Environmental Science

by William D. Cunningham, Bradley F. Smith, William P. Cunningham

This book is intended for use in a one- or two-semester course in environmental science, human ecology, or environmental studies at the college or advanced placement high school level. Because most students who will use this book are freshman or sophomore nonscience majors, the authors have tried to make the text readable and accessible without technical jargon or a presumption of prior science background. At the same time, enough data and depth are presented to make this book suitable for many upper-division classes and a valuable resource for students who will keep it in their personal libraries after their formal studies are completed. The goal of this book is to provide an up-to-date, introductory view of essential themes in environmental science along with emphasis on details and case studies that will help students process and retain the general principles.

Genres: Science, Textbooks, Environment, School, Environmental Science, Reference, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Eve O. Spellman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright for a school book. Repetitive and a bit boring.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had the potential to be interesting if it didn't expound on ideas that you've already put together with common sense. The paragraph (or two or three) that I remember the most explained how selective harvesting (of trees) lessens the total biodiversity (x) of a habitat. You mean x-1 is indeed less than x? Shocking. . .
This book did, on the other hand, did have good chapters on human views of nature , conservation and ethics. A class could have good, thoughtful discussions based on some of those ideas.

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is currently on its 16th edition, so why would you ever read the 3rd edition??? Perspective.
I am a professor, and I teach a wide selection of courses within the Env Sci discipline. What I have done is pull chapters here and there from this text, and incorporate them as discussion points into my current material. I do not tell the students that the book is older than them at first, and for the most part, they are genuinely shocked.
I also find that while many people will refer to Env Sci concepts as “common sense”, they do not appear to be things that people think about regularly. Further, it is the interconnected aspects that my learners struggle with the most. It’s common sense that things are connected, but how? They can’t comprehend the feedback loops. This text expounds on some of those aspects.
I have also found the government operation and land use planning components to be very useful for learners these days.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, comprehensive textbook on the natural science and social science of the environment. Very well illustrated and documented, I would strongly recommend this book for anyone wanting to get a handle on the complexities of the various disciplines related to environmental studies. It is a textbook, so there is a significant emphasis on basic terminology and typologies, so it works best as a study guide or reference book. The glossary, charts, tables, lists of suggested readings, and review questions are very useful.

[Uc chima]

how to draw

[Triet Lieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

kdsfksfhsak

[Danielle Sergei · Rating 3 out of 5]

i like this textbook>>

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13. Standard textbook reading.

[Joe Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, I have learned quite a few things I didn't know about the environment and how important is to know all that information.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used for the Environment and Humanity DSST test.