The Human Impact on the Natural Environment - 5th Edition

Rating:
Summary: Textbook coverage that doesn't read like a textbook
Review: Goudie's book covers both past and present human impacts on every conceivable component of the Earth -- on vegetation, animals, landforms, soil, water, climate, and the atmosphere. One of the strengths of this book is, of course, the great breadth of the topics it covers. Another strength is the use of clear concrete examples, with plenty of maps, graphs, and other visual presentations of relevant information. And finally, and most importantly, this book stands out because of the clarity of the writing, which is straight-forward and devoid of both technical jargon and judgmental phrasing.

This would make a great textbook for a college course, and yet would also make a wonderful reference or pleasure reading book for the curious. Not many books can make such a claim!