Reinventing Eden : The Fate of Nature in Western Culture by Carolyn Merchant...

Product Information Visionary quests to return to the Garden of Eden have shaped Western culture from Columbus' voyages to today's tropical island retreats. Few narratives are so powerful - and, as Carolyn Merchant shows, so misguided and destructive - as the dream of recapturing a lost paradise. A sweeping account of these quixotic endeavors by one of America's leading environmentalists,Reinventing Edentraces the idea of rebuilding the primeval garden from its origins to its latest incarnations in shopping malls, theme parks and gated communities. With eloquence and insight, Merchant shows how the drive to conquer nature and to explore and settle the globe, springs from this utopian pastoral impulse throughout Western history. Time and again, human manipulation of the environment is our downfall: Eden is achieved by fencing off pristine beauty in national parks and wildlife preserves, while leaving the majority of the earth in ruins. Product Identifiers Publisher Routledge ISBN-10 0415931657 ISBN-13 9780415931656 Product Key Features Format Book, Paperback Publication Year 2004 Language English Dimensions Weight 0 Oz Width 0.6in. Height 0.8in. Length 0.9in. Additional Product Features Dewey Edition 23 Illustrated Yes Dewey Decimal 304.2/8 Copyright Date 2004 Author Carolyn Merchant Number of Pages 320 Pages Lc Classification Number Gf21.M473 2004 Publication Date 2004-07-26