Review: The idea of sustainable development has produced an increasingly diverse literature. The problem is trying to find an overview of the key areas because it is a term both well defined and also open to a range of interpretations. Whilst this helps us to question and refine our understanding it does not help the beginner trying to make sense of this diversity. Neither, it can be argued, does a visit to the United Nations web sites provide much in the way of clarity because they are often full of obscure acronyms (presumably to help the initiated but certainly not to welcome the 'outsider'!). The aim of this text is to bring some semblance of order, to provide an idea of the key areas of concern and outline the concepts and factors involved. In doing this it takes the UN route towards sustainable development starting, as the foreword rightly acknowledges, with the 1972 Stockholm conference.

Chapter one sets the scene. It defines sustainable development and shows how ideas have led to this and how it has developed since - broadly Malthus via Ehrlich to life-cycle assessment which is our latest development. The keynote throughout is economics which, it is argued, is the lynchpin of successful sustainable development. Chapter two looks at some of the challenges. These are not just economic but range from philosophical to data and governance - the range is considerable. Sustainable development often takes place against a backgrounds of issues of which the most important - population, energy, land use etc. are discussed in chapter three. It's one thing to claim to have achieved sustainability, it's another to prove it. Chapter four and five are linked in common pursuit of this goal, the former by discussing the range of indicators that have been developed whilst the latter examines the environmental side. What's needed of course is a reliable composite measure but, as these chapters show, it's not going to arrive anytime soon. Keeping with the environment theme, chapter six looks at current management practices in aspects such as water and forestry. Since these are global issues, it seems right that chapter 7 is devoted to an overview of the key legislation in this area (mainly UN protocols). Here we se a change in the direction. Up to now the focus has been environment - from this point social and economic elements are brought into play. Readers would get a sense of the idea of 'triple-bottom line' reporting operating here! We start this new direction by looking at people - equity, gender issues, governance, poverty reduction etc. - the vital areas that need to be tackled if sustainable development is going to get off the text book and into real situations. It follows that economics will play a large part in making this happen. Chapter 9 is devoted to an overview of the use of economics whilst the next chapter examines in some detail the problems that arise from taking a conventional economic approach. For example, one key issue is the valuation of resources - use of the environment is rarely properly accounted for and this distorts the price mechanism. Put simply, how do we value the environment? Chapter 11 continues this theme with a brief analysis of how we can resolve some of these economic issues. Again, it needs to be implemented so the subsequent look at institutions, both economic and internationally is valuable. A final chapter provides an excellent summary of where we are, how we got here and what we might do in the future to alleviate some of these problems.

This is an extremely densely packed text. It reads more like a set of lectures notes than a flowing narrative. It covers an enormous amount of ground with each aspect given just enough space to outline their case and show how/where they fit in. It is this mixture of framework and discussion that makes this book one of the best produced on the subject. The depth and breadth of coverage is amazing. Anyone wanting to find out more about sustainable development must read this book. It needs to be a set text on any course dealing with sustainable development. Overall, a brilliant seminal text -a definite must-buy.