Customer Reviews

Sustainability: A Philosophy of Adaptive Ecosystem Management

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By far one of the best books I have read on sustainability. This is a lengthy book and Norton can definitely be both wordy and well over my head at times, but the message is solid. Adaptive Management offers a complement to progressive viewpoints by firmly rejecting economic reductionism, while promoting an action-oriented process that doesn't allow individuals to hide behind uncertainty to avoid making tough decisions. If you are an individual who believes that environmental problems do exist, and don't want to get mired down in the polarized arguments of environment versus economics, give this book a read. Some key topics discussed in this book are:

* Linkages between science and social values
* Pragmatism and a "middle-way"
* Darwinism and evolution
* Adaptive management & social learning
* Pluralism
* Creating a new vocabulary for sustainability & environmental issues

Norton argues that our "current language is inadequate because it leads to polarization over environmental values and to ideological environmentalism." Instead Norton proposes adpative management and uses the length of the book to discuss the context and concepts that surround the implementation of such a concept. What strikes me about adaptive management is that it is geared to handle both uncertainty and learning (constant evolution), two features which logically seem crucial to dealing with todays issues. It will take me a long time to fully digest the amount of information in this book, but it was well worth the read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of what "sustainability" is--or more importantly, could be.

I think that this book could be cut in half and be better. It is very thorough and worth reading, however it is too long and repeats itself. Please don't get me wrong here. I like this book and recommend it. It could just be cut down in size a bit.

First things first: Wow, what a read. Norton uses 608 pages to throw over `established' opinions about the term sustainability. I suppose this is what you have to deal with if the word "philosophy" appears in the subtitle. But don't worry. The author included "some shorter paths" for those of you who don't have the time to read this masterpiece in every last detail.

For everyone who enjoys reading, you sure will enjoy reading this one. I don't know if Norton and Hawken (The Ecology of Commerce) have ever met, but I am sure they would have a lively discussion about this topic. "Sustainability: A Philosophy of Adaptive Ecosystem Management" is a viewpoint on the interplay between today's economy, society, and environment and how individuals can influence this interaction. I liked the philosophical approach after reading so many practical guides on how to reach sustainability. This perspective gave me the chance to step back for a moment and look at the entire concept of sustainability from a completely different and new angle. This is why I consider this book a must read for every theorist and an extremely valuable read for every practitioner who is willing to broaden his/her horizon.

- Frank Roettgers, author of Going Green Together - How to Align Employees with Green Strategies