Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City

Humans have built cities to wall nature out and glorify it in artificial parks since civilization began. In this book, author Ben Wilson explores the fraught relationship between nature and the city for clues to surviving climate crisis.

Pre-modern humans had an essential bond with nature, but when water was piped in and food flown from distant fields, that relationship was lost. Today, urban areas are the fastest-growing habitat on Earth, and Wilson finds that human engineering is not enough to protect us from extremes of weather. This book combines historical insights, such as how backyard gardens spread exotic species and war produces biodiversity, with a vision of lush green cities in the future. Wilson believes that climate change is only the latest chapter in the dramatic human story of nature and the city.

(This remainder book contains a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge.)