The Politics of Scale provides a useful and interesting historical perspective on the development of range science as a merging of ecological understanding (some of it faulty), the economics of ranching and pastoralism, and land management policy. Rich in its historical coverage and distinctive in its focus on the evolving conceptions of range science and management, it effectively provides a ... Read moregenealogy of range science. I find myself reflecting frequently upon the ideas presented here. That, to me, is a mark of success.
David G. Havlick, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, author of No Place Distant: Roads And Motorized Recreation On America's Public Lands and coeditor of Restoring Layered Landscapes: History, Ecology, and Culture Very readable and engaging, The Politics of Scale is an important contribution to a number of different literatures, including the political ecology of resource management and assessment, the history and sociology of resource management science (it is one of the very best treatments in this arena), and the history of this discipline and approach. Sayre does a wonderful job showing how this intellectual history matters. His serious engagement with the methods and practices of range scientists exposes a much richer and nuanced understanding of knowledge politics as influenced by the agendas of government agencies and key individuals and the needs of capital. I love this book.
Matthew D. Turner, University of Wisconsin-Madison, coeditor of Knowing Nature: Conversations at the Intersection of Political Ecology and Science Studies Show Less