Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2022 -

Delaney (SUNY, Oswego) and Madigan (St. John Fisher College) provide an updated edition of Beyond Sustainability (first published in 2014), now more timely than ever given the growing concerns of climate change, resource depletion, species endangerment, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Approaching sustainability at the nexus of sociology and philosophy, the authors emphasize the importance of "thrivability" because the environment is wholly compromised. Ten chapters provide astute insight into topics such as environmental thrivability, climate change and human dependence, overpopulation, the sixth mass extinction, and environmental ethics. Closing out the text are two highly practical chapters addressing the likelihood of individuals embracing thrivability and how to educate others about the construct. In addition to the focus on thrivability from a multidisciplinary vantage point, this volume is very well written and employs an excellent balance of academic references and personal narratives from the authors. Given its insights and readability, this book will be difficult for readers to put down. Libraries with reserve collections focusing on environmental philosophy, environmental sociology, and environmental politics should own this book.Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, advanced undergraduates through faculty, and professionals.

Place-based resistance to fossil fuel infrastructure has achieved remarkable victories in recent decades, blocking development or expansion of pipelines and raising awareness of the climate impacts of such projects. Synthesizing insights from notable theories of the policy process, this book uses four empirical case studies of high-profile fossil fuel infrastructure projects in North America to examine the conditions under which place-based resistance slowed or thwarted project progress. Each case study distills a complex policy history into a highly readable account, and the narratives are supported by helpful figures and maps, making this work accessible for dedicated general readers--no small feat. An academic and an experienced activist, Hoberg (Univ. of British Columbia) builds on the initial case studies to critically examine "the resistance dilemma"--the risk that opponents of renewable energy infrastructure may seize on the legitimacy and successes of place-based opposition to fossil fuel infrastructure and exploit them toward a new purpose. The resistance dilemma and mechanisms by which it might be addressed are developed through additional examples, offering readers a rich resource for further study--the reference section spans more than 50 pages. This strong contribution to the literature is a must read for climate activists and anyone interested in environmental politics and governance.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers.