- Paperback: 424 pages
- Publisher: McClelland & Stewart (Jan 23 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0771053266
- ISBN-13: 978-0771053269
- Product Dimensions: 13.6 x 2.8 x 22.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 454 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#129,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #20 in Books > Outdoors & Nature > Conservation > Wildlife
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Canada’s pioneering radical naturalist now back in print!
John A. Livingston is Canada’s Rachel Carson. His cogent, brilliant writing on the effects of man on nature has defined an entire generation of environmentalists and is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the underpinnings of today’s issues. Radical when first published in the early 1970s and 1980s, Livingston’s arguments that we must find new approaches to our perception of nature and our place within it or face the irreversibility of our destruction of nature now reads prophetically. The Reader brings two of Livingston’s poetic and provocative books back into print for a new generation of readers and features an appreciation by Graeme Gibson.
John A. Livingston is Canada’s Rachel Carson. His cogent, brilliant writing on the effects of man on nature has defined an entire generation of environmentalists and is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the underpinnings of today’s issues. Radical when first published in the early 1970s and 1980s, Livingston’s arguments that we must find new approaches to our perception of nature and our place within it or face the irreversibility of our destruction of nature now reads prophetically. The Reader brings two of Livingston’s poetic and provocative books back into print for a new generation of readers and features an appreciation by Graeme Gibson.
About the Author
John A. Livingston, 1923-2006, was one of Canada’s most renowned naturalists. He was professor emeritus of environmental studies at York University and one of the founding forces behind CBC’s The Nature of Things. He was the author of nine books, including the Governor General’s Award-winning Rogue Primate.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book condition,
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This review is from: The John A. Livingston Reader: The Fallacy of Wildlife Conservation and One Cosmic Instant: A Natural History of Human Arrogance (Paperback)
It's a terrific book and the condition of the one we received was fine. Thanks.Write 20 words write 20 words...I said what I wanted to say.... Amazon...
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4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant original thinker,
By Richard Reese - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: The John A. Livingston Reader: The Fallacy of Wildlife Conservation and One Cosmic Instant: A Natural History of Human Arrogance (Paperback)
I've read a mountain of books on ecological history, and Livingstone blew my mind. He was decades ahead of his time. He was a misanthrope, and he had few kind words for mainstream eco-activist organizations. But, he provided important answers to the question of how we got to where we are today. I also recommend his book Rogue Primate.Richard Adrian Reese Author of What Is Sustainable 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Livingston, I presume,
By Ashtar Command "Seeker" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The John A. Livingston Reader: The Fallacy of Wildlife Conservation and One Cosmic Instant: A Natural History of Human Arrogance (Paperback)
John A. Livingston is (I presume) well known in radical environmentalist and deep ecologist circles. I had no idea that Mr. Livingston even existed until I started doing some private research on deep ecology. And no, Livingston didn't call himself "deep ecologist". At least, he doesn't do so in the two works reprinted in this volume, "The fallacy of wildlife conservation" and "One cosmic instant". Of these, the first work is the most interesting one. (It was originally published in 1981.)Livingston argues against the prevailing pragmatic arguments for wildlife and wilderness conservation. The argument for "wise use" is essentially an argument for continued exploitation. At least, that's what it boils down to in practice. Besides, there are animals, plants and wilderness areas with no appreciable use for humans. Should they be sacrificed, then? He also opposes the aesthetic argument for conservation. Many animal or plant species aren't particularly aesthetically pleasing. Nor can one argue in terms of "rights", such as animal rights. "Rights" are a meaningless concept in nature. Livingston eventually reaches the extreme position that there isn't any rational argument for wilderness preservation. If wilderness has neither "rights" in any meaningful sense, nor any use for humans, why on earth should we save it? The only reason is a kind of mystical feeling that wilderness somehow deserves to be left alone. It's also obvious that Livingston was at bottom a misanthrope, who regarded animals as better than humans. Animals just are, they accept their place in nature, and simply cannot do otherwise. Humans are out of control. An interesting contradiction also surfaces in this book. On the one hand, Livingston is a very consistent atheist, who regards the universe as completely numb and meaningless. The same is true of our existence. This marks him out from deep ecologists sensu stricto, who seem to be more spiritual and pantheist. At the same time, however, Livingston nevertheless espouses a kind of nature mysticism, which he believes is the only ground on which to base wilderness preservation. But isn't this at bottom a kind of spiritual position? But then, I suppose you could argue that misanthropic spirituality isn't much to write home about anyway... |
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