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52nd out of 89 books
—
24 voters
The Future of Nature: Writing on Human Ecology from Orion Magazine
by
Barry Lopez
The western mindset is arguably one of the greatest threats to the world’s ecological balance. Corporatism and globalization are two of the obvious villains here, but what part does human nature play in the problem? Since its inception in 1982, Orion magazine has been a forum for looking beyond the effects of ecological crises to their root causes in human culture. Less an...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 28th 2007
by Milkweed Editions
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This is a devastating, perspective-altering book. The Future of Nature is a collection of pieces from 15 years of Orion Magazine, edited by the essayist and journalist Barry Lopez. The magazine's trademark is dense, richly reported personal narratives intertwining ecology, society and human nature. This is like Grist.org for the more literary set. TO be sure, some of the material here is hugely depressing. "Winged Mercury and the Golden Calf," a brilliant account of the poisonous, connected hist...more
Milkweed Editions is a wonderful independent literary press based in Minneapolis. Their "World as Home" series is especially impressive.
These are essays from the journal Orion, so I'm not reading them in sequence. Several horrifying yet enlightening pieces about environmental pollution--in southern IL (from an industrial accident I don't even remember); from Chernobyl (20 years later); from the CA Gold Rush (150 years later). Half of Niagara Falls is diverted to make electrical power? What happened to "naturalists"? Refugees from conservation efforts? And the wonderful Scott Russell Sanders. Already well worth the $$ of admissio...more
Overall, these were all strong essays with only a couple that didn't hold my interest well. The authors are some of the best in terms of environmental writing, and this collection is a great way to gain insight into the minds of some of today's best thinkers. This book has a broad range of topics, and there is certainly something in here that will pertain to your specific interests.
Jan 14, 2008
Michelle
added it
I haven't read this book, but it was the best way I could think of to list Orion Magazine, which, in my humble opinion, is the best magazine being published these days and deserves to be noted. Orion Magazine exists to explore how to live artfully, justly and wisely on earth. That's not a direct quote, but it is pretty close.
great collection of articles from Orion Magazine about our impact on the environment. Some of the most interesting so far: an article about the effects of Chernobyl (still happening today!), and an article about current coal-mining practices. I highly recommend!
Sorry, but it didn't touch me, empty reading.
A whole bunch of Orion's best, in one place. nice.
Required reading for all literate beings.
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Barry Holstun Lopez is an American author, essayist, and fiction writer whose work is known for its environmental and social concerns.
Lopez has been described as "the nation's premier nature writer" by the San Francisco Chronicle. In his non-fiction, he frequently examines the relationship between human culture and physical landscape, while in his fiction he addresses issues of intimacy, ethics an...more
More about Barry Lopez...
Lopez has been described as "the nation's premier nature writer" by the San Francisco Chronicle. In his non-fiction, he frequently examines the relationship between human culture and physical landscape, while in his fiction he addresses issues of intimacy, ethics an...more
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