A New Face On The Countryside

Silver traces the effects of English settlement on South Atlantic ecology, showing how three cultures interacted with their changing environment.

Silver traces the effects of English settlement on South Atlantic ecology, showing how three cultures interacted with their changing environment.

What is a New Zealander? What does it mean to be a citizen of or a resident in this country? How do we understand what makes New Zealand complex, and unique? And what creates a sense of belonging and identity, both here and in the world?Now's a critical time to be thinking about these sorts of things. In a post-Trump, post-Brexit world, easy slogans have taken the place of reasoning and reasonableness, empathy is in retreat, and intolerance is on the march. History tells us that this is never a good mix.In this engaging book, experts and thinkers direct their sharp analysis at these and other important issues. Written for university students, it will appeal to anyone interested in where we have come from and where we are headed. It's a book for active participants in Aotearoa New Zealand and in global society.

Each year, thousands of tourists visit Mount Mitchell, the most prominent feature of North Carolina's Black Mountain range and the highest peak in the eastern United States. From Native Americans and early explorers to land speculators and conservationists, people have long been drawn to this rugged region. Timothy Silver explores the long and complicated history of the Black Mountains, drawing on both the historical record and his experience as a backpacker and fly fisherman. He chronicles the geological and environmental forces that created this intriguing landscape, then traces its history of environmental change and human intervention from the days of Indian-European contact to today. Among the many tales Silver recounts is that of Elisha Mitchell, the renowned geologist and University of North Carolina professor for whom Mount Mitchell is named, who fell to his death there in 1857. But nature's stories--of forest fires, chestnut blight, competition among plants and animals, insect invasions, and, most recently, airborne toxins and acid rain--are also part of Silver's narrative, making it the first history of the Appalachians in which the natural world gets equal time with human history. It is only by understanding the dynamic between these two forces, Silver says, that we can begin to protect the Black Mountains for future generations.

Oman, for some time, has been a nation on the move. An integral part of the GCC, it is also seeking to extend its influence further afield via the development of port infrastructure that is set to make it a firm fixture on the East-West transport route. But Oman isn't developing unguided, instead sticking faithfully to Vision 2040, a wide-ranging, ambitious blueprint that foresees the development of a diverse, sustainable economy unshackled by a reliance on oil and gas, which currently plagues much of the region. In this edition, which features interviews with top business leaders from across the economy, as well as news and analysis, we cover: diplomacy, finance, Vision 2040, 4th Industrial Revolution, digital innovation, sustainability, logistics, real estate, agribusiness, and tourism and retail.