Reviews (1)

Champion of Liberty and the Environment
Few national leaders have shaped present-day America more positively than Justice William O. Douglas. The force of Douglas's ideas has had a profound influence on our world--from the individual liberties that we enjoy to his attitudes about protecting the natural world from human encroachment. At the core of it all is Douglas's idea of the human person. The advantages Americans enjoy over citizens of other nations, particularly totalitarian regimes " . . . are not in material things such as technology and standards of living. They relate to matters of the mind and the spirit . . . Man's moral and spiritual appetite, as well as his political ideals, demanded that he have freedom. Liberty was to be the way of life--inalienable and safe from the intrusions of government."
Read more

Subjects:  1. (William Orville),    2. 1898-    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Douglas, William O    8. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    9. Environmental Law    10. Essays    11. Historical - U.S.    12. History    13. Judges    14. Lawyers & Judges    15. Natural areas    16. Northwestern States    17. Supreme Court    18. U.S. Supreme Court    19. United States   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Development - Sustainable Development    5. Economic aspects    6. Economics - General    7. Endangered species    8. Environmental Conservation & Protection - Endangered Species    9. Nature conservation    10. Political aspects    11. United States    12. Wildlife    13. Business & Economics / Economics / General    14. Endangered species & extinction of species    15. Endangered species--United States    16. Environment law    17. Environmental economics    18. Environmental medicine    19. Political economy    20. USA   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Commercial Fishing    2. Fish    3. Fisheries & Aquaculture    4. Natural Resources    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Aquaculture & fishing: practice & techniques    8. FISHERIES    9. FISHERY LAW AND LEGISLATION    10. Management of land & natural resources    11. Technology / Fisheries & Aquaculture   

Subjects:  1. Architectural Practice    2. Architectural contracts    3. Architecture    4. Communication in architectural    5. Communication in architectural design    6. Design & Drafting    7. Documentation   

Reviews (2)

Terrific Read
I read this book in its entirety the day I received it in the mail.It is an incredible story, one that is told in a riveting narrative.I absolutely could not believe the lengths to which this oil company went to deny, delay, and stonewall the efforts of so many different people and organizations to hold them responsible for an underground oil spill they had undeniably caused.This book was an eye-opener.If you care about the environment, about energy, or about the law, read this book.I hope someone makes a movie out of this thing; it is such a great story.

How to win when the odds are 13 million to one.
Having had the privilege of proof-reading this book I came awayRead more

Subjects:  1. Avila Beach    2. Biography    3. California    4. Civil Law    5. Courts    6. Courts - General    7. Environmental    8. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    9. Environmental Engineering & Technology    10. Environmental lawyers    11. Law    12. Legal Reference / Law Profession    13. Liability for oil pollution da    14. Liability for oil pollution damages    15. Oil Pollution    16. Politics/International Relations    17. Trials, litigation, etc    18. Unocal Corporation    19. Chemical pollution    20. Current Events / American    21. Rizzo, Saro   

Subjects:  1. Environmental    2. Law    3. Property    4. English law: property (real estate)   

Subjects:  1. Environmental    2. Law    3. Reference / Law   

Subjects:  1. Environmental    2. Forest Management    3. Forestry law and legislation    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Natural Resources    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Popular works    9. Trees & Forests - General    10. United States    11. Forests, rainforests    12. Management of land & natural resources    13. Nature / Forests & Forestry   

Subjects:  1. Business/Economics    2. Construction - General    3. Construction industry    4. Europe    5. Health aspects    6. Project management    7. Safety measures    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Civil Engineering, Surveying & Building    10. Construction & heavy industry    11. English law: environment law    12. English law: planning law    13. Environment law    14. Occupational / industrial health & safety    15. Property, real estate, land & tenancy law   

