For a person interested in an overview of environmental history and some examples of typical sources used by the field, this is a reasonably good textbook. The pieces excerpted for the various sections are a good sampling of some of the best and well-known scholars in the field, and the primary sources would promote interesting discussion in a classroom setting. Small introductory sections help explain the significance of each. The organization is clear, and the 15-chapter format lends itself well to teaching this book under the 15-week semester system. An appendix provides helpful definitions of common terms and topics, such as ecofeminism and human ecology.

However, the book has several flaws that discourage me from giving it an entirely positive endorsement. First, it lacks an index, a major problem for a book of this type. Second, both primary and secondary sources appear in excerpted form (missing sections are indicated by ellipses) and lack the footnotes from the originals. Although the sources are fully cited in an appendix, this is frustrating for the reader who was looking for a more "intact" representation of the materials in one place. ( )