Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

By Katherine Morrissey

In his Ecology and the Environment course, Dr. Phil Sze seeks to introduce ecological concepts and important environmental issues to non-science majors. He does this by using several recent popular texts which were written for a more general audience. Want to bring these ideas home with you? Here are a few of the books Dr. Sze uses to explore current “hot topics” in ecology:

The Work of Nature: How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us
By Yvonne Baskin
(1998, Island Press)
What does an ecologist want or need to know? Why is this work important? Dr. Sze and his students tackle these questions through Baskin’s exploration of biodiversity, with a focus on the impact of biodiversity on human life and the environment, both when it thrives and when it is damaged.

The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth
By Tim Flannery
(2005, Atlantic Monthly Press)
Dr. Sze uses The Weather Makers to introduce students to the complicated subject of climate change. Flannery’s analysis includes the scientific evidence for the greenhouse effect, the many ways that climate change impacts specific organisms and ecology, and the varied viewpoints on climate change within scientific, political, and economic circles.

Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion
By Alan Burdick
(2005, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
The ecological problems caused by invasive or foreign species may not be getting as much media attention as climate change, but the issue is of great concern to ecologists and biologists. Over time invasive species are capable of wiping out local plant and animal species and can have tremendous repercussions on local plant and animal life, as well as the humans relying on this ecosystem. Dr. Sze uses Out of Eden to introduce students to the dangers of foreign species and the history of ecological invasion studies.

Under Ground: How Creatures of Mud and Dirt Shape Our World
By Yvonne Baskin
(2005, Island Press)
In another book by Baskin, Dr. Sze uses this text to show students one more area of ecology: the ground beneath our feet. The class also uses this book as a tool with which to go out in the field and practice the concepts they’re learning about.

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