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Paper was once the lightest, lowest-cost way to make information widely available in a form suitable for study and self-improvement. But paper-based textbooks, in the modern era, tend to be heavy and they can also strain the budgets of typical students. Given the fact that you are now reading an open-access journal, you may understand why many faculty members would possibly want to use an open-access textbook for some of their courses. This editorial considers one such course, and the assessment is generally favorable. But in addition to the classroom, a good open textbook may be regarded as a suitable foundation for one's research. By citing an open textbook in the introduction to your research article, you can provide your readers with the option of gaining enough background to better appreciate your latest research findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Graphic nonfiction. 9-12) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the turn of the millennium, the world's political leadership adopted sustainable development as a leading model for societal development. However, the terms "sustainable development", "sustainability" and "sustainable" are sometimes over- and misused despite wide consensus about the concept's meaning among sustainability scholars and practitioners. While the concept allows various sustainability views to co-exist, random conceptualizations which do not respect the fundamental sustainability principles undermine the concept's objective to steer action. This lack of understanding of sustainability arguably inhibits its practical realization and a proper understanding of sustainability is urgently needed. In this paper we aim to contribute to a better understanding of sustainability by adopting a bird's eye perspective. We review the rich contemporary literature, with a specific focus on the terminology, genesis, fundamental principles, mainstream views of sustainability, and several governing aspects. Further, using the evolving body of sustainability literature, the paper provides arguments to combat common misconceptions of sustainability. OPEN ACCESS INSET: Box 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a detailed view on the various challenges and opportunities for environmental development by considering theoretical and applied aspects of sustainability science, policy implications, and management practices in several countries around the world. It synthesizes current knowledge, provides perspectives, and describes diverse approaches and innovations aimed at dealing with the environmental crisis, which is primarily caused by anthropogenic activities. The article is based on and includes data described in the book "sustainability perspectives: science, policy and practice," edited by Peter A. Khaiter and Marina G. Erechtchoukova. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is a "contested" concept introduced at the beginning of the 18th century in German forestry circles concerned about sustainable harvests and rebranded in 1987 as "sustainable development" by the Brundtland Report, which defined it as harmonious economic, social, and ecological development that enhances both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations. However, after more than three decades of sustainable development, humanity is on an unsustainable path featuring rampant ecosystem damage, rising social inequality, and harmful cultural homogenization. This paper is a book review of Fred P. Gale's Political Economy of Sustainability, a book published in 2018 by Edward Elgar Publishers. The book advances the innovative idea that the current lack of progress in implementation of the sustainable development goals is due to the narrow understanding by individuals, firms, states, and political parties of the values underlying sustainability. The book thus starts a much-needed conversation about economic values, a conversation ousted from the neo-classical economics discipline in the late 19th century by the marginalist thinkers who wanted to make it a positive science. The book identifies four elemental economic values—exchange value, labor value, use value, and function value—and argues that basing our socio-economic and political development on only one type of value with the exclusion of the others has led to the current dangerously unsustainable path humankind is on. Achieving sustainability value requires a balanced integration of all four types of values in all deliberations about socio-economic activities. How can this be accomplished? The author proposes a pragmatic solution in the form of a "tetravaluation" process, a dialogue involving multiple value holders able to reflexively negotiate and compromise until the pluralistic sustainability value is discovered and accepted by all the parties. The book challenges the unsustainable functioning of existing economic, political, and cultural institutions and invites a rethinking of their governance, which should deliberately embrace the pluralistic value of sustainability. The tetravaluation process has the potential to generate sustainable choices and inform better policy decisions able to protect at the same time the proponents of exchange value (consumers), the promoters of labor value (workers, producers), the beneficiaries of use value (communities), and the holder of functional values (the environment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A description of the course "Paradigms, Predictions, and Joules: A Historical and Scientific Approach to Energy and the Environment" being offered at Wellesley College in Massachusetts is presented.

The article presents reviews of the books "A History of the Science and Politics of Climate Change: The Role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change," by Bert Bolin, "Science as a Contact Sport: Inside the Battle to Save the Earth's Climate," by Stephen Schneider and "The Hot Topic: What We Can Do About Global Warming," by Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King.

A review of the book "Whole Farm Management: From Start-Up to Sustainability," edited by Garry Stephenson, is presented.

A review of the book "Planting a Seed: Three Simple Steps to Sustainable Living," by Kate Gaertner, is presented.

A review of the book "Sustainability in Karamoja? Rethinking the Terms of Global Sustainability in a Crisis Region of Africa," edited by David Knaute and Sacha Kagan is presented.

