Triumph of the Mundane. - Review - book review

E: The Environmental Magazine, May, 2001 by B.H.

LIVING IT UP

While much emphasis has been placed on large-scale environmental problems such as global warming and deforestation, less consideration has been given to the underlying social trends that may have led to such degradation. In Triumph of the Mundane (Island Press, $22.95), scholar Hal Kane examines how tremendously our day-to-day choices and popular lifestyles impact the environment. Kane exposes the cultural and historical contexts of several destructive themes in modern life, including the speed of information transfer and daily activities, the increasing geographic mobility of people, the rising number of small family units and of people living alone, and the growing emphasis on physical possessions. The book's final chapter presents thoughtful suggestions on how we can restructure a more healthy society.