Christopher Manes is a serious scholar, but he is also capable of writing a book that is emotionally moving and accessible to the reader. A number of modern writers have asked us to recognize the sanctity of all living things, and the presence of the divine in creation (for example, Tom Hayden's "The Lost Gospel of the Earth"). They ask us to reconsider whether creation was made for us, to do with as we please, or whether we are part of, and inseparable from, that creation--in other words, what we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves. Manes takes this one step further by focusing on and documenting the spiritual nature of our relationship to animals, throughout all of human history. He does so with amazing thoroughness and detail. In an Associated Press interview, he says that "if animals matter in your life, I think you have a deeper view of creation." And, if you spend time with nature and animals, you will realize that "you're not the center of things. Other people matter. Other things matter." He certainly speaks for me; currently I am the companion of a large white parrot. When I look into her eyes, I am aware that there is another being, another and different consciousness, inside that animal body. We are not the center of creation. Other creatures do exist and do matter. Yet at the same time, it is no tragedy to be disabused of the notion that we are masters of the universe, for once we realize that we share our world with others, we realize we are not alone. We have lost a kingship that was never more than an illusion, and gained a host of companions. Manes makes it clear that our our spiritual relationship to animals is an ancient one. As the book jacket says, animals are truly "part of the very texture of human spirituality." Highly recommended!

The brief, passionate title of Manes' book certainly caught my eye. Unfortunately, Manes makes no convincing arguments on behalf of radical environmentalism in this tedious diatribe. Instead, he simply spouts empty rhetoric and a few conspiracy theories. Manes emphasizes his contention that civilization is on the brink of collapse due to our violent attitude toward nature. Do we need to change our attitude toward nature? Well, I think so. Will Manes' book convince anybody of this? I doubt it. If you want to read a good book about the Earth First! movement, read "Confessions of an Eco-Warrior," a homey but surprisingly articulate collection of essays by Dave Foreman, an on-again, off-again proponent of radicalism. The best I can say about Green Rage is that if you are into radical environmentalism, it will get you riled up. The worst I can say is that it does a disservice to the environment by being a waste of the paper it is printed on.

Christopher Manes gives a compelling rationale for the rise of radical ecology groups, specifically Earth First! which he was a part of at the time. The history of Earth First! as presented here is somewhat one-sided, both because of the author and because of the date it was published (1991). Earth First! around the time the book was published had undergone a split between the original founders of the group (the "misanthrope" faction) and newer elements based on the West Coast who wanted to incorporate Earth First! into the broader context of the feminist, peace, neopagan, and social justice movements. Manes was part of the former faction, which left Earth First! around the time his book was published; thus, his history of Earth First! is now badly dated and tends to concentrate only on the faction he was part of. (This faction left the movement they had originally founded and started a magazine called "Wild Earth" as well as a large number of grassroots wilderness groups which have become part of the mainstream ecology movement). The Earth First! of today is not the same group at all which Manes' book is about, but rather is aligned with urban anarchists, feminism, and neopagans. Nonetheless, this is an excellent book to read if you are interested in the history of, and rationale behind, Earth First! prior to 1991. For a more up-to-date analysis of Earth First! and the rise of the newer faction that took over the group, also read Dave Foreman's _Confessions of an Eco-Warrior_, Martha Lee's _Earth First!: Environmental Apocalypse_, and Susan Zakin's _Coyotes and Town Dogs_.

Green Rage is the best book on the market portraying the roots of our environmental problems. It gives an in-depth, personal account of the brave activists who are fighting to protect the Wild. Most important, the book cuts through the usual rhetoric about sustained development and "green" consumerism to get to the core problem: our spiritual disorientation that stems from being alienated from nature. The first-person stories it tells of ecowarriors and their battles against greed and stupidity (including detailed accounts of "ecotage" against environmentally destructive companies) are inspiring. A must-read for anyone not completely brainwashed by consumer society (and it might even convince those folks too). The fact that the book has been so prominently attacked by the apologists for the continued destruction of wild nature for economic gain (it's quoted extensively by appalled anti-environmental writers) testifies to its honesty and importance.