In a Dark Wood: The Fight Over Forests and the New Tyranny of Ecology

I recommend this book to anyone that wants to understand the Environmental left and their deceitful tactics and general disregard for science. The book also walks you through the debacle that is the Endangered Species Act. It is very well written and very well cited. Reading anything by so called 'environmentalist' authors will underscore the assertions he makes in the book. And if you don't believe what he writes, just go up to an 'environmentalist,' mention that you think topics such as global warming are myths (whether or not you believe it, it's fun), and brace yourself for the zealous fervor and demagoguery that follows.

Until reading "In a Dark Wood" I espoused "politically correct" environmentalist views -- such as "all old growth forests must be saved at any cost from evil logging" -- in a knee-jerk, emotionally charged, self-righteous way, without ever taking the trouble to study or think through what was really at stake, and what premises about reality underlay my views. Alston Chase's thinking on conservation is so clearly presented, so well backed by evidence, so carefully analysed, and so full of good will and integrity, that I find it impossible to read his book without respecting his intentions -- and his conclusions, which challenge everything I had unthinkingly assumed in the past. This is the kind of book that not only addresses concrete problems, such as the political struggle between, say Earth First and Maxxam Corporation, but also inspires the reader to think more deeply, and question his/her assumptions. This is the kind of book I think most self-labeled "environmentalists" -- especially those who come from white, middle class, college-educated backgrounds -- will dismiss prior to investigation, and will never read. If so, it is a sad loss. It's a book that can change your views and help you learn to think better -- and I believe most people would rather not do so, since thinking better might well spoil the dramatic excitement of waging a war of good against evil, nature against humanity. Still, I hope people will read this book. It's one that changed my life.

Alston Chase brings to this study a true gift of scholarship, and the courage to pursue truth and ignore what is trendy or popular. His approach is refreshing and independent, and everything in this study is thoroughly documented. We need more Alston Chases, especially in a time when environmentalists are unwittingly damaging the environment because they haven't done their homework, and because they treat ecology as a secular religion. This will be the standard work in its field.

The book 'In a Dark Wood' is one of the best concerning a subject that everybody thinks they know so much about. There really is not much in the way of middle ground on this subject.Or, rather, there is if only people would allow their minds to travel through new doorways.Thats where Alston Chase takes the reader.The book tells both sides of the story concerning logging and wildlife habitat. The remarkable achievement here is that a reasonably good understanding of a very complex problem is the outcome. Peter Fonda acclaimed 'In a Dark Wood' as a tough love solution.

This book is the required text for an English college writing course here at MSU Bozeman. At first glance, the thought of Ecology being a myth is something to laugh at. But after reading this book, one learns that Ecology is not based on science or mathematics, but on personal feelings and theory. It is not a science, but rather an idea that has been accepted due to ignorance of the recipients. Did you know that because of "selective cutting", our timber volume has nearly DOUBLED since logging first began? You will find other very interesting and calming FACTS in this excellent book. A must-read for every enviromentalist, conservationalist and every American for that matter.