Understanding Imperiled Earth

Praise

“This clearly written and compelling book should appeal to a wide variety of readers who are interested in understanding and appreciating how the historical, behavioral, and environmental sciences can offer useful insights into how we can better face the many crucial challenges facing our planet today.” —Jeremy A. Sabloff, External Faculty Fellow and Past President, Santa Fe Institute

“Understanding Imperiled Earth is an important book written to persuade the general reader that historical perspectives matter— that history can help us find solutions to our current environmental crises. To make his case, Braje provides an overview of historical ecology and its links to science and the humanities, then he goes deeper with several broadly appealing examples: the trees of Notre-Dame, Hawaiian birds, and tuna fisheries. Although Braje honestly lays out the challenges we face, this is not a book of doom and gloom. The clear takeaway is this: archaeology and history provide essential context for our current environmental dilemmas, which can guide policy and practices in productive ways. Braje implores readers to set aside the handwringing. He pushes us to roll up our sleeves and get to work—particularly drawing on insights from the past.” —Virginia Butler, archaeologist and professor at Portland State University