Our Natural History: The Lessons of Lewis and Clark - Softcover

"In Our Natural History: The Lessons of Lewis and Clark, reissued with a new afterword by the author in celebration of the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, Botkin uses the journals to depict vividly the West of Lewis and Clark's time, comparing it with his own journeys to these now greatly changed places. In the end, Botkin argues, we must 'come to a new understanding of the texture and weave of nature and of our relationship with it."―Nature Conservancy Magazine

Praise for the previous edition: "With scores of natural ecosystems endangered in at least half of the contiguous 48 states, the pertinent scientific question is, 'How can they be saved?' Botkin provides a bag of clues and a map. It is provocative and interesting reading."―Sierra Magazine

Our Natural History moves like a bracing hike in the Rockies with a partner who, unlike Lewis and Clark themselves, is possessed of the scientist's intellectual discipline and the naturalist's sense of wonder."―Audubon Magazine

"Everyone who shares an interest in the environment and the economic future should read this book. He has a view of the environment that is both practical and deeply rooted in history and fundamental science, and he emerges with important and innovative things to say about the perceived tensions between ecology and competitiveness. Centering these approaches on the journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition provides great continuity with the American West as it existed shortly after the United States became a nation."―Harold J. Morowitz, Director, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University

"Hard hitting and provocative. We can only hope that books like this will steer us toward a more respectful and environmentally sound way of life."―Booklist

Daniel Botkin is President of the Center for the Study of the Environment in Santa Barbara, California, and Research Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of more than one hundred books and articles, including Discordant Harmonies (OUP 2000).