Lie of the Land: Challenging Received Wisdom on the African Environment

I was a bit surprised to see that this excellent book has not been reviewed before. We have used it as textbook in Masters' courses for several years at University of Bergen. It contains a number of high class articles which in a well documented manner challenge the 'received wisdom' of overdramatised environmental degradation which for long has distorted policy, aid and research in tropical countries. The authors do not take a blind opposite stand, and we see how our students through reading this book have changed their views and become reflected and finally grasped what sound, critical academic thinking entails.