Human Impact on Ancient Environments

Rating:
Summary: Last Train To Jupiter
Review: Of the 25 books I've read in the past year this is the one that will have the most lasting impact. The dominant media factions would have us believe that all native people before European contact lived in pristine eco-edens ruled by peaceful matriarichies, with no toll taken on their habitat. Guess again! Hundreds developed sustainable relationships...but thousands were horribly destructive. "Humans have had a role in transforming virtually every environment and locale on this earth"-(fact) no matter which continent they inhabited. If we as a species don't learn from our mistakes of the past...we'd better find another planet to relocate to.

Rating:
Summary: Last Train To Jupiter
Review: Of the 25 books I've read in the past year this is the one that will have the most lasting impact. The dominant media factions would have us believe that all native people before European contact lived in pristine eco-edens ruled by peaceful matriarichies, with no toll taken on their habitat. Guess again! Hundreds developed sustainable relationships...but thousands were horribly destructive. "Humans have had a role in transforming virtually every environment and locale on this earth"-(fact) no matter which continent they inhabited. If we as a species don't learn from our mistakes of the past...we'd better find another planet to relocate to.

Rating:
Summary: Great ideas, long time getting there
Review: Redman makes a very good point in this novel that should be realized by all, and makes it clear that going back to the new-age hyped "natural" way of living that humanity possesed before contact with the evil Europeans means breaking apart important characteristics of human nature (though he does show that such a way of living is possible and has been done). Yet the amount of time he takes to make his point clear, and the amount of needless background information he includes, makes this book a very tedious read. I recommend this book only to those who have a deep and motivating curiosity about humanity's impact on the world. (Tree huggers, this is a book for you)

Rating:
Summary: Great ideas, long time getting there
Review: Redman makes a very good point in this novel that should be realized by all, and makes it clear that going back to the new-age hyped "natural" way of living that humanity possesed before contact with the evil Europeans means breaking apart important characteristics of human nature (though he does show that such a way of living is possible and has been done). Yet the amount of time he takes to make his point clear, and the amount of needless background information he includes, makes this book a very tedious read. I recommend this book only to those who have a deep and motivating curiosity about humanity's impact on the world. (Tree huggers, this is a book for you)