts of the world to document, in stunning images and well-researched accompanying text, how global warming is changing our planet NOW. Even global warming experts can learn from this book, but it’s perfect for newcomers to the topic too. Plus, it looks great on a coffee table.
2. Fight Global Warming Now, by Bill McKibben and the Step It Up Team, (Holt), is the essential handbook for the essential task now facing us: taking organized political action to achieve major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. As Bill points out in the book, many people know global warming must be fought, but they don’t know what to do or how to go about it. This book tells you, in very accessible, non-intimidating and even, dare I say, fun ways. Go get ‘em!
3. Exposed, by Mark Schapiro (Chelsea Green) is an environmental scoop that sends a message not only to American consumers but businesses: U.S. law allows all kinds of nasty toxic chemicals in the most common daily products (toys, cosmetics, etc.) that are banned in Europe; and because Europe is taking the environmental high road, it is gaining, not losing, global market share. (Disclosure: I offered a blurb to this book but, dammit, receive no royalties.)
4. The Informant, by Kurt Eichenwald (Broadway Books) is the true but almost unbelievable inside story of the rampant price-fixing and other criminal conduct undertaken by Archer Daniels Midland, the agri-business giant whose name you recognize from its long-time sponsorship of The News Hour on PBS (hinting at one of the many reasons PBS offers such a corporate-friendly approach to news). Told by a New York Times reporter who clearly had amazing access to all parties involved, this book reminds us that corporate law-breaking is not as uncommon as we are usually led to believe. A great read, too.
5. A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornsby (Penguin) is well-timed for the holiday season. The opening chapter, set on New Year’s Eve, portrays four very different individuals who find themselves, to their collective surprise, atop the same London rooftop with the same purpose in mind: jumping off and ending it all. Somehow, Hornsby manages to turn this into a brilliant, insightful, hilarious but never easy or sentimental meditation on what makes all of us tick, and how to keep going despite the despair that occasionally tempts each of us.
Send your suggestions to mailto:pmmckerc@ucsc.edu
