Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy.

Natalia Mirovitskaya and William L. Ascher, Editors, 2001. Duke University Press, Durham and London. ISBN 0-8223-2745-7 [ppr] US$34.95 0-8223-2735-X [hc] US$89.95.

I quite like dictionaries and encyclopaedias -- I have even written for one. I must confess to a certain addiction to the MIT Dictionary of Modern Economics. Sometimes dictionaries and encyclopaedias can illuminate troublesome ideas (Blackwell's Dictionary of Human Geography is the only place I have ever seen a cogent explanation of "postmodernism" -- as cogent as postmodernism can ever seem). In this vein I enjoyed having the opportunity to read through the Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy, which is in essence a dictionary of topics in environment and resource management. The Guide provides a relatively extensive collection of definitions for a substantial range of ideologies, philosophies, policies, and approaches to environment and resource issues. The definitions vary in treatment, most are brief but provide sufficient information about the topic to afford a decent understanding, some are just too brief and may not be too helpful. For many there are additional commentaries that fl esh out the topic a bit more and provide a welcome context. The entries themselves are matter-of-fact, precise and objective, while the commentaries tend to be more critical and present varied perspectives -- and sometimes even controversies. I would venture to say that the commentaries not only distinguish this book, but give it a certain edge.

Cross-referencing is provided throughout, although in some instances this means that terms are not defined but instead the reader is referred to a larger topic -- which inevitably provides a cursive treatment of often more specialized themes. For example, a reader searching for cumulative impact assessment is referred to the general definition for environmental impact assessment. Cumulative assessment however is a substantive field in itself, and warrants an individual entry. I also searched for integrated resource management, and integrated environmental planning -- two relatively prominent ideas in resource and environmental management -- but neither appear to be in the guide. However multiple use, an older and perhaps now less used term, is to be found. Still, it's hard to hit everything in a field as broad as sustainability.

The organization of the Guide is based first on six macro themes -- basic concepts of development and environment, sustainability, factors behind development and environment, international political economy of environment and development, decision making, and major problems of environmental degradation and development -- with a list of specific entries falling under each. It can be a bit confusing since many topics might fall under more than one rubric.

The table of contents provides an overview of the themes and sub-themes, but I would suggest going right to the index to find a topic. Overall the editors have done a decent job of providing a basic dictionary of topics relating to sustainability and environment and resource management.

This guide is perhaps most useful for students, although professionals and academics may find the entries helpful for developing brief definitions for lectures, presentations, or writing. The Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental. Policy is a helpful resource for those who need a quick reference for the many ideologies, organizations, acronyms, institutions and approaches that now imbue the realm of resource and environmental management.