Synopses & Reviews
Many experts agree that energy is the defining issue of this century. Economic recessions, foreign wars, and foreclosures are only a few of the results of Americaand#8217;s dependence on oil. In
Terra Nova, ecologist Eric Sanderson elucidates the interconnections between oil and money, cars and transportation, and suburbs and land use. He then charts a path toward renewed economic growth, enhanced national security, revitalized communities, and a sustainable environment: a new form of the American Dream.
Taking a uniquely cross-disciplinary, accessible approach, Sanderson delves into natural history, architecture, chemistry, and politics, to show how the American relationship to nature shaped our past and predicates our future. Illustrated throughout with maps, charts, and infographics, the book suggests how we achieve a better world through a self-reinforcing cycle of tax reform, retrofitted towns and cities, bicycles and streetcars, and investment in renewable energy.
Praise for Terra Nova:
and#147;If youand#8217;re going to read one book on the end of oil and the future of energy, make it this one. Eric Sanderson has thought deeply about the impact of our petroleum-dependent economy, how we got here, and where weand#8217;re headed. You may not agree with everything you read here, but this book should be the launching point for a desperately needed discussion about our modern way of life.and#8221; and#151;Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human
and#147;The highly readable text is complemented by illustrations, including maps, statistical tables, and extensive notes. VERDICT: The information supplied here would be difficult to find elsewhere. This book is recommended for all readers interested in the future of the United States and for both public and academic library collections.and#8221;
and#151;Library Journal
and#160;
and#147;Likening oil, cars, and suburbs to modern-day Sirens, those and#145;beautiful winged monstersand#8217; that tempted Odysseus with their songs, conservation ecologist Sanderson (Mannahatta) discourages an over-reliance on these things in this well-intentioned cautionary volume. The comparison is an ambitious one he employs throughout, believing they could doom Americans the way the Sirens would have doomed Odysseus, had he succumbed to their choruses . . . . Sanderson commendably outlines and#145;a new way of life . . . designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come,and#8217; but whether his suggestions or admonitions will be taken seriously is another matter entirely.and#8221;
and#151;Publishers Weekly
and#160;
Review
"[A]n exuberantly written and beautifully illustrated exploration of pre-European Gotham." San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Mannahatta is a cartographical detective tale. . . " The New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
On September 12, 1609, Henry Hudson first set eyes on the land that would become Manhattan. It's difficult for us to imagine what he saw, but for more than a decade, landscape ecologist Eric Sanderson has been working to do just that.
Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City is the astounding result of those efforts, reconstructing, in words and images, the wild island that millions of New Yorkers now call home.
By geographically matching an 18th-century map of Manhattan's landscape to the modern cityscape, combing through historical and archaeological records, and applying modern principles of ecology and computer modeling, Sanderson is able to re-create the forests of Times Square, the meadows of Harlem, and the wetlands of downtown.
Filled with breathtaking illustrations that show what Manhattan looked like 400 years ago, Mannahatta is a groundbreaking work that gives readers not only a window into the past, but inspiration for green cities and wild places of the future.
Synopsis
Filled with 120 full-color illustrations that show what Manhattan looked like 400 years ago, this natural history of New York City is a groundbreaking work that offers a window into the past and inspiration for green cities and wild places of the future.
Synopsis
On September 12, 1609, Henry Hudson first set eyes on the land that would become Manhattan. It's difficult for us to imagine what he saw, but for more than a decade, landscape ecologist Eric Sanderson has been working to do just that.
Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City is the astounding result of those efforts, reconstructing, in words and images, the wild island that millions of New Yorkers now call home.
By geographically matching an 18th-century map of Manhattan's landscape to the modern cityscape, combing through historical and archaeological records, and applying modern principles of ecology and computer modeling, Sanderson is able to re-create the forests of Times Square, the meadows of Harlem, and the wetlands of downtown. Filled with breathtaking illustrations that show what Manhattan looked like 400 years ago, Mannahatta is a groundbreaking work that gives readers not only a window into the past, but inspiration for green cities and wild places of the future. Library Journal:"You don't have to be a New Yorker to be enthralled by this book. Highly recommended."
San Francisco Chronicle:
"[A]n exuberantly written and beautifully illustrated exploration of pre-European Gotham."
The New York Times Book Review:
"'Mannahatta' is a cartographical detective tale. . ."
"The fact-intense charts, maps and tables offered in abundance here are fascinating, and even kind of sexy. And the middle of the book, the two-page spread of Mannahatta in all its primeval glory-the visual denouement of a decade's research-feels a little like a centerfold."
"Upon closing the book you feel revved up, at the very least, and are likely to see a way to build a future that is more aligned with what once was than with what can no longer be."
About the Author
Eric W. Sanderson is the Associate Director for Landscape Ecology and Geographic Analysis in the Living Landscape Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. He is an expert in the application of geographic principles and techniques to problems in wildlife, landscape, and ecological conservation. He lives in New York City.
Markley Boyer has worked with the Wildlife Conservation Sociey creating maps and visualizations for a new series of National Parks in Gabon. He lives in Brooklyn.