"In Industrialized Nature, the accomplished historian Paul R. Josephson shows us how science, engineering, policy, finance, and hubris have come together, often with unforeseen consequences, to perpetuate what he calls "brute force technologies" - large-scale systems created to exploit water, forest, and fish resources.

Nations with quite different political systems and economic orientations (such as the former Soviet Union, Norway Brazil, and the United States) have pursued a remarkably similar strategy of using such large-scale technology to turn nature into a smoothly running machine.

Josephson vividly demonstrates how irresponsible - or well-intentioned but misguided - large-scale manipulation of nature has resulted, time after time, in resource loss, social disruption, more brute force politics, and severe environmental degradation."--BOOK JACKET.