Nature’s Allies: Eight Conservationists Who Changed Our World

Nielsen, a fisheries biologist and dean of the College of Natural Resources at N.C. State, celebrates the work of eight conservationists in the U.S. and abroad in this engaging series of biographical sketches. The work, which is “loosely patterned after” John F. Kennedy and Theodore Sorensen’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Profiles in Courage, aims to inspire readers through work done “on behalf of the sustainability of our world.” Nielsen unsurprisingly focuses on Rachel Carson, whose 1962 classic Silent Spring “awakened the country—and the world—to the dangers of broadcast pesticides,” and John Muir, long considered the father of the environmental movement. But he also highlights lesser-known people such as Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, an editorial cartoonist for Iowa’s Des Moines Register who helped to form and lead the National Wildlife Federation, and Billy Frank Jr., who fought tirelessly for Native American fishing rights and salmon conservation. Nielsen also looks abroad, highlighting contributions from Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper and “Gandhi of the Amazon,” and Wangari Maathai, who was honored with the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her work on sustainable development, democracy, human rights, and women’s rights in Kenya. Paying tribute to their battles and accomplishments, Nielsen effectively showcases the passion and persistence of a remarkable group of individuals. (Feb.)

This review has been corrected to fix a typo.