title: Pursuing Sustainability: A Guide to the Science and Practice
author: Pamela Matson
description: "A valuable resource for academic learning in higher education settings, as well as an informative tool to guide the practice of sustainability in institutional environments. . . . The framework they have presented in this book is adaptable for numerous social-ecological contexts at multiple scales for people working together to create change in pursuit of sustainable development and promote well-being of people for today and for the future."<b>---Robert B. Richardson, <i>Ecological Economics</i></b><br /><br />"The thoughtful structure and clear writing make this a model for textbooks in any discipline."<b>---Ted Lefroy, <i>Quarterly Review of Biology</i></b><br /><br />"Maybe we only have a short period, of a couple of decades at most, before the task of truly embedding sustainability is either plausibly possible or tragically beyond us. This book offers a vision of what is possible."<b>---Tim O'Riordan, <i>Environment</i></b><br /><br />"The strongest part of<i> Sustainability</i> is its ability to lay out clear and basic definitions without being patronizing to a less academic reader."<b>---Bradley E. Keelor, <i>Science and Public Policy</i></b><br /><br />"If we are to make peace with nature, the effort will have to come from us all. This very moving book is the finest introduction to the subject I have seen. It does not avoid technicalities, but can be read with equal benefit by the young and the old with no prior knowledge of the complexities we face."<b>Sir Partha Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Cambridge</b><br /><br />"Sustainability can seem like a faraway, nebulous dream. Through a clear framework, iconic case studies, and a beautiful, accessible style, <i>Pursuing Sustainability</i> brings this dream to life. A must-read for anyone concerned about the future health of our planet."<b>Gretchen C. Daily, cofounder of the Natural Capital Project and author of <i>The Power of Trees</i></b><br /><br />"Finally, a beautiful small book bringing together the thinking and practice behind sustainability science in an easily accessible and comprehensive manner, making it clear that this critical field of study for humanity provides an overarching framework for many different areas and competencies dealing with the sustainability challenge. Strongly recommended."<b>Carl Folke, founder of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, and director of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences</b><br /><br />"This is a beautiful, lucid, and desperately needed book about the sustainability challenge. The authors accomplish a mission impossible: providing deep analyses of complex adaptive social-environmental systems while using simple terms and compelling metaphors to expose the crucial steps we need to take for long-term inclusive well-being. A must-read for practitioners and scholars alike."<b>Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, founder and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</b><br /><br />"This excellent book provides an accessible framework for understanding sustainability, which is particularly timely as we reach a turning point in global efforts. Crucially, it emphasizes a holistic approach to address the interconnected nature of sustainability issues. The book is a very useful resource not only for scholars and practitioners of sustainability, but also as a compass to guide experts in other disciplines."<b>Kazuhiko Takeuchi, editor-in-chief of the journal <i>Sustainability Science</i> and senior vice-rector of United Nations University</b><br /><br />"<i>Pursuing Sustainability</i> by Matson, Clark, and Andersson is that all too rare book able to convey deepest insights in simplest words. Written to engage, inform, and provoke, it is simultaneously a call to think and act. It will find enduring appeal among students and researchers, casual readers and experts; I predict no collection on sustainability will be complete without this foundational work."<b>Arun Agrawal, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan</b>
zlib_text: Practical Sustainability
  
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  Practical Sustainability
  From Grounded Theory to 
  Emerging Strategies
  Nasrin R. Khalili
  
  PRACTICAL SUSTAINABILITY
  Copyright © Nasrin R. Khalili, 2011.
  All rights reserved. 
  First published in 2011 by
  PALGRAVE MACMILLAN®
  in the United States—a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC,
  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
  Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, 
  this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, 
  registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, 
  Hampshire RG21 6XS.
  Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies 
  and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
  Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, 
  the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
  ISBN: 978–0–230–10452–5
  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
  Khalili, Nasrin R., 1955–
      Practical su