Nash, Roderick. Wilderness and the American Mind. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1967.
With the underlying assumption in mind that the wilderness is a basic ingredient of American civilization, Nash argues that the interaction of men and wilderness has profoundly affected the development of the country, and the formation of a national character, as well as the physical and ideological standing of the natural environment in the American mind. He examines the attitude of Americans toward wilderness and its paradoxical metaphors influenced by the changing ideologies and philosophies behind it. Nas demonstrates how the meaning of "wilderness" changed from a Biblical idea of "conquering this moral and physical wasteland" held by the by the early pioneers to the conscious preservation of ecosystems by environmentalists--often sparking debate. Nash neatly integrates the history of the environmentalist movement from its birth to its becoming an integral part of the role of the federal government, with tribute to the outstanding preservationists who made it possible. [S. Vegh]