Earth visionaries. Climate drivers. Believers. The World in their Hands tells the stories of those who saw the importance of our natural world and dedicated their lives to its conservation, preservation, and protection in diverse and inspiring ways. These were climate drivers--thinkers, doers, and fighters who spoke up and took action long before it was fashionable, or critical. Thinkers such as Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold ground us in their deeply rooted emotional and physical attachments to nature. Doers like Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Rachel Carlson include those who geared up and went out there to study, learn, record, report, and otherwise inspire the rest of the world. Fighters are the folks that got vocal, sometimes loudly, and stood their ground in the face of staunch adversity and resistance. Even at their own peril, they refused to abandon their commitment to saving a species or coveted piece of land. Taking the preservation of the natural world into their own hands, their efforts led to the founding of the National Park Service and the Wilderness Society, the establishment of the Wilderness Act, the preservation of untold millions of acres of land around the world, and countless other victories. Their inspiring stories evoke a deeper appreciation of nature in each of us; showing us where we've been, how far we've come, and what the road ahead will look like for the next generation of conservation crusaders, at a time when conservation, environmentalism, and action couldn't be more critical.
World in Their Hands is a collection of short biographical sketches of 17 environmental philosophers and activists curated and written by Steve Johnson. Due out 1st June 2021 from Rowman & Littlefield, it's 254 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is an interesting layman accessible overview of the conservation movement over the last century. The essays are each roughly ten pages in length and include vital statistics (birth, death, family connections) as well as their involvement and contributions to world conservation. Many of them were familiar to me already but not all of them. I found it an engaging and learning-rich read. The book is sparsely illustrated, but there are some black and white photos of the subjects themselves and places they visited, studied, or fought to protect.
The author has also included a short resources and links lists to modern conservation organizations and links for further reading.
Four stars. This is an information rich nonfiction book and would make good selection for library acquisition or home use.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
