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What is natural? Is a nature reserve, in all its apparently unspoilt beauty,
a natural environment? Or is nature an artificial concept, each of us having our
own idea as to the nature of nature? For an eye-opening look at environmentalism
and the human place in nature, plus a new perspective on the world in which we
live, strap on your rucksack and embark on a journey across Uncommon Ground,
edited by William Cronon (W. W. Norton, £11.95/$15.95, ISBN 0 393
31511 8). This long intellectual hike is a collection of essays resulting from a
meeting of minds at a seminar at the University of California, Irvine, in
1994—the southern Californian “wilderness” providing a perfect backdrop
for the musings. It has aroused controversy among traditional environmentalists,
who accuse it of providing succour to the green backlash. But approach it with
an open mind and you’ll get much out of this thoughtful book.