The John A. Livingston Reader: The Fallacy of Wildlife Conservation and One Cosmic Instant: A Natural History of Human Arrogance.

Liette Vasseur is associate vice-president of research at Laurentian
University.

John A. Livingston was passionate for nature and the preservation of the environment. The book starts with an appreciation by Graeme Gibson who wonderfully introduces not only the person but his legacy. This is a legacy that is more than his work but rather his own perspectives on man and nature. This book includes two of Livingston’s publications that have seemed for Gibson well presenting the person. Were they the best texts? This decision might have to come from the reader.

While the first text refers to the issues related to conservation and the challenges we face due to our narrow definition of conservation, the second is more general and discusses in a continuous reflection the origin and impacts of man on the ecosystem. Personally, I felt the second text more appealing and could have been easier to introduce the issues regarding man and the environment than the first text. The second text is more general and can certainly attract readers who are still trying to understand the role of human and societies in conservation. I believe that it would have been better to have this text presented first. The other text assumes that readers already understand some of the notions discussed in the second text.

There are various categories of people protecting or advocating for the protection of nature. Livingston was certainly of a special category. His texts include his own thoughts and expose to the reader a very strict view of the world which he considers too much relying on human concepts. Being an environmental scientist, while there are very compelling arguments and information, it remains relatively basic. This book would be a better target for readers who are not in the field and need to explore the concepts in an informal way. Many of the issues discussed in the book remains of actuality at this time, although some other concepts have been modified over the years with the advancement of knowledge. But it is possible to extract valuable information. It remains of actuality and a good book to consult.