Visionary women : how Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters changed our world / Andrea Barnet.

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  • Additional Information
    • Publication Information:
      First edition.
    • Abstract:
      Summary: "Four influential women we thought we knew well--Jane Jacobs, Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters--and how they spearheaded the modern progressive movement"-- Provided by publisher.
    • Content Notes:
      The age of wreckers and exterminators -- Rachel Carson -- Jane Jacobs -- Jane Goodall -- Alice Waters -- Hope in the shadows.
    • Notes:
      Includes bibliographical references and index.
    • ISBN:
      9780062310729
      0062310720
      9780062310736
      0062310739
    • Accession Number:
      2017031473
    • Accession Number:
      on1037894476
      1037894476
    • Accession Number:
      lcc.on1037894476

Reviews

Booklist Reviews 2018 March #1

*Starred Review* Barnet maps the "shared ethos" that propelled four visionaries whose efforts alerted people to the dangers of unbridled technology, consumerism, and industrial assaults against nature and the "human ecosystem," and who offered "a new, more holistic way to think about the world, and a more benign way of living in it." Founding modern environmentalist Rachel Carson, city advocate and "master strategist" Jane Jacobs, "born naturalist" and primate expert turned global ambassador for the living world Jane Goodall, and Alice Walker, a "natural collaborator" and pioneering organic restaurateur and sustainability activist, were or are acutely observant and intuitive, recognizing the crucial interconnectedness of life, cherishing beauty, and understanding the deep significance of community. Raised by intellectually nurturing mothers, all four original thinkers and risk-takers can be described as impassioned and tenacious, sharply attuned to the threats of their time, and deeply concerned about the future. With both resonant detail and purposeful distillation, Barnet tells their dramatic stories within the context of the counterculture of 50 years ago, charts the ongoing vitality and influence of their compassionate visions, and asks if we will yet accomplish what these four accidental revolutionaries" call on us to do to preserve the web of life. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

LJ Reviews 2018 February #2

In this highly readable collective biography of four women who transformed American life during a period of cultural, political, and social change, Barnet (All-Night Party) uses primary and secondary sources to demonstrate how these "accidental revolutionaries," despite working in different fields, influenced values and priorities during the 1950s. With Silent Spring, Rachel Carson effectively began the modern environmental movement. Citizen activist Jane Jacobs condemned the overdevelopment of American cities, and through her work in historic preservation, extolled the virtues of human-scale neighborhoods. Jane Goodall introduced the scientific community to little-known aspects of primate behavior, challenging the notion that animals existed only to be harnessed to serve human needs. When Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, she altered American eating and created the farm-to-table movement with her celebration of local cuisine. Although none of these women knew one another, Barnet skillfully analyzes the overlapping patterns in their ideas. She uniquely separates their voices from the feminist movement of the period, arguing that, instead, they were trying to save endangered aspects of our culture. VERDICT For informed readers interested in the lives of women and cultural changes of the mid-20th century.—Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ

Copyright 2018 Library Journal.

LJ Reviews 2017 November #2

Rachel Carson fought for the environment and Jane Jacobs for livable cities; Jane Goodall shows us the link between humans and animals and Alice Waters how to eat well. Barnet (All-Night Party) reveals how these women helped launch the modern progressive movement. With a 40,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal.