New in paperback<p>Wilderness is not only a place. It is also one of the most powerful and challenging ideas in American environmental thought, representing everything from sublime beauty to the overextension of government authority. <i>The Promise of Wilderness</i> examines the profound and sometimes surprising ways that the idea of wilderness has shaped modern American environmental politics.<p>"<i>The Promise of Wilderness</i> will be read with pleasure by all who enjoy --and realize they must act politically to protect--the untrammeled great outdoors." --Rupert Cutler, former Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, <i>Roanoke Times</i><p>"The most deeply researched, analytically rigorous, and elegantly written study of American wilderness politics since the 1960s." --from the Foreword by <b>William Cronon</b><p>"A wonderfully compelling picture of the people, history, and politics of America's wilderness. A great read." --Melyssa Watson, cofounder, The Wilderness Society's Wilderness Support Center