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ECOLOGY IS PERMANENT ECONOMY: The Activism and Environmental Philosophy of Sunderlal Bahuguna. By George Alfred James. Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2013. xii, 266 pp. (Ulus., maps.) US$85.00, cloth. ISBN 978-1-4384-4673-8.
In this book, George Alfred James explores the life, ideas and activism of the Gandhian environmentalist and social worker, Sunderlal Bahuguna. The book provides insights into the intellectual influences on Bahuguna and how his experiences as an activist shaped his ideas over time. One of James' rmyor aims with tiiis book is to explore the intellectual roots of Indian environmentalism, focusing particularly on die environmental ideas inherent in India's spiritual traditions and Gandhian philosophy. James illustrates the practical values of these ideas, by showing how they have been embodied in Bahuguna's work.
It should be acknowledged that this book does not claim to be aimed at an academic audience. Rather, James' intended audience is "people of all ages, but especially young people who will be inspired and motivated to further study the environment and to be involved in die struggle for die future of the planet" (3). Perhaps for tiiis reason, die book is written in a simple and accessible style and does not assume too much background knowledge from die reader.
The book's central chapters are arranged around major events in Bahuguna's life, presented chronologically. Chapters 2 to 6 describe Bahuguna's formative years, examining his major intellectual influences and his early experiences with activism and development work. These chapters provide an informative and accessible introduction to Gandhian...