A Moment on the Earth: The Coming Age of Environmental Optimism

Rating:
Summary: Excellent large-scale review of environmental issues.
Review: Easterbrook may make a few errors and his writing style may not suit all, but I found this book to be enlightening and an excellent essay on the big picture in environmentalism today. While any single author is likely to stumble through a few issues when writing a book of this magnitude, I found the basis for his arguements in general to be sound, timely, and interesting.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in environmental issues.

Rating:
Summary: Presents very interesting points about environmental thought
Review: Easterbrook, while still maintaing a pro-environmental stance, points out the flaws of modern eco-philosophy. Anyone who feels they're a supporter of the movement should read the book.

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Summary: Generally very silly and misguided
Review: Finally, there is a realistic view of the world. No longer does society have to feel "guilty" over all that has transpired since mankind began popluating the Mother Earth.

Every museum director in the U.S. should be forced to read Easterbook's book. Perhaps then our children will begin to realize that "man" is not the ultimate destruction machine as routinely promoted by environmentalists. Easterbrook's view is more closely aligned with the average U.S. working citizen..."let's act responsibly in our daily lives, just stop blaming me/us for the end-of-the-world crisis now rampant in the press". Only Easterbrook's widely-known and overused rant against SUV's is misplaced.(As if walking or hydrogen/electric cars will return us to the Garden of Eden).

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to read beyond the news media's standard menu of "the end is near". While not a conclusive answer to all aspects of our world, it certainly gives a refreshing view to the "paper or plastic?" debate.

Rating:
Summary: The Case that the Environment is getting better
Review: Highly recommended for serious students of environmental policy. Easterbrook is one of the recognized experts - and founding thinkers - on environmental optimism. Whether you agree with him or not, this is a must-read.

Rating:
Summary: The Case that the Environment is getting better
Review: I can see how those who are wrapped up in conservationism dislike this book, it shows them in a terrible light. If you think environmentalists are often histrionic and sanctimonious, you will like this book. If you think environmentalists are protecting what is truly sacred, you will find this book full of misinformed drivel.

Rating:
Summary: Eco-non realism for beginners
Review: I found that this book presented a more well rounded perspective of our environement. It is not writen from a conservationists view, but rather in a more open minded analytical way. It represents a open analysis of our interaction with the envrionment. I recomend this book to anyone who takes interest in our surroundings and the effects we place upon it. If you feel our world is being destroyed by human utilization, you MUST read this. Easterbrook leaves his audiance with a happy outlook to end on.

Rating:
Summary: A diversafied view of environmental conservationism!
Review: I found that this book presented a more well rounded perspective of our environement. It is not writen from a conservationists view, but rather in a more open minded analytical way. It represents a open analysis of our interaction with the envrionment. I recomend this book to anyone who takes interest in our surroundings and the effects we place upon it. If you feel our world is being destroyed by human utilization, you MUST read this. Easterbrook leaves his audiance with a happy outlook to end on.

Rating:
Summary: Ignore Paul Ehrlich
Review: I was looking forward to reading this book and I am so profoundly dissappointed. If it hadn't been for my conviction to read books all the way through once I start them I would have tossed this book aside before page 100. While the books is well researched, the conclusions it draws from that research are far from solid and often seem ignorant of obvious counterarguments. Furthermore categorizing the vast majority of environmentalists as "instant doomsayers" is unfair and utterly erroneous. I for one felt that Al Gore's book Earth in the Balance had a positive outlook, despite the environmental problems it focused upon. Easterbrook, on the otherhand called it "instant doomsday".

Even if the conclusions were sound the writing style is even worse. Stupid phrases like "instant doomsday" and "doomsayers" are entirely overused, so much so that after about a 100 pages you want to vomit everytime they appear. The writing style is fairly dry, repetive, and makes too many failed attempts at humor. There are some useful insights that one might gain from this book but its hardly worth the hours of reading that a book this long takes.