Subjects:  1. Endangered species    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Environmental Law    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Habitat conservation    7. Law and legislation    8. Nature/Ecology    9. United States    10. Wildlife    11. Wildlife Conservation    12. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    13. Environment law    14. Property, real estate, land & tenancy law    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Cement plants    3. Corporate & Business History - General    4. Development - Sustainable Development    5. Environmental    6. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    7. Environmental aspects    8. Environmental conditions    9. History    10. History: American    11. Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.)    12. Public opinion    13. St. Lawrence Cement (Firm)    14. United States - State & Local - General    15. Manufacturing industries    16. Political activism    17. USA   

Editorial Review

Imagine nearly losing your home to a fire because the government won't let you build firebreaks or clear underbrush on your own property since an endangered species of rat likes to live there. That's what happened in Riverside County, California, in 1993. James DeLong tells dozens of stories of how government at all levels routinely usurps the private property rights of ordinary people through land-use regulations, environmental laws, historic preservation rules, and so on, without due compensation. He shows that property rights aren't just for people who don't like endangered species, but all of us--especially so-called "knowledge workers" whose livelihood depends upon the integrity of intellectual property rights in the form of copyright laws. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Partisan Politics Provide Poor Analysis
Unfortunately, instead of an thorough analysis of the genesis, justifications, and problems with overarching property rights, DeLong acts as a mouthpiece for other property rights activists.DeLong covers some of the same ground as Congressman Richard Pombo in his 1996 This Land Is Our Land, simply emphasizing anomalous examples instead of practicable solutions.DeLong's denial of the externalities resulting from uninhibited development leave his analysis unbalanced and ill-founded.DeLong's politics overcome his analysis.This book is similar to his condemnation of industry for their recognition to the denial of carbon dioxide emissions.(...)His political agenda overwhelm his rationale

How Property Rights are Being Assailed by Overactive Goverment
~Property Matters: How Property Rights Are Under Assault and Why You Should Care~ adroitly and incisively explains that property rights are vitally requisite to a free and prosperous civil society, and he further illustrates how the inalienable right to property is routinely being trounced upon by an overactive and uncaring state. The Lockean cliche "life, liberty, and property" succinctly encapsulates the rights that government exists to protect, and yet in our time the state is the single biggest threat to property rights in our time.A zealous and overactive government rountinely tramples upon property rights in complete disregard of the rule of law. Senseless environmental laws, asinine zoning ordinances, the phenomenon of regulatory takings without just compensation and other illegal takings in violation of the Fifth Amendment are rendering property rights null and void. On the environmental front, DeLong chronicles how the endangered species act and wetlands regulations have produced some ridiculous regulations and have done far more harm than good. The assault on property rights has steadily increased year by year. DeLong substantiates that property rights are the vital cornerstone of American liberties and that this right must be protected. He makes it resoundingly clear that Americans must wake up to the importance of property rights and voice their opposition to the assault upon private property.

Property Matters predicts the future of federal regulation.
In Property Matters, James V. DeLong argues that the federal effort to protect the environment has sometimes unconstitutionally deprived owners of their property.The book is skillfully written, and it intersperses bits of property law and regulatory history with a catalogue of horror stories.DeLong blames these governmental misdeeds on the tendency of previous liberal- dominated Congressional sessions to create monotonic agencies which lack stopping points.Given these imperatives (e.g., protect endangered species), the federal government has created bureaucracies which rightfully have no concern for private citizens or their rights.When only a few atrocities occurred, the public took little notice, but as the bureaucracies have expanded, more and more families have been harmed. DeLong's book effectively predicts the future of federal regulatory legislation.Eventually, Congress will have hearings that expose these offenses, much as the current IRS hearings have focused attention on a different kind of bureaucratic abuse.Unless environmental groups get a little smarter and cut the public some slack, when the reaction occurs, the pendulum is likely to swing too far in the other direction.Instead of legislation requiring a balancing of interests, Congress may well dismantle some programs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Environmental Law    3. General    4. Land use    5. Law and legislation    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Property    9. Property Law    10. Right of property    11. United States    12. Current Events / General    13. Environment law    14. Property, real estate, land & tenancy law   

