The Ecology of Eden
An Inquiry into the Dream of Paradise and a New Vision of Our Role in Nature
By Evan Eisenberg | Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
About the book
\"Dazzling . . . a prose epic.\" --The Washington Post
A mountain peak, a rolling pasture, a boulevard alive with sound and light--each of us carries, deep inside, a dream of paradise. In this magisterial contribution to the literature of ecology and the environment, our nostalgia for the myth of paradise--the primeval, self-sufficient, nurturing garden where mankind was born--is the starting point of a brilliant inquiry into what our place in Nature has been and ought to be.
Writing in lively, imaginative prose and drawing deftly upon disciplines as varied as biology, geology, anthropology, history, physics, and music, Evan Eisenberg examines the ways in which people have envisioned and tried to re-create the earthly paradise even as they have dealt with the often disastrous effects of their increasing manipulation of the environment. An encyclopedic survey of efforts to heal the dangerous rift between culture and nature, The Ecology of Eden is a landmark work that is enormously suggestive, informative, and a joy to read.
\"It's a question many writers have tackled, from Paul Ehrlich to E. O. Wilson: How can we survive while population grows, resources dwindle . . . and the threat of global climate change looms ominously? Few have explored it with more originality or historic sweep. . . . A rich harvest, filled with many kernels of wisdom about the future of our elusive Eden.\"
--San Francisco Chronicle
\"An ambitious, thickly braided narrative that makes the clearest bid to nudge the dialectic along. . . . Eisenberg traces the story engagingly, energetically, with a remarkable breadth of learning and a metaphor-maker's eye. . . . A vision of substance and genuine insight.\" -Los Angeles Times Book Review
Editions of The Ecology of Eden
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780394221168
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780394577500
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780679310112
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780375705601
Read an Excerpt
\"Dazzling . . . a prose epic.\" --The Washington Post
A mountain peak, a rolling pasture, a boulevard alive with sound and light--each of us carries, deep inside, a dream of paradise. In this magisterial contribution to the literature of ecology and the environment, our nostalgia for the myth of paradise--the primeval, self-sufficient, nurturing garden where mankind was born--is the starting point of a brilliant inquiry into what our place in Nature has been and ought to be.
Writing in lively, imaginative prose and drawing deftly upon disciplines as varied as biology, geology, anthropology, history, physics, and music, Evan Eisenberg examines the ways in which people have envisioned and tried to re-create the earthly paradise even as they have dealt with the often disastrous effects of their increasing manipulation of the environment. An encyclopedic survey of efforts to heal the dangerous rift between culture and nature, The Ecology of Eden is a landmark work that is enormously suggestive, informative, and a joy to read.
\"It's a question many writers have tackled, from Paul Ehrlich to E. O. Wilson: How can we survive while population grows, resources dwindle . . . and the threat of global climate change looms ominously? Few have explored it with more originality or historic sweep. . . . A rich harvest, filled with many kernels of wisdom about the future of our elusive Eden.\"
--San Francisco Chronicle
\"An ambitious, thickly braided narrative that makes the clearest bid to nudge the dialectic along. . . . Eisenberg traces the story engagingly, energetically, with a remarkable breadth of learning and a metaphor-maker's eye. . . . A vision of substance and genuine insight.\" -Los Angeles Times Book Review
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Ecology of Eden about?
\"Dazzling . . . a prose epic.\" --The Washington Post
A mountain peak, a rolling pasture, a boulevard alive with sound and light--each of us carries, deep inside, a dream of paradise. In this magisterial contribution to the literature of ecology and the environment, our nostalgia for the myth of paradise--the primeval, self-sufficient, nurturing garden where mankind was born--is the starting point of a brilliant inquiry into what our place in Nature has been and ought to be.
Writing in lively, imaginative prose and drawing deftly upon disciplines as varied as biology, geology, anthropology, history, physics, and music, Evan Eisenberg examines the ways in which people have envisioned and tried to re-create the earthly paradise even as they have dealt with the often disastrous effects of their increasing manipulation of the environment. An encyclopedic survey of efforts to heal the dangerous rift between culture and nature, The Ecology of Eden is a landmark work that is enormously suggestive, informative, and a joy to read.
\"It's a question many writers have tackled, from Paul Ehrlich to E. O. Wilson: How can we survive while population grows, resources dwindle . . . and the threat of global climate change looms ominously? Few have explored it with more originality or historic sweep. . . . A rich harvest, filled with many kernels of wisdom about the future of our elusive Eden.\"
--San Francisco Chronicle
\"An ambitious, thickly braided narrative that makes the clearest bid to nudge the dialectic along. . . . Eisenberg traces the story engagingly, energetically, with a remarkable breadth of learning and a metaphor-maker's eye. . . . A vision of substance and genuine insight.\" -Los Angeles Times Book Review
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Ecology of Eden?
Mathematics and Science > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Ecological science, the Biosphere
Where can I read a sample of The Ecology of Eden?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780394221168
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Ecology of Eden?
Evan Eisenberg
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Ecology of Eden is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780394221168) and hardcover(ISBN 9780394577500) and paperback(ISBN 9780679310112) and paperback(ISBN 9780375705601)
Where can I buy The Ecology of Eden online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Ecology of Eden from below
Where can I buy The Ecology of Eden?