Review: The notion of 'sustainable' is never far away. It's become such a universal term that it's being used in ways never intended and suggesting consequences not originally foreseen. On the one hand it suggests a mature subject/topic that can generate its own debate. On the other hand, it can obscure and obfuscate as much as enlighten. This was brought home recently when two economists who had seen this text were arguing about the nature of 'sustainable growth'. The reply that the only sustainable number was zero was met with mistrust but on reflection it's probably where many people are. Along with 'biodiversity', sustainability must be one of the most over-used/ill-used terms in current applied ecological thought. What is required is a text which discusses the diversity of arguments not hides them. This author has attempted such a feat with a good deal of accuracy and insight.

Given the question, 'what is sustainable development?', this book attempts an answer. Chapter one opens with the big picture ideas of globalisation and sustainable development and attempts to show how these terms have changed and developed their meanings. It acts as a basic primer for what is to follow. Chapter two argues that there is not one sustainable development but many "worldviews" each of which can contribute significantly to the debate. It's this view that's crucial to understanding the author's perspective - there is no single answer and to make any headway we need to confront this complexity. Chapter three moves on to consider that sustainable development is more a political than a scientific tool. Although this was evident at the beginning of the debate in the 1970s it follows that the years have accreted much and left some issues as a result. Here the aim is to redress some of this. One of the key ideas is social justice and the idea that sustainability is an inter-generational concept. Of course, the future cannot inform us and therefore any attempt to do so is really just ways of seeing the present. Chapter four explores this idea as well as the new ways of addressing the more political elements. Chapters five and six tackle the thorny issue of politics, governance and business. Although each chapter takes a different stance the overall effect is the same - it's a questioning of the way power is distributed, how power is used and how this can influence (positively and negatively) sustainable development. Up to this point the book has been concerned with the analysis of sustainability and the development of a critique. From this stage there is more focus on how a sustainable society might be achieved. Starting with chapter seven there's a look at the ways in which sustainability has been championed ranging from the deeply philosophical to the more pragmatic. Chapter 8 discusses the ranges of methods that have been devised to plot and track sustainability whilst chapter nine continues the logic by assessing how this might be communicated. The range of methods increases and the discussion ranges from conventional media to Web 2.0 and even the more speculative Web 3.0. The final chapter shows how leadership can be developed to promote sustainable issues.

This book stands out from the wealth of material on the subject. It explains the complex and sometimes labyrinthine with evenness analysing the various debates surrounding the issues. In so doing it promotes sustainable development but not as a closed system but as something that can be achieved in a variety of ways. It is one of the best introductory texts that has been published in recent years. It should be set reading on any course in sustainable development and one of the must-buys for any serious library.