Paradise Found: Nature in America at the Time of Discovery (Paperback)

"The abundance of nature was what made American independence possible in the first place; our present poverty on so many fronts is a consequence of our maltreatment of that nature. But the knowledge of what we have done, chronicled so carefully in this lucid book, may be the first step toward recovering that squandered wealth." (Washington Post) "Finely written and elegantly researched, Paradise Found is a chilling portent of how even today's richness will seem a cornucopia to biologically bereft future generations." (New Scientist) "One of the best books I have read in years.... Mr. Nicholls writes vividly... with wit and charm." (Washington Times) "Steve Nicholls, in this fine new book, makes an essential point: We should measure the damage to our natural heritage less by counting extinctions, and more by understanding that it is abundance itself that has been drained away.... This is a book worth owning." (Bill McKibben, Boston Globe) "A cornucopia overflowing with the abundance of nature long gone." (Nature)"