ISBN: 1-58367-019-X
Released: January 1991
In this clearly written and accessible book, John Bellamy Foster grounds his discussion of the global environmental crisis in the inherently destructive nature of our world economic system. Rejecting both individualistic solutions and policies that tinker at the margins, Foster calls for a fundamental reorganization of production on a social basis so as to make possible a sustainable and ecological economy.
The Vulnerable Planet has won respect as the best single-volume introduction to the global environmental crisis. This edition includes a new afterword by the author.
Praise for the first edition (1994)
The strength of [John Bellamy] Foster’s book lies in its broad historical and geographical sweep…. A fine contribution to a critical sociology of important environmental issues…. Extraordinarily well written….
A readable chronicle aimed at a general audience…. Graceful and accessible….
Has the potential to be a political bombshell in radical circles both in the United States and around the world…. Foster’s arguments in The Vulnerable Planet give voice to views on population growth that have traditionally been nearly unthinkable to socialists…. One of Foster’s strengths is his effort to place today’s ecological crisis in historical context.
