Island Press began with a simple idea: knowledge is power—the power to imagine a better future and find ways for getting us there. Founded in 1984, Island Press’ mission is to provide the best ideas and information to those seeking to understand and protect the environment and create solutions to its complex problems.
How to Study Public Life
Methods in Urban Design
Urban Street Design Guide
The Hidden Potential of Sustainable Neighborhoods
Lessons from Low-Carbon Communities
Common Ground on Hostile Turf
Stories from an Environmental Mediator
Measuring Urban Design
Metrics for Livable Places
Designing Suburban Futures
New Models from Build a Better Burb
State of the World 2013
Is Sustainability Still Possible?
The Kingdom of Rarities
An original and important investigation of rarity and its relationship to conservation.
River Notes
A Natural and Human History of the Colorado
Combining science and adventure with glorious imagery, this book follows environmental advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis on a rafting adventure down the Colorado.
Global Farms Race
Land Grabs, Agricultural Investment, and the Scramble for Food Security
The first book to examine the burgeoning trend of buying up huge swaths of farmland abroad in all its complexity, considering the implications for investors, host countries, and the world as a whole.
Tibet Wild
A Naturalist’s Journey on the Roof of the World
Follows Dr. George Schaller’s expeditions to the Tibetan Plateau from 1984 until the present day, including an inside look at Schaller’s current and possibly most ambitious project: the creation of the Pamir International Peace Park at the junction of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and Tajikistan.
Planning as if People Matter
Governing for Social Equity
This book goes beyond theory to give real-world examples of how better planning can level inequities.
Resilience Practice
Building Capacity to Absorb Disturbance and Maintain Function
In this follow-up to Resilience Thinking, Brian Walker and David Salt explore how systems can be managed to promote and sustain resilience.
Stewardship of the Built Environment
Sustainability, Preservation, and Reuse
Stewardship of the Built Environment shows how rehabilitating and reusing existing structures holds untapped potential for achieving sustainable communities.
The Shape of Green
Aesthetics, Ecology, and Design
The Shape of Green argues that beauty is inherent to sustainability, for how things look and feel is as important as how they’re made.