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Our Polluted World
Atmospheric Environment, Pergamon Press 1967, Vol. 1, p. 523. Printed in Great Britain.
BOOK REVIEW Our Polluted World. JOHN PERRY. Franklin Watts, New York, 1967, pp. 213, $4.95 THE AUTHORof this volume has committed the apparent sin of failing to follow the well-delineated pattern of previous books for laymen. While it is true that he mentions London and Donora, he spends more space on a discussion of camping spots he has visited. While he mentions control devices for autos, he does not give the impression that they will cure the world’s ills--or even that portion of the world’s ills not attributable to a specific political party and/or to sunspots. He even has the audacity to subtitle this volume, Can Man Survive? As a result, this book will probably irritate a large number of people. With enough publicity, it could even gain a group of devotees (especially if the author should die soon) who would quote it out of context and use it to prove a conspiracy by some group or other to eradicate butterflies, falcons, minority groups, majority groups, or tomatoes. A careful reading, however, shows that the only sin is that the book is dltIerent. The author, who is. among other things, a professional writer, did not spend a few weeks becoming an instant expert. He travelled, and he asked questions, and he thought. Then he asked more questions. Then he thought. Perry is not a professional scientist. He is a first-class lay ecologist, however, and the picture he assembled is not a comfortable one, nor is it one that can be readily refuted. He is also an avid outdoorsman, who draws on personal experience-related in the first person-to make hi points. He mentions a once-loved stream, a camp-site over-run, a talk with a frustrated control official. At the same time, this is not an emotional book. It is rather remorselessly logical. It takes the reader (who might well be anybody from a literate teenager to non-specialist scientist), uncondescendingly teaches him the ncccssIvy language, presents the facts, shows the trends, admits the areas of ignorance, and draws the final conclusions. It discusses in turn water pollution and air pollution, more briet3y land pollution, then, in a final chapter, the root of it all-population. It is delightful to read, troubling to contemplate. It is probably the best book extant on the subject. One caution is perhaps necessary. ?his is very much a book for American readers. The places described are all in the United States, and the philosophy is an indigenous one. I 6nd it hard to anticipate the reaction of readers abroad. I can therefore oniy recommend this volume without reservation to American readers, and devoutly hope that its message may also be heard in the rest of the world. J,uuns P. LODOE, JR.
523
BOOK REVIEW Our Polluted World. JOHN PERRY. Franklin Watts, New York, 1967, pp. 213, $4.95 THE AUTHORof this volume has committed the apparent sin of failing to follow the well-delineated pattern of previous books for laymen. While it is true that he mentions London and Donora, he spends more space on a discussion of camping spots he has visited. While he mentions control devices for autos, he does not give the impression that they will cure the world’s ills--or even that portion of the world’s ills not attributable to a specific political party and/or to sunspots. He even has the audacity to subtitle this volume, Can Man Survive? As a result, this book will probably irritate a large number of people. With enough publicity, it could even gain a group of devotees (especially if the author should die soon) who would quote it out of context and use it to prove a conspiracy by some group or other to eradicate butterflies, falcons, minority groups, majority groups, or tomatoes. A careful reading, however, shows that the only sin is that the book is dltIerent. The author, who is. among other things, a professional writer, did not spend a few weeks becoming an instant expert. He travelled, and he asked questions, and he thought. Then he asked more questions. Then he thought. Perry is not a professional scientist. He is a first-class lay ecologist, however, and the picture he assembled is not a comfortable one, nor is it one that can be readily refuted. He is also an avid outdoorsman, who draws on personal experience-related in the first person-to make hi points. He mentions a once-loved stream, a camp-site over-run, a talk with a frustrated control official. At the same time, this is not an emotional book. It is rather remorselessly logical. It takes the reader (who might well be anybody from a literate teenager to non-specialist scientist), uncondescendingly teaches him the ncccssIvy language, presents the facts, shows the trends, admits the areas of ignorance, and draws the final conclusions. It discusses in turn water pollution and air pollution, more briet3y land pollution, then, in a final chapter, the root of it all-population. It is delightful to read, troubling to contemplate. It is probably the best book extant on the subject. One caution is perhaps necessary. ?his is very much a book for American readers. The places described are all in the United States, and the philosophy is an indigenous one. I 6nd it hard to anticipate the reaction of readers abroad. I can therefore oniy recommend this volume without reservation to American readers, and devoutly hope that its message may also be heard in the rest of the world. J,uuns P. LODOE, JR.
523