Reviews (1)

A textbook, with pluses and minuses
Wildlife Issues in a Changing World is a textbook on... wildlife issues!There is an emphasis on the United States, but there are a good number of international examples as well.I really like the chapters on the Evil Quartet, what is wildlife, and what are wildlife issues.As I use this book in my courses, I depend on it as a source of wildlife issue examples, supplemented with DVDs and videos (to "bring" wildlife into the classroom).
Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Ecology    3. Endangered species    4. Human-animal relationships    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Wildlife    9. Wildlife conservation    10. Conservation of wildlife & habitats    11. English law: environment law    12. English law: planning law    13. Environment law    14. Nature / Ecology    15. Property, real estate, land & tenancy law    16. Zoology & animal sciences   

Subjects:  1. Environmental    2. Environmental law, Internation    3. Environmental law, International    4. International    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. International environmental law    8. Law / Environmental   

Subjects:  1. Environmental    2. International    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Public Policy - Environmental Policy    6. International environmental law    7. International relations    8. Law / Environmental   

Reviews (17)

Why don't the big environmental groups get it?
I heard Mr. Werbach speak on NPR recently and bought the book used. It's interesting to see how his thinking has progressed from when he was 23.I enjoyed reading this book and I bought it for two friends after I was finished.I recommend that readers who enjoy this book should also look for Henry David Thoreau's early works -- this book reminds me of Civil Disobedience.

I read about him in the NYT and bought this book...
I have to say it's an interesting experience reading a book by someone that they wrote when they were 23 -- almost a decade ago.I read about Werbach in the NYT this month about the deep-think essay he did on the death on environmentalism.I read some of the other reviews that seemed to say that the book was a light read -- which, for me, was a good thing, since if you've read his speech it's very complex, and something lighter was nice.
I love this book.
I read this book when I was in high school and it changed my life.I recently picked it up again (I'm in my final year of college) and it still holds up.My guess is that a lot of older activists won't get this book -- it's too raw. But it's honest, powerful and well-written. It's a quick, good read.If you've read Werback's recent speech on the death of environmentalism then you can see where he's at today.It's a much thicker read though.The nice thing about Act Now is that it's completely accessible.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Conservation Of Natural Resources (General)    3. Environmental    4. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    5. Environmental Engineering (General)    6. Environmental Studies    7. Environmental conditions    8. Environmental responsibility    9. Environmentalism    10. Environmentalists    11. Life Sciences - Ecology    12. Nature    13. Philosophy    14. United States    15. Werbach, Adam    16. Wildlife    17. Civil Engineering, Surveying & Building    18. Environmental science    19. Management of land & natural resources    20. Science / Ecology    21. Wild animals   

Subjects:  1. Environmental    2. Environmental Law    3. Law    4. Law and legislation    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Natural Resources    7. Pollution    8. United States    9. Water    10. Water quality management    11. Law / Reference   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Law    3. English law: environment law    4. International maritime law    5. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    6. USA   

Reviews (1)

Good reference tool
While a little simplistic and over-generalized at times, like all the books I've used in the Nutshell series, this is a good, solid reference tool.As an attorney and moderator of a discussion board on coastal access issues that emphasizes California law, I appreciate the comparisons of different approaches taken in different states.It's not really a book to read from start to finish, but as a quick reference to illustrate issues and point to the leading cases it's been a welcome help. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Coastal zone management    2. Environmental    3. Environmental Law    4. Law    5. Law and legislation    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Marine resources conservation    8. Reference    9. Shore protection    10. United States    11. Management of land & natural resources    12. Oceanography (seas)   

Subjects:  1. Chemicals    2. Environmental    3. Industrial Health & Safety    4. Law    5. Law and legislation    6. Medical / Nursing    7. Medical Law & Legislation    8. Poisons    9. Technology    10. Toxicity testing    11. Toxicology    12. Toxins    13. United States    14. Medical / Reference    15. Medical toxicology    16. Toxicology (non-medical)