Man and the Environment: An Introduction to Human Ecology and Evolution.

Abstract

I find Man and the Environment an excellent work and recommend it strongly as a text for college and high school students and for general reading. Boughey presents his important data concisely, notably as the result of earnest fact-finding rather than easy fault-finding. His holistic treatment of his theme is most helpful. The volume contains numerous diagrams, drawings, even occasional photographs, ably illustrating its author's competent ecological orientation. Following each chapter are bibliographic references, as well as suggestions for further reading. There is a very interesting glossary, as well as three brief appendices (one providing a list of US administrative and regulatory bodies involved with environmental problems, another list providing geological dating, and a third one illustrating hominid models). A useful author index and subject index complete the book. One paragraph in the author's Preface records his appreciation of the importance of creative reading, particularly with reference to synthetic conceptualization: