It's really cool and a bit mind-blowing to see ecopsych, ecotherapy and terrapsych finally acknowledged as part of the field of ecology, for "interior" stuff has been marginalized for so long in the world of reductionist science that focuses exclusively on observable exteriors.  For that alone the book deserves a lot of credit.

 

I read the definition of ecopsychology in the appendix and while it's true that it credits "Voice of the Earth" by Roszak as the beginning of ecopsychology, it does also mention that the field "has its roots in early uses of the wilderness for psychological transformation in the 1960s" and talks about Andy Fisher's book "Radical Ecopsychology" as well as the Roszak/Gomes/Kanner anthology "Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind."  (I know some of you have a different view of the origins of ecopsychology, so perhaps a note could be sent to the authors for future editions, correcting the error?)

 

This book is a fascinating read. I was trained in systems theory and think that integral theory could offer the next big paradigm shift.  Whatever one thinks of Ken Wilber's work overall, it's clear that this integrative approach, when applied to specific fields like ecology and the environment, allows a much broader and more holistic view than the previous methods.  It also offers inspiration for a much wider and more comprehensive (hopefully more effective) approach to environmental activism.

 

Linda Buzzell