Forests Forever

Fragile kingdoms of innumerable organisms and rich beauty, forests today are both our most plentiful and our most endangered natural resource. Understanding their workings and how to sustain them is imperative to ensuring the future of humanity. John J. Berger urges us to learn what can be done to preserve these treasures, and he offers here a compelling guide to the complex issues surrounding forest preservation. An expanded and revised version of Berger's best-selling "Understanding Forests", "Forests Forever" offers a clear and readable survey of forest history and management. Berger draws upon diverse sources in law, ecology, economics, politics, and anthropology to argue that ecology, rather than the marketplace, should be the driving force behind forest management. Historical case studies of forests worldwide support this contention, as does the history of governments' forest policy. Keeping pace with today's issues, Berger critically evaluates government policy over the last seven years, contrasting the destructive policies of the Bush Administration with model programs instituted by the Canadian Boreal Initiative and others. Ultimately, he offers us the guiding principles of sustainable forestry as an answer to the ever-increasing demand for wood products. Anchoring the account are galleries of breathtaking full-color images of trees, forest, wildlife, and other forestry subjects taken by the world's leading nature photographers. A concise and wholly readable account, "Forests Forever" issues a call to arms for all those concerned with preserving and managing the world's forests today.