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Rating: 
Summary: A slap in the face for psychoanalysis
Review: An eminately scientific book. Uses phenomenological and imaginally accurate approaches to its topic, and offers rarely quoted material from psychoanalysis which will provoke irritated responses from those supporting the "accepted canon" of psychoanalytic literature. Little known (though accurate) citations of Freud and Jung broaden the discussion of psychology to include environment, to the chagrin of the traditional psychoanalytic establishment which gives little value to environmental influences on psychological health. Views presented here describe how an empathic relation with the environment is being dumbly, and politically, grandstanded as a regression to "the noble savage". Contrary to this "regressive" view the authors offer a vision in which person and environment are mutually effected. The book will prove its value with its revolutionary conceptual vision, and its practical application of ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration for a thesis
Review: Assembled here are some of the leading lights of ecopsychology, with papers and excerpts from the books they've written: Roszak himself, Aizenstat, Hillman, Gomes, Glendinning, and on and on. A rare collection of important voices.The idea of ecopsychology is to open up awareness to the unheard voice of the Earth. "Animism" is a 19th century assumption that assumes the world lives only to the degree we project into it. The authors here realize that animism is a reductionistic and outdated concept that only serves to justify the ongoing rape and dematerialization of the natural world--a world that in fact projects her presence into those of us who can learn to hear her. This is not a back-to-nature project but a necessity if we are to preserve what's left of the Earth from our greed, haste, and the global warming of the psyche endemic to a society of rapacious and immature consumers too bent on private advantage to do what our ancestors did for a million years of history and prehistory: recognize and respect her personhood. And today, we can do so with all our critical faculties intact and a bit of help from green technics.
Rating:
Summary: still the classic
Review: Assembled here are some of the leading lights of ecopsychology, with papers and excerpts from the books they've written: Roszak himself, Aizenstat, Hillman, Gomes, Glendinning, and on and on. A rare collection of important voices. The idea of ecopsychology is to open up awareness to the unheard voice of the Earth. "Animism" is a 19th century assumption that assumes the world lives only to the degree we project into it. The authors here realize that animism is a reductionistic and outdated concept that only serves to justify the ongoing rape and dematerialization of the natural world--a world that in fact projects her presence into those of us who can learn to hear her. This is not a back-to-nature project but a necessity if we are to preserve what's left of the Earth from our greed, haste, and the global warming of the psyche endemic to a society of rapacious and immature consumers too bent on private advantage to do what our ancestors did for a million years of history and prehistory: recognize and respect her personhood. And today, we can do so with all our critical faculties intact and a bit of help from green technics.
Rating: 
Summary: Animistic sentimentality disguised as science.
Review: Look, these guys are talking out of their hat. They'll use lots of impressive sounding words to try to convince you that what they claim is irrefutably scientific, and make a lot of generalist statements without any supporting data. What it really sounds like is religious dogma of some sort, not the statements of scientific professionals. They make references to Freud that even an undergraduate student of psychology would know are false or misleading, and make use of the most misleading tricks of logic in an effort to just run over the reader and override any critical thinking attempts that could be used to possibly question their line of thinking. When the authors are not attempting to obfuscate their agenda, they are constantly complaining about the ecological crisis the world is in, without offering any possible solutions except for vague statements about changing paradigms. One of the first chapters is nothing but a rambling, sugar-coated ode to the life of a hunter-gatherer, where all the author does is idealize the supposedly simple lifestyle of the "noble savage". Things he left out? Snake bite, unavailable antibiotics, death from starvation, infanticide, tooth decay, superstition, I could really go on. I'm not saying that civilization is everything it is supposed to be, but let's not completely idealize its opposite either, and that's something these guys are completely guilty of. I, probably like yourself, consider myself globally conscious and am interested in protecting and preserving the wild places of the Earth. However, I am also, hopefully just like yourself, not interested in losing my ability to think critically in the process. Please just avoid this book, which really has nothing to do with psychology at all.
Rating:
Summary: It will open your eyes, heart,and mind
Review: Page 12, "if the self is expanded to include the natural world, behavior leading to the destruction of this world will be experienced as self-destruction". I think I have been somewhat of an ecopsychologist for some time now, but haven't realized it. This book brought to an organized sense, ideas, thoughts and feelings I already had. More importantly it introduced me to MANY new insights and thoughts about our planet and how we view it and treat it as NOT ME, when in fact, not only is it part of ME, but moreso, we are part of it. This is a very comprehensive book that takes us from theory, into practice, then to cultural and political issues, and onward with over 150 titles of suggested reading. Ecopsychology is a growing somewhat underground movement, a movement however, that many believe will come to fruition in this day and age of our concrete jungles, addiction to science and technology, and our general detachment from our original mother, the Earth. There are approximately 25 contributors to this book, a few, I must admit offer very dry reading. Overall however, this is one of the most enlightening books I have read. If you have even a general interest in Nature or Psychology, you would enjoy this book.
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Summary: Mother Earth Indeed!
Review: This book has provided me with a greater scope of how we are affected by the Earth and how we affect it. I am sad to see it is out of print, because the information it presents is vital for the future of us and our planet. I intend to pass on this book to friends and relatives to make them aware of the spiritual power that becoming more acquainted with the Earth provides. I feel like in this day and age we seemed to have lost interest and respect for our surroundings and our roots. What this book tries to do is get us back to those roots to get a deeper understanding of life, which, I'm sure, many of us have often wondered about. It celebrates the mystery, wildness and beauty that nature holds.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This book is a must read. Full of insightful articles by the leading forward thinkers in the field of psychology. Looks at the big picture in explaining the pathologies of our modern post-industrial society. Covers many different aspects of the eco-psychology discussion. Don't miss this book!
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration for a thesis
Review: This is a highly informative book. It tells about people's different points of view on the highly volatile and up-and-coming field of ecopsychology. This book is a great source of information and knowledge of the field as well as it's a pretty easy read. I used this book as a jumping off point for research for my undergraduate thesis. If you are interested in environmental issues and psychology, read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Informative
Review: To those who are environmental activists, this explains much of what the lay person thinks. This book I don't feel was meant to be a textbook of sorts, but it helps people who are trying to open up the minds and hearts of the human race to realize that we each as an individual can control how much and in what way we impact mother earth. Fact upon fact have been given out to try to convince people of the terrible acts we commit against Mother Earth and yet some people still don't feel they are responsible. I enjoyed reading the book. Honestly, I didn't rad the book to critique what the authors believe or rate their knowledge or intelligence, I read it for information on how to help! I feel it will help me to present my views to people in ways that they may understand and I will understand more of how people perceive them.
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