Product Description

Fifty Key Thinkers on the Environment is a unique guide to environmental thinking through the ages. Lucid, scholarly and informative, these fifty essays offer a fascinating overview of mankind’s view and understanding of the physical world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #220488 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Back Cover

Fifty Key Thinkers on the Environment is a unique guide to environmental thinking through the ages. Joy A. Palmer, herself an important and prolific author on environmental matters, has assembled a team of thirty-five expert contributors to summarize and analyse the thinking of fifty diverse and stimulating figures – from all over the world and from ancient times to the present day. Among those included are:

• Philosophers such as Rousseau, Spinoza and Heidegger
• Activists such as Chico Mendes
• Literary giants such as Virgil, Goethe and Wordsworth
• Major religious and spiritual figures such as the Buddha and St Francis of Assisi.

Lucid, scholarly and informative, these fifty essays offer a fascinating overview of mankind’s view and understanding of the physical world.

Customer Reviews

A brief introduction to environmental philosophy
As a philosophy student with a growing interest in environmental issues and general science, I was pleased to find this introductory guide to environmental philosophers and leading thinkers in the 'green' movement.

Joy Palmer offers a brief biography, major works, and influences of impressingly diverse figures such as Buddha, Goethe, Rousseau and Mendes, alongside the scientific giants Darwin, Lovelock, and Wilson.
I feel that this broader context from religious, literary, and political individuals gives it a special edge that general science books often lack in favour of emphasising upon the leaders in the field.

The chronological layout is useful in tracing the inspiration behind the movement and there are suggestions at the end of each chapter for further reading: within the book for similar thinkers, and other major works, which I have found particularly helpful.

I would recommend this for anyone wanting a broader perspective on the environment. It is accessible enough for arts students with an interest as it isn't loaded with technical terms, however it may also be valuable to science students interested in the religious and philosophical background.

A little too brief in places, this is however an excellent reference guide, which has inspired me to read more from environmental thinkers.