This book is a summary and analysis of the status of biodiversity in the United States, and is aimed at both the general reader and professional. It is based on information collected by the Nature Conservancy , and they hope that this book will constribute towards the problem of threatened biodiversity.

What is nature worth? The answer to this question--which traditionally has been framed in environmental terms--is revolutionizing the way we do business.
In Nature's Fortune, Mark Tercek, CEO of The Nature Conservancy and former investment banker, and science writer Jonathan Adams argue that nature is not only the foundation of human well-being, but also the smartest commercial investment any business or government can make. The forests, floodplains, and oyster reefs often seen simply as raw materials or as obstacles to be cleared in the name of progress are, in fact as important to our future prosperity as technology or law or business innovation.
Who invests in nature, and why? What rates of return can it produce? When is protecting nature a good investment? With stories from the South Pacific to the California coast, from the Andes to the Gulf of Mexico and even to New York City, Nature's Fortune shows how viewing nature as green infrastructure allows for breakthroughs not only in conservation--protecting water supplies; enhancing the health of fisheries; making cities more sustainable, livable and safe; and dealing with unavoidable climate change--but in economic progress, as well. Organizations obviously depend on the environment for key resources--water, trees, and land. But they can also reap substantial commercial benefits in the form of risk mitigation, cost reduction, new investment opportunities, and the protection of assets. Once leaders learn how to account for nature in financial terms, they can incorporate that value into the organization's decisions and activities, just as habitually as they consider cost, revenue, and ROI.
A must-read for business leaders, CEOs, investors, and environmentalists alike, Nature's Fortune offers an essential guide to the world's economic--and environmental--well-being.

"The vital position of Africans in effective conservation has not been well described for the Western public, and "The Myth of Wild Africa takes an important step in redressing this lack of understanding. For anyone interested in the realities of conservation, it is a book well worth reading."--Dr. Amy Vedder, Biodiversity Program Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society

"A thoughtful and important examination of . . . the fatal fallacies of old-style conservation. The relationship between wildlife and people in Africa is as old as our species itself. The future of both must be taken into account together. Required reading for anyone who has ever cared about one or the other."--Thomas E. Lovejoy, Assistant Secretary for External Affairs, Smithsonian Institution

"I've never read any single other volume that has had as much impact on the problems, politics, and policies--and possible solution--of conservation in Africa."--Gary C. Clarke, Director Emeritus, Topeka, Kansas Zoological Park