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Electronic TEG
Published in TEG news issue 24, Summer 1998, by the British Ecological Society.
Category: Book Reviews.
Book Review
by Paul Ganderton
Botkin DB and Keller EA. 1998. Environmental Science. 2nd edition. Wiley and Sons. ISBN 0 471 15782 1. pp xxxii + 642. œ23.95.
This book covers a vast range in terms of both subject matter and geographical spread. Although an American text there are very few places where this is overtly obvious. 30 chapters cover an enormous range of material divided into 8 parts. The first part sets the tone for the book. It highlights the structure of the chapters, overviews basic issues and sets an agenda not just for study but also for a pro-active stance. Each chapter follows a unique and invaluable path. There is a case study to open the chapter chosen for its relevance to the issues being described. This is followed by an overview highlighting the key issues from the study. Learning objectives are followed by the chapter proper (with the familiar "boxes", here called "a closer look", examining critical aspects in detail). At the end there is a summary, an overview of how the book's key themes are involved in this work, key terms section, questions (critical thinking questions following the rigorous style of the authors), further reading and internet resources. Part two covers environmental systems and cycles whilst part 3 covers basic ecosystem concepts. Under a sub-heading of the Earth's Biomes, part 4 deals with sustaining living resources. A more human perspective emerges in part 6 which is devoted to energy and its usage (and misusage). Parts 6 and 7 describe key issues in water and air pollution respectively whilst part 8 takes on an society/environment examination with topics such as economics, waste management, minerals and planning.
This text is outstanding in many fields. It is clearly written and outstandingly illustrated in full colour. The coverage of theory is extensive whilst the size of the text means that numerous case studies can be catered for: there are few areas of the world not covered. It goes beyond the common textbook in that it also demands the reader thinks about issues and participates in their solutions. In addition to all this the text is linked into a number of other resources including regional case study texts, CDs, tests, transparencies and internet connections. Put simply this is the one of the most impressive texts on its subject I can recall seeing in over 25 years involvement with environmental research and education. If your library can only afford one book make it this one.
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