Review by Choice Review
If one enjoyed Foster's earlier book, Thoreau's Country: Journey through a Transformed Landscape (CH, Oct'99, 37-0923), his new book on Martha's Vineyard will be just as pleasurable. This book is divided into four sections with 16 chapters. The sections describe the lay of the land, examine the prehistory up to 1600, explore the colonial times through the 21st century, and show what is occurring today and what the future can hold. The text is profusely illustrated with maps, graphs, diagrams, and photos, many of which are presented on a full page and in bright colors. Foster (biology, Harvard Univ.) has spent much of his career as the director of the Harvard Forest; thus, he brings his insight from his life-long work to this volume. The writing is fluid; it is almost as if Foster is talking to the reader as he guides one through the book's material. There are no citations in the text, but a full bibliography and index end the volume. Although the book focuses on the Vineyard, it acts as an environmental history of the northeastern United States. As a result of its outstanding readability, this reviewer recommends this work to individuals interested in understanding the natural landscape and how humans have interacted with it throughout time. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Larry Thomas Spencer, Plymouth State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
