The Environmentalists: A Biographical Dictionary from the 17th Century to Present - Hardcover

This retrospective biographical dictionary includes individuals and organizations that have written about the environment and environmental problems, have been active in movements to save the environment, or have generally been interested in the environment and conservation issues.

The dictionary contains approximately 600 short biographical sketches of organizations and personalities from the seventeenth century to the present. Included are Devereux Butcher, Toby Cooper, Jay Norwook Darling, and Men of the Trees as well as the better-known John Burroughs, Rachel Carson, the Izaak Walton League of America, and the National Geographic Society. The dictionary contains "villains" as well as "heroes"; the reader will find James Watt and Saddam Hussein as well as Ralph Nader and Karen Silkwood. Many biographies end with a list of works for further reading. The entries for organizations contain addresses, telephone numbers, and year of founding. Black-and-white photographs include portraits and outdoor scenes. An index improves access to the volume. For example, in addition to the entry Sierra Club, the index notes more than 40 additional entries where it is mentioned.

This work is unique in scope and content. There are many directories of environmental organizations but none that provide both historical and current biographical information on a wide range of individuals from Linnaeus to Aldo Leopold to Stewart Brand.

This reference features more than 600 entries covering key environmental individuals and organizations from the 17th century to the present. Arranged alphabetically, entries give brief biographical and historical information on such people as Vice President Al Gore; James Watts, Reagan's Interior Secretary; antinuclear activist Karen Silkwood; Petra Kelly, the late founder of the German Green Party; and Saddam Hussein, ecological terrorist. Environmental organizations such as the Cousteau Society and government agencies such as the National Park Service are listed with addresses and phone numbers. Entries range in length from several paragraphs to two pages and include brief suggestions for further reading about either the individual or the organization. While some of this information can be found in the Conservation Directory (National Wildlife Federation, 1991. 36th ed.) and various biographical sources, this compilation as a whole is unique. School, public, and academic libraries will find this a worthwhile purchase.
- Eva Lautemann, DeKalb Coll. Lib., Clarkston, Ga.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.