PENGUIN Irreplaceable: The fight to save our wild places

Not all readers may award the fifth star; I did so because of a longtime interest in "topistics," i.e., the study of how and why people react to (and need) interesting places. Most but not all of the sites visited by the author are in Britain, where cherished places may be at a premium, and not all of the stories are happy ones. But this book contains some of the most compelling arguments for preservation I have ever read, turning the idea of "progress" on its ear. Anyone who may plan to lobby a county commission or zoning board on behalf of a special place would do well to read "Irreplaceable." Lovely writing, to boot.

Julian Hoffman finds the best in people and places.

Such an absorbing, atmospheric and beautifully written book. Everyone should read it and feel the absolute importance of saving our wild places.

A beautifully written and much needed book in which we meet people whose love of life in all its forms gives them the courage to speak truth to power. There is so much courage and tenderness and beauty and urgency in this book. I thought it was absolutely brilliant.

A beautifully written, timely book that everyone should read. Hoffman highlights the dangers threatening our remaining wild sanctuaries, some of which we may not even know exist. Truly once these places are gone they are gone, we can not transplant whole ecosystems and communities. We need to fight for them now. A book to inspire action.