Ecological Literacy

September 15, 2005
" Sustainability" is increasingly becoming a buzzword, popping up in advertising campaigns and political promises. This welcome volume, collected by the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, offers authoritative definitions of what sustainable living means and progressive theories for achieving it, beginning with the education of the young. The diverse selections, organized into loose thematic sections such as "Vision," are contributed by well-known leaders on the subject. Chef Alice Waters, who began a successful school-garden program, outlines the differences between fast-food and slow-food values, while educator Maurice Holt calls for a return to "the slow school," in which students are encouraged to think, feel, and understand concepts, not just memorize them. Pamela Michael, founder of River of Words, a unique nonprofit that encourages the integration of art and science in the classroom, contributes a stirring piece entitled "Helping Children Fall in Love with the Earth." Inspired, substantive, and visionary, these selections will help concerned readers focus their own discussions about sustainability and suggest new ways to implement its values in their own communities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)