Reviews

Packed with useful advice, Nicky Scott’s ultimate guide to compost is essential reading for professional and amateur gardeners alike, says Mark Newton

Can political movements past provide lessons for future protest? According to Tim Gee’s Counterpower they most definitely can - and the result, says Mark Newton, is truly inspiring

Patrick Curry’s Ecological Ethics is a comprehensive and engaging assessment of modern environmental philosophy, says Mark Newton

Packed with wonderful photos, Jonathan Balcombe’s book is a captivating look at animal pleasure, says Robert Phillips

Their grasp of science can’t be faulted but William Antholis and Strobe Talbott need to offer solutions too, says Mark Newton

The idea of DIY beauty products is a nice one, says Ruth Styles. But as some of Star Khechara’s recipes proved, they don’t always work

Entomologist and journalist Richard Jones never fails to entertain, amuse and educate where bugs are concerned and Extreme Insects is no exception; even when, quivers Ruth Styles, you’re scared of them

David Shukman’s book is both an entertaining collection of a journalist’s tales and the perfect introduction to the environmental challenges facing the world today, says Gervase Poulden

Packing 4.5 billion years of history into 416 pages is a truly Herculean task, but it's one, says Hannah Corr, that Douglas Palmer has managed to do in style

Showing fashion at its worst while providing upbeat solutions is a tough call but Safia Minney has achieved it with Naked Fashion, says Ruth Styles

Built and run with the environment in mind, Casal dei Fichi in the Le Marche region of Italy, is the perfect place to unwind, says Yvonne Gordon

The dystopian take on the environmental movement provided by Dark Mountain’s second anthology, is a wonderful, if disturbing, read says Mark Newton

Colin Speakman’s Walk! is a delightful read that will make you want to pick up your hiking boots and head into the country for a stroll, says Mark Newton

There's much to love in Celia Lewis’ beautifully illustrated tome, says Mark Newton, but the essential message shouldn’t be forgotten: that this is how all pigs should be treated

Tom Hodgkinson's account of life on a smallholding in Devon is spiced with old-fashioned lore and made Jeremy Williams laugh out loud

Based on the IUCN’s Red List, Species on the Edge of Survival is a glossy tome with an important raison d’etre – to raise awareness of the plants, birds and animals we stand to lose forever, says Ruth Styles

Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson’s stunning images highlight the luminous beauty of Africa’s elephants, says Ruth Styles, and show why ending the ivory trade is more important than ever

Taking into account the limited space available to the urban gardener, Clift and Cuthbert have produced a tome that’s perfect for the inner city horticulturalist, says Andy McKee

Tucked away underneath the King’s Road store is the Lush spa, where, as Ruth Styles discovered, you’ll find a soothingly green approach to beauty treatments

Christopher Somerville’s guide to the wild places of Britain and Ireland is a new take on this country’s natural wonders, and one that really makes you think, says Jonny Muir

Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen’s attempt to define sustainability in a fashion context provides some fascinating insights but doesn’t show enough engagement in the wider environmental debate for Mark Newton

Don’t let the new-age title put you off, says Lindsey Warren. Clea Danaan’s Zen and the Art of Raising Chickens is a witty, original take on the art of hen husbandry

From natural paradise to environmental catastrophe and back again, the story of Monterey Bay is a compelling one. Lucky then, says Mark Newton, that marine biologists Stephen R. Palumbi and Carolyn Sotka do it justice

Matthew Scully’s thoughtful look at the issues surrounding animal welfare is a triumph of lucid prose and cleverly marshalled argument, says Mark Newton