Choice 评论

For the last two decades, from the 1981 publication of his The Ultimate Resource (CH, Jan '82; The Ultimate Resource 2, CH, Mar'97) until his death a year ago, economist Simon took on all comers, whether the subject was population growth, natural resource depletion, pollution and other alleged environmental degradations, living standards, forecasts, statistical claims, or other contemporary issues that required someone who could interject a contrarian viewpoint or demand honesty of politicians, academics, and the media. This brief, posthumously published volume covers similar topics and themes--population growth, natural resources, the environment, the production and dissemination of "bad news" (by the government and journalists, respectively), the misuse of statistics, and questionable practices and assertions by leading researchers in related academic disciplines (such as biology). As was his custom, Simon attempts to explain not only why what we believe about population and the environment is often wrong, but also why we believe what we do. Never one to shy away from controversy or a good intellectual fight, Simon always had plenty of disciples and detractors; this book, from the grave of someone who had a remarkably high lifetime batting average, should be required reading by both groups. Public, academic, and professional collections. A. R. Sanderson University of Chicago