Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines

Reviewed by: Bernie Alie - Kennebunk Free Library, Kennebunk ME, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 1, 2014

Review

Fleischman brings us into the environmental debate with a clearly written introduction to some of the issues. He truly goes "behind the headlines" to offer insight into popular media portrayal of the issues. Fleischman encourages readers and future voters to research behind the headlines to learn who is funding politicians and advertisements, referring readers to reputable sites such as Snopes and SourceWatch. His chapter "How to Weigh Information" is a worthy read for all high school and college students. The solutions are not simple and many impediments are deeply ingrained in our culture.

Attractively designed with bullet points, callouts, photos and graphics, browsers are sure to find something to catch their eye. Arrows lead the reader to sidebars suggesting additional resources, many online. Extensive source notes lend credence to his arguments and give an example of quality research. Underlined words in the text are defined in the glossary. The bibliography includes books, articles and videos, some available online. Suggested resources are divided by topic. Includes a table of contents and index. Useful in a variety of classrooms, environmental studies, sociology, economics, and journalism. Engaging for browsers. Well written and highly recommended for all libraries. Cream nominee.

Overall Book Score: excellent