Review by Choice Review
This edited volume has 25 contributors but was mostly written by Nabhan (Southwest Borderland Food and Water Security Program, Univ. of Arizona). It highlights the weaknesses and strengths of ethnobiology and the need for a futuristic approach. The book is a reflection on ethnobiology's future and how the field should contribute to finding solutions to environmental problems. The chapters highlight questions of the complexity of biocultural work in the "ethnobiosphere." Nabhan states that ethnobiology is the "oldest science" studying human interactions with nature. Yet it failed to be exposed to other forms of communication because it is restricted to a small group of scholars in academia. Looking at the current global environmental crisis, Nabhan and his colleagues point out the important roles that ethnobiology has played on multiple levels, from involving indigenous peoples in science, the decolonization of science, the conservation and management of sustainable environments to ethnobiology's role in a society dealing with green, alternative resources. There is a need to expose ethnobiological work in movies, poetry, and science fiction to engage bright students in studying ethnobiology and making a strong, worldwide impact. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Manuel Lizarralde, Connecticut College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
