Synopses & Reviews
The Value of Life is an exploration of the actual and perceived importance of biological diversity for human beings and society. Stephen R. Kellert identifies ten basic values, which he describes as biologically based inherent human tendencies that are greatly influenced and moderated by culture, learning, and experience. Drawing on twenty years of original research, he considers:
- the universal basis for how humans value nature
- differences in those values by gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, and geographic location
- how environment-related activities affect values
- variation in values relating to different species
- how vlaues vary across cultures
- policy and management implications
Throughout the book, Kellert argues that the preservation of biodiversity is fundamentally linked to human well-being in the largest sense as he illustrates the importance of biological diversity to the human sociocultural and psychological condition.
Description
Includes biographical references (p. 219-248) and index.
About the Author
Stephen R. Kellert is the Tweedy Ordway Professor of Social Ecology at the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, author of The Good in Nature and Humanity (Island Press, 2002) and Kinship to Mastery (Island Press, 1997), and coeditor, with Edward O. Wilson, of The Biophilia Hypothesis (Island Press, 1993).
Table of Contents
Table of Figures
Acknowledgments
Prologue
PART I. Universals
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Values
PART II. Variations
Chapter 3. American Society
Chapter 4. Activities
Chapter 5. Species
Chapter 6. Culture
PART III. Applications
Chapter 7. Endangered Species
Chapter 8. Conserving Biological Diversity
Chapter 9. Education and Ethics
Notes
Index