On Earth Day (I know, I know, that was April, but better late than never), The San Francisco Chronicle compiled a list of environmental books to read. A few of the picks were what I’d consider greeny standard reading: Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.
It also included the new-to-me World Changing: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century, 600 pages of essays and tips compiled by Alex Steffen and companion to the like-named website.The book is now on my summer reading list, along with Elizabeth Kolbert’s Field Notes From a Catastrophe.
There are many more books I’d add to this list - Thoreau’s On Walden Pond among them (I know, I know, but my green-ness came after I’d finished all required reading) - but I realized, as I was writing this, that this could make for some seriously depressing summer days. So the final spot on my list is The Missing Person by Alix Ohlin. I’m a fan of the youthful Ohlin’s short stories, so this book, set in New Mexico among a band of eco-warriors, will hopefully be a delightful and entertaining read, worth hauling through the forests and into the tent with me. Any other books you’d recommend packing?
You can find it under the following topic(s): Eco-Lit, Entertainment, Writers worth the paper they publish on, media crit.
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Courtney - this is an awesome post. Eco-chick should do a book review or book club. I’m in!
June 28th, 2007 at 8:32 pmThat’s a great list of books. On Waldon Pond is definitely a required reading for budding environmentalists. Last Child in the Woods is one that I love for parents to read.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:59 amAnother to add to the list is E.O. Wilson’s “The Creation.” Wilson wrote this as an open letter to a conservative, evangelical minister — no one in particular. It is a wonderful read. I second the recommendation of “Last Child in the Woods.”
June 30th, 2007 at 1:02 pm