Ecological economics is the science of managing natural resources, and
Stanford University鈥檚 Gretchen Daily is one of its leading lights. She鈥檚 reading
Water by Alice Outwater (Basic Books, 1997), an overview of how three
species once controlled the hydrological cycle in North America. The idea, she
says, 鈥渋s to get a sense of the difficulty in deciding what鈥檚 natural and what
most merits protection鈥�.
Daily also delves into books which speculate on human nature, such as Natalie
Angier鈥檚 Woman (Anchor, 2000). She鈥檚 also reading Human
Natures by Paul Ehrlich (Island Press, 2000). Next on Daily鈥檚 list? Harry
Potter, 鈥渢o see what I鈥檝e been missing鈥�.