Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect

In Earth in Mind, noted environmental educator David W. Orr focuses not on problems in education, but on the problem of education.

Much of what has gone wrong with the world, he argues, is the result of inadequate and misdirected education that: alienates us from life in the name of human domination; causes students to worry about how to make a living before they know who they are; overemphasizes success and careers; separates feeling from intellect and the practical from the theoretical; deadens the sense of wonder for the created world.

The crisis we face, Orr explains, is one of mind, perception, and values. It is, first and foremost, an educational challenge.

The author begins by establishing the grounds for a debate about education and knowledge. He describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and challenges the "terrible simplifiers" who wish to substitute numbers for values. He follows with a presentation of principles for re-creating education in the broadest way possible, discussing topics such as biophilia, the disciplinary structure of knowledge, the architecture of educational buildings, and the idea of ecological intelligence. Orr concludes by presenting concrete proposals for reorganizing the curriculum to draw out our affinity for life.

Orr (environmental studies and politics, Oberlin College) presents the tenth anniversary edition of his text addressing educational reform from an environmental perspective. In a collection of 23 essays, written for various purposes and audiences between 1990 and 1993, Orr argues that, where educational debates about standards and reforms have centered around preparing students to compete in a global economy, an equally important concern should be teaching students the ecological context in which humans live, to develop in them an ethical view of the world and their obligations to it. The tenth edition includes a brief new introduction and a new final chapter offering "hope in hard times." Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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Orr (environmental studies, Oberlin College) describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and presents principles for re-creating education. He argues that much of what is wrong with the world is the result of inadequate education that alienates us from life in the name of human domination. He discusses biophilia, the disciplinary structure of knowledge, and ecological intelligence. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

David W. Orr is chair of the environmental studies program at Oberlin College, and education editor of the journal Conservation Biology  His previous books include Ecological Literacy  and Environmental Responsibility.