The full title is Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York by Ted Steinberg. It is the subtitle that tells what this book is about.

I had written about this book while I was reading it and thought I would review it when finshed.

It is a bit unusual. It is a different perspective on history than we usually see and certainly very different for what you might expect in a history of a city. But the subtitle tells you right away this is not an ordinary history.

And I think it is the ecological focus on the natural world of 400 years ago and how people changed Greater New York that makes this so interesting. And this talk of 400 years does not mean that all of this was done a long time ago. Many of the changes took place in our lifetimes or those of our parents.

Ecology is important but since it may sound a bit intimidating for many potential readers – perhaps too scientific, think of this as a Natural History of Greater New York.

Dr. Ted Steinberg has focused on the intersection of environmental, social, and legal history. He has written numerous academic and popular works. Dr. Steinberg is the Adeline Barry Davee Distinguished Professor of History & Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University.

I mention these qualifications just to show any skeptical readers of this blog that the author is well-qualified. The author also maintains his own website tedsteinberg.com for those who would like to know a bit more about him or read some of his writings.

Almost one-third of the book is references. So this book has the details for the professional but is very readable by the lay person who can safely skip those references (unless interested).

Now that I’ve finished, I can say that I found this to be a good read. Really not much of a change since my “What I’m Reading” report. It was not only very interesting but it was also an important book.

An interest in or understanding of biology and ecology add to the enjoyment but is not necessary in my opinion. If the subject sounds at all interesting, give this book a try.