Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West

Losing Eden traces the environmental history and development of the American West and explains how the land has shaped and been shaped by the people who live there.

• Discusses key events and topics from the Beringia migration, Columbian Exchange, and federal territorial acquisition to post-war expansion, resource exploitation, and climate change
• Structures the coverage around three important themes: balancing economic success and ecological protection; avoiding "the tragedy of the commons"; and achieving sustainability
• Contains an accessible, up-to-date narrative written by an expert scholar and professor that supplements a variety of college-level survey or seminar courses on US, American West, or environmental history
• Incorporates student-friendly features, including definitions of key terms, suggested reading sections, and over 30 illustrations

Keywords: US environmental history; Western US history; American West; conservation and preservation; sustainability; environmentalism; public lands; Columbian Exchange; Tragedy of the Commons; Liebig's Law; national parks; land conservation; climate change; Homestead Act; fur trade; pioneer migration; Gold Rush; Transcontinental Railroad; federal reclamation; Dust Bowl; water conservation; American wilderness; natural world; bison destruction; clearcutting; Sagebrush Rebellion; Fermi Paradox; Native Americans; John Wesley Powell; Frederick Jackson Turner; Theodore Roosevelt; John Muir; Aldo Leopold; Rachel Carson; Frank Church; James Watt, Regional American History, Environmental Studies Special Topics, Regional American History, Environmental Studies Special Topics