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Discovering the Unknown Landscape : A History of America's Wetlands by Ann Vileisis (1999, Trade Paperback)

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About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherIsland Press

ISBN-101559633158

ISBN-139781559633154

eBay Product ID (ePID)856517

Product Key Features

Edition2

Book TitleDiscovering the Unknown Landscape : a History of America's Wetlands

Number of Pages445 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicEcosystems & Habitats / Rivers, Ecosystems & Habitats / Lakes, Ponds & Swamps, General

Publication Year1999

IllustratorYes

GenreNature, History

AuthorAnn Vileisis

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height1.1 in

Item Weight0 Oz

Item Length9 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

Dewey Edition21

Dewey Decimal333.91/8/0973

SynopsisThe rapidly disappearing wetlands that once spread so abundantly across the American continent serve an essential and irreplaceable ecological function. Yet for centuries, Americans have viewed them with disdain. Beginning with the first European settlers, we have thought of them as sinkholes of disease and death, as landscapes that were worse than useless unless they could be drained, filled, paved or otherwise "improved." As neither dry land, which can be owned and controlled by individuals, nor bodies of water, which are considered a public resource, wetlands have in recent years been at the center of controversy over issues of environmental protection and property rights.The confusion and contention that surround wetland issues today are the products of a long and convoluted history. In Discovering the Unknown Landscape, Anne Vileisis presents a fascinating look at that history, exploring how Americans have thought about and used wetlands from Colonial times through the present day. She discusses the many factors that influence patterns of land use -- ideology, economics, law, perception, art -- and examines the complicated interactions among those factors that have resulted in our contemporary landscape. As well as chronicling the march of destruction, she considers our seemingly contradictory tradition of appreciating wetlands: artistic and literary representations, conservation during the Progressive Era, and recent legislation aimed at slowing or stopping losses.Discovering the Unknown Landscape is an intriguing synthesis of social and environmental history, and a valuable examination of how cultural attitudes shape the physical world that surrounds us. It provides important context to current debates, and clearly illustrates the stark contrast between centuries of beliefs and policies and recent attempts to turn those longstanding beliefs and policies around. Vileisis's clear and engaging prose provides a new and compelling understanding of modern-day environmental conflicts.