Lie of the Land: Challenging Received Wisdom on the African Environment

by Melissa Leach and Robin Mearns

Book Overview

Questions the reasoning behind Western images of the environmental destruction taking place in Africa.

This book addresses the issue of how environmental orthodoxies become established, and what the alternative and appropriate approaches for policy-making are. It shows that many of the established orthodoxies are ill-conceived or represent the interests of certain powerful groups.
The editors draw together material from 11 key case studies...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0852554095
• ISBN13: 9780852554098
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: James Currey
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A primer in critical environmental analysis

I was a bit surprised to see that this excellent book has not been reviewed before. We have used it as textbook in Masters' courses for several years at University of Bergen. It contains a number of high class articles which in a well documented manner challenge the 'received wisdom' of overdramatised environmental degradation which for long has distorted policy, aid and research in tropical countries. The authors do not take a blind opposite stand, and we see how our students through reading this book have changed their views and become reflected and finally grasped what sound, critical academic thinking entails.