Angels by the River

<p>Angels by the River follows James Gustave Speth's unlikely path-from a Southern boyhood to his career as an influential mainstream environmentalist to his current system-changing activism.</p><p><br></p><p>Born and raised in a town where both the best and worst of the South shone through Speth explores how the civil rights movement and the South's agrarian roots influenced his professional life-from creating and upholding the nation's toughest environmental laws to overseeing global aid programs.</p><p><br></p><p>Rather than merely reflect on these accomplishments Speth uses the past to make the case that a new environmentalism is needed to confront today's challenges. The advancing climate crisis cannot be addressed he warns if we remain fixated on endless growth and consumption increasing the incomes of a few neglecting needs of the many and helping abroad only modestly.</p><p><br></p><p>An American tale in all its complexity Speth's memoir is an inspiration for readers seeking ways to make a difference in an increasingly complex world.</p>