In "Man and Nature," first published in 1864, polymath scholar and diplomat George Perkins Marsh challenged the general belief that human impact on nature was generally benign or negligible and charged that ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean had brought about their own collapse by their abuse of the environment. By deforesting their hillsides and eroding their soils, they had destroyed the natural fertility that sustained their well-being. Marsh offered his compatriots in the United States a stern warning that the young American republic might repeat these errors of the ancient world if it failed to end its own destructive waste of natural resources. Marsh's ominous warnings inspired conservation and reform. In linking culture with nature, science with history, "Man and Nature" was the most influential text of its time next to Darwin's "On the Origin of Species," published just five years earlier.

In his Introduction to this new edition, David Lowenthal places "Man and Nature" in the context of recent scholarship and evaluates its significance for the environmental movement that has emerged since the latter part of the twentieth century. He also paints a vivid portrait of the book's brilliant, passionate, wide-ranging, and sometimes choleric author.

Although what we know and what we fear about the environment have vastly amplified since Marsh's day, his appraisal of forest cover and erosion remains largely valid, his cautions about watershed control still cognent, and his call for stewardship ever more pertinent. "Man and Nature" is worth reading not only for having taught lessons crucial in its day, but for teaching them still so well.

David Lowenthal is professor emeritus of geography at University College London. His books include "George Perkins Marsh: Prophet of Conservation, The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History," and "The Past Is a Foreign Country."

" "Man and Nature was"] the rudest kick in the face that American initiative, optimism, and carelessness had yet received." - Wallace Stegner

"It is no exaggeration to say that "Man and Nature" launched the modern conservation movement. It helped Americans in the second half of the nineteenth century recognize the damage they were doing to the natural environment, and challenged them to behave in more responsible ways toward the earth and its natural systems. . . . "Man and Nature" stands right next to "Silent Spring" and "A Sand County Almanac" by any measure of historic significance." - from the Foreword by William Cronon

Title: Address delivered before the Agricultural Society of Rutland County, Sept. 30, 1847.Author: George Perkins MarshPublisher: Gale, Sabin Americana Description: Based on Joseph Sabin's famed bibliography, Bibliotheca Americana, Sabin Americana, 1500--1926 contains a collection of books, pamphlets, serials and other works about the Americas, from the time of their discovery to the early 1900s. Sabin Americana is rich in original accounts of discovery and exploration, pioneering and westward expansion, the U.S. Civil War and other military actions, Native Americans, slavery and abolition, religious history and more.Sabin Americana offers an up-close perspective on life in the western hemisphere, encompassing the arrival of the Europeans on the shores of North America in the late 15th century to the first decades of the 20th century. Covering a span of over 400 years in North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, this collection highlights the society, politics, religious beliefs, culture, contemporary opinions and momentous events of the time. It provides access to documents from an assortment of genres, sermons, political tracts, newspapers, books, pamphlets, maps, legislation, literature and more.Now for the first time, these high-quality digital scans of original works are available via print-on-demand, making them readily accessible to libraries, students, independent scholars, and readers of all ages.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++SourceLibrary: Huntington LibraryDocumentID: SABCP02222500CollectionID: CTRG97-B1410PublicationDate: 18480101SourceBibCitation: Selected Americana from Sabin's Dictionary of books relating to AmericaNotes: "Published by request of the Society."Collation: 24 p.; 22 cm

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfectionssuch as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed worksworldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Remarks On An Address Delivered Before The New England Society Of The City Of New York, December 23, 1844 George Perkins Marsh C. Stimpson, 1845 History; United States; Colonial Period (1600-1775); History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775); Puritans; Religion / Christianity / History