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THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT

Name: THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT
Author: Roger D. Stone
ISBN: 0-394-58358-2

A REPORT FROM THE RURAL TROPICS ON THE QUEST FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

by Roger D. Stone ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 20, 1992

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Stone (a consultant on environmental issues at the Council on Foreign Relations) explicates sustainable growth, a ``hot topic'' in relations between rich and poor nations. According to the author, ``while environmental degradation in the industrial world results from affluence and neglect, in developing countries the principal culprit is poverty.'' So Stone's prescription for defending the environment in poor areas calls for involving local people in environmentally benign economic development that will keep them from having to destroy the land in order to survive. After presenting a brief history of the European impact on the ecologies of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Stone documents the growing worldwide support for sustainable development, initially among First World government and conservation organizations (like the World Wildlife Fund, where he is a senior fellow), then among the poor, who rapidly take to the concept when they see its benefits. The author's accounts of visits to various development sites mix crisp descriptions (particularly of local political situations) with seemingly irrelevant details (like that of the French woman who showed him to his rental car). Although clearly hailing from the liberal-environmentalist wing of the development aid community, Stone represents all sides fairly in dealing with private and public initiatives, and his comments will be particularly useful for First World environmentalists trying to understand why their counterparts in poor countries often resist their best-intentioned efforts. Though Stone sometimes seems to prefer quick judgment to deep analysis, he presents a compelling picture of a major shift in worldview among development agencies and their clients, one that may result in a healthier planet.

Pub Date: April 20, 1992

ISBN: 0-394-58358-2

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1992

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MIGHTIER HUDSON
by Roger D. Stone illustrated by Michael Sloan

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.