Conservation Reader

Fairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman), 1860-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 291K words
Chapters: 30

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Conservation Reader by Harold W. FairbanksAuthor: Fairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman), 1860-,Language: English, Class: HC: Social sciences: Economic history and conditions, Special topics, Release Date: Oct 16, 2008

Editor's review

Conservation Reader is a nature conservation reader written by Harold W. Fairbanks for general readers, classified under social sciences in economic history and related topics. Its value lies in showing how early conservation ideas were organized into popular, readable texts for a general audience: not abstract policy discussion, but short chapters breaking down topics such as soil, forests, water, and resource use for ordinary readers to read progressively. As a public-domain e-book released by Project Gutenberg, it preserves the tone and structure of early twentieth-century English popular science writing, and is of reference value to those studying the history of environmental ideas, the evolution of popular science style, or English popular science reading. It should be read as a historical text rather than a contemporary environmental guide; many of its background assumptions already differ from today's scientific understanding and policy frameworks. Suitable as supplementary material for environmental education history or English extensive reading; reading chapter by chapter and taking notes while reading works better.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of environmental ideas and early popular science texts
Learners who need original English popular science extensive reading material
Practitioners in nature education who want to understand early popularization approaches
Researchers concerned with public-domain e-books and the history of knowledge dissemination

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking contemporary environmental policy and the latest scientific conclusions
Academic readers who prefer strongly argued, data-rich monographs
Readers who need illustrated, interactive popular science books for young people

Reading tips

Read in chapter order, and after each chapter write one sentence noting the core viewpoint and historical context.
Mark statements that differ from contemporary environmental understanding while reading, and compare and reflect on them together after finishing.
Use it as English popular science extensive reading material, one chapter per day, with a vocabulary notebook.
If used for teaching or writing, excerpt its popularization techniques and compare with today's popular science expression.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the content of this book still accurate today?

As an early conservation reader, its basic concerns remain meaningful, but specific facts, data, and policy background have changed over time. Readers should view it as a text in the history of environmental ideas, to understand how people then understood resources and conservation, rather than using it directly as a contemporary environmental guide.

Can I read it without a background in environmental science?

Yes. The book is written for general readers, with relatively accessible language and short chapters. However, it is original English and carries the tone of its era; some English reading ability is recommended. If reading only to understand the content, proceed chapter by chapter with a dictionary or guide material.

How is it different from ordinary environmental popular science books?

It is more like a historical reader: the focus is not on the latest knowledge but on showing how early conservation ideas were popularized. For readers studying popular science style, the history of environmental education, or public-domain texts, these traces of the era are precisely where the reading value lies.

What are the characteristics of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free public-domain e-books; texts usually retain their original form and generally have no modern editor's notes or introduction. Readers get a relatively raw reading experience and need to look things up themselves when encountering old-style expressions or historical background.

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About the author

Fairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman), 1860- Author · American · 1860

Harold W. Fairbanks (born 1860) was an American geologist known for writing accessible books on physical geography and the geology of the western United States. Two of his works are held in this collection: The Western United States: A Geographical Reader and Conservation Reader, both geographical and conservation readers intended for general audiences. His writing turns geological and geographical knowledge into readable narrative, using familiar regions and phenomena to explain landforms, natural resources, and questions about their use, reflecting an emphasis on both popular science and education. Public information about his life is limited, and details of his education, positions, and career cannot be verified; what can be established rests mainly on the subjects and style of these works. Judging from the surviving books, he attended to the geography of the American West and to the conservation of natural resources, and his readers played a part in the school and popular geographical education of his time.