LANDSCAPES AND COMMUNITIES ON THE PACIFIC RIM: From Asia to the Pacific Northwest, edited by Karen K. Gaul and Jackie Hiltz. New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2000, 254 pp., $24.95 (paper).

Lives are complex, and if this era of globalization has taught us anything, it is that this complexity extends beyond local communities and across regional, national and international boundaries. Advanced communication and transport technologies further underline the way in which the actions of one community affect the conditions of another, whether it be culturally, politically or environmentally. When it comes to the environment, we face problems on a global scale. Understanding and appreciating the various cultural perspectives on the environment are essential to addressing the challenges of this "global world."

The contributors to this collection attempt to understand and describe the complexities of natural processes, or human cultures, and human-environmental interactions. The essays are the outcome of a symposium that was held in Missoula, Montana, in 1995. Participants were invited to consider ways in which various communities on both sides of the Pacific envision their landscape and environmental challenges such as natural-resource development, economic diversification and environmental protection.

Central to the ideas behind the symposium was the notion that globalization means increased possibilities for communication between communities around the world, and that an essential part of successful communication is information-sharing among governments, academics and local community groups.