United States
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An expanded and revised version of Berger's best-selling Understanding Forests, this book offers a clear and readable survey of forest history and management. Berger draws upon diverse sources in law, ecology, economics, politics, and anthropology to argue that ecology, rather than the marketplace, should be the driving force behind forest management. Historical case studies of forests worldwide support this contention, as does the history of governments' forest policy. Keeping pace with today's issues, Berger critically evaluates government policy over the last seven years, contrasting the destructive policies of the Bush Administration with model programs instituted by the Canadian Boreal Initiative and others. Ultimately, he offers us the guiding principles of sustainable forestry as an answer to the ever-increasing demand for wood products.
John J. Berger has served as a consultant to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences and to the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress. He has taught at the University of San Francisco and the University of Maryland and is the author of Restoring the Earth, Charging Ahead, and Beating the Heat.
The book both informs and inspires, conveying a sophisticated understanding of the forces affecting the health of our forests and the ways the reader can help to preserve them. - Jonathan G. Koomey, Stanford University "Magnificently done.... The book's emphasis on forestry as opposed to the management of land and landscapes is a perspective that must emerge quickly if we are to preserve ourselves and our natural heritage." - George M. Woodwell, founder, director emeritus, and senior scientist, Woods Hole Research Center"
