This book was originally published in 1987 and updated in 1996, and authored by two attorneys. It is probably targeted at the vast college market for lower division courses, where the instructor doesn't critically evaluate texts. The book is built around legal cases, usually Supreme Court cases but occasionally state court cases, that the authors use to illustrate a particular theme. However, the choice of case frequently fails to clearly illuminate the point, and the authors have a tendency to offer their opinions as conclusions without clearly identifying them as such. The book is strongest where the authors focus on their expertise - law; and weakest where they wander off into policy and philosophical issues. In particular, the authors seem ill equiped to address the broad policy and philosophical issues which they want to make the focus of this book. I can't really recommend this book to any audience. There are much better texts for discussions of environmental law, whether for students, laypersons or serious students of policy. Also, there are much better policy and philosophy texts for all levels.