Black Gold: Clearing the smoke on American coal
If I were to mention the words “black gold” you might picture oil (Thank you, Beverly Hillbillies). But the original black gold was coal and it is the title of …
History
Book Review Flashback: Animal Resistance
I had mentioned the passing of author Sarat Colling last month. Today I’d like to revisit her book Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era. We reviewed the book four …
New and forthcoming environmental books (September 2025)
I’m pleased the share the latest batch of fiction and nonfiction books with environmental themes… Footprint: Four Itineraries By Radhika Subramaniam The book takes the footprint for a walk—to the …
The Omnivore’s Deception: Conscience makes cowards of us all
If the title of this book reminds you of the bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, that is intentional. For as author John Sanbonmatsu writes, Michael Pollan did a …
New and forthcoming environmental books (August 2025)
There is a maxim that “nothing happens in publishing in the summer.” Apparently, that maxim doesn’t apply to environmental literature — as we’ve seen a wide range of impressive books …
Satellite: Essays of Fatherhood and Home, Near and Far by Simmons Buntin
Terra Firma Books, Trinity University Press, 2025 This fine collection of essays by Simmons Buntin, Satellite: Essays of Fatherhood and Home, Near and Far, leads with lizards. “They are tidy, …
A much-needed journal debuts: Animal History
There is a new academic journal worth checking out: Animal History. It is edited by Thomas Aiello, professor of History and Africana Studies at Valdosta State University; Susan Nance, professor …
Make Love, Not War: Rethinking Our Relationship with ‘Invasive’ Species
I was once told that a weed is simply a plant out of place. Indeed, one person’s weed may be another person’s precious resource. In Love Them to Death: Turning …
Book Review: Your Neighbor Kills Puppies
In Your Neighbor Kills Puppies: Inside the Animal Liberation Movement author Tom Harris has written a comprehensive history of the battles won and lost in the UK, US and around …
Book Review: Kernels of Resistance by Liza Grandia
Nearly 30 years ago, the first genetically modified (GM) seed produced a tomato known as the Flavr Savr. The tomato was engineered for longer shelf life which was where it …
Animals in World History: The long-overlooked protagonists of our planet
If history is written by the victors, then this book is a much-needed step forward in our awareness and understanding of the non-human animals who have suffered at the hands …