A review of the book "Sarasvati's Gift: The Autobiography of Mayumi Oda--Artist, Activist, and Modern Buddhist Revolutionary," by Mayumi Oda, is presented.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) have contributed to crop domestication for millennia, but nowadays due also to human over exploitation of plants and other environmental resources they are threatened and hence they need protection to guaranty plant evolution and food supply for future human generations. At the moment, definition and identification of CWR inside plant community is made according to the taxon group and the gene pool concepts, though in this way the effect of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is ignored. A third concept considering the HGT could improve both definition and identification of CWR. The number of CWR identified by the taxon group concept (broad sense) is much larger than the one identified by the gene pool concept (narrow sense), which means that only a very small percentage of the CWR identified with the former concept can be used by breeders. The Italian flora consists of 7953 taxa. Analyzing the vascular plant database, only 113 species share all the gene pools and therefore can be considered CWR in the narrow sense. In Italy there are 1400 endemic vascular plants, of which 70 are CWR in the broad sense and 10 in the narrow sense. The status of in situ and ex situ conservation of CWR understood in the narrow sense is presented and discussed, stressing the point that conservation and utilization is not a scientific problem, but a political one. This point is supported by the "ecological economy" and "sustainable development" concepts, besides the human rights. Since at the moment, starvation is not due to shortage, but to bad distribution and waste of food, CWR relatives are more important for the conservation of biodiversity and as sources of genes to cope climate change than enhancing crop yield. The legislation that obstacles agrobiodiversity conservation and use should be changed and/or improved. Concluding, actions and proposal to shape the future existence, function and contribution of CWR to biodiversity and food security are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the book "High Performance Structures and Materials VI ," by W. P. De Wilde, C. A. Brebbia and S. Hernandez.

The article reviews the book "Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Rural Change," edited by Dick Winchell, Doug Ramsey, Rhonda Koster, and Guy Robinson.

The article reviews the book "Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education: Bringing Life to Schools and Schools to Life," by Dilafruz R. Williams and Jonathan Brown.

The article reviews the book "Dynamic Sustainabilities: Technology, Environment, Social Justice," by Melissa Leach, Ian Scoones, and Andy Stirling.

The article reviews the book "Organizations and the Sustainability Mosaic: Crafting Long-Term Ecological and Societal Solutions," edited by Sanjay Sharma, Mark Starik and Bryan Husted.

Geir B. Asheim of the University of Oslo reviews 'Beyond GDP: Measuring Welfare and Assessing Sustainability', by Marc Fleurbaey and Didier Blanchet. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: 'Examines recent developments in the fields of social choice, fair allocation, sustainability, and happiness, and explores how the construction of a reasonable alternative to gross domestic product can be imagined. Discusses a wealth of indicators; measuring sustainability; a price for everything?; equivalent income, or how to value what has no price; is happiness all that matters?; and empowering capabilities. Fleurbaey is Robert E. Kuenne Professor of Economics and Humanistic Studies and Professor of Public Affairs for the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. Blanchet is Editor-in-Chief of Economie et Statistique and a research affiliate to the Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the book "Materials for a Sustainable Future" edited by Trevor M. Letcher and James L. Scott.

The article reviews the book "Sustainability Unpacked: Food, Energy and Water for Resilient Environments and Societies," by Kristiina A. Vogt, Toral Patel-Weynand, Maura Shelton, Daniel J. Vogt, John C. Gordon, Calvin T. Mukumoto, Asep S. Suntana and Patricia A. Roads.

Reviews the book "Social Change and Sustainable Transport," edited by William R. Black and Peter Nijkamp.

A review of the book "Learn From Looking: How Observation Inspires Innovation," by Charlie Szoradi, is presented.

The article reviews the book "Sources, Sinks & Sustainability," edited by J. Liu, V. Hull, A. T. Morzillo, and J. A. Wiens.

The article reviews the book "Global Sustainability: A Nobel Cause," edited by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Mario Molina, Nicholas Stern, Veronika Huber, and Susanne Kadner.

The article reviews the book "How We Make Stuff" by Christiane Dorian and Beverley Young.

The article reviews the book "The Gospel of Sustainability: Media, Market and LOHAS," by Monica M. Emerich.

The article reviews the book "The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy Skills for a Changing World," edited by Arran Stibbe.

The article reviews the book "Technological Ecologies and Sustainability," edited by Dànielle Nicole DeVoss, Heidi A. McKee, and Richard Selfe.