Book Review

by Paul Ganderton

Botkin DB. And Keller EA. 2000. Environmental Science 3e. Wiley. Pp 700. ISBN 0 471 32173 7.

Readers who recall the review of the second edition are aware of the quality of this text in all areas. This edition has taken the opportunity to upgrade and update a few areas. The use of web sites has increased and many chapters have had case study or data updated. For those new to the text it attempts to both challenge and inform the reader. The challenge comes from the questions asked in each chapter and the responses demanded from case study material (much of which is designed to require a carefully constructed argument). The approach is explicitly grounded in notions of critical thinking and interdisciplinarity. The "inform" part comes from a mixture of key themes which link the book and the individual chapters. The key themes - population, sustainability, globalism, urbanism and social justice - are considered at the end of each chapter in the context of that chapter which gives the reader a good guide on how to view the information. 30 chapters give substance to the claim of breadth of study. They are divided into 8 sections which deal, respectively, with scientific method, systems, biosphere, sustainability, energy, water, air and people/environment relationships. Each chapter starts with a case study to illustrate the themes. An overview guide and introduction set out the topic. This is followed by the body of the text very well illustrated in full colour and with the addition of boxes containing select aspects in greater detail. A summary, set of key terms and study questions, reading and internet resources completes the work.

Overall, this continues to be a most impressive text. Its North American roots are not obvious so it can be used universally. This is well worth the upgrade.