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| A Contract with the Earth | 
| Authors: Newt Gingrich, Terry L. Maple
Creator: Edward O. Wilson
Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $20.00
Buy Used: $0.85
You Save: $19.15 (96%)
New (50) from $5.74
Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 90769
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0801887801
Dewey Decimal Number: 333.720973
EAN: 9780801887802
ASIN: 0801887801
Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Platitudes and Over-Simplifications! November 7, 2007
10 out of 25 found this review helpful
I looked forward to reading Gingrich's "A contract with the Earth" in the hope that it contained clear, important steps - like his earlier "Contract with America." Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Much of "A Contract with the Earth" is taken up with platitudes and overly-simplistic approaches. Gingrich is correct, of course, to say that the problem requires accurate, objective science, long-term thinking, and that the U.S. take the lead. However, repeating these statements is of no benefit, and Gingrich's credibility is suspect given that he has failed to come out publicly and critique the current administration's blatant violation of these platitudes. In addition, he fails completely to summarize the extent of the problem (not even commenting on the proportion of our negative balance of payments problem due to importing ever increasing amounts of oil), current best estimates of its likely consequences, and the timing requirements for effective amelioration of those effects.
In addition, Gingrich fails to recognize that the "most promising" actions taken (encouraging ethanol production and soy-diesel) have serious consequences - raising the price of food around the world!
Gingrich does relate a number of helpful steps being taking around the world. However, even these citations are of little value because they lack any measures of cost and contribution to reducing the problems. In addition, Gingrich also slides over one of the most obvious potential helpful steps - holding constant, or reducing the earth's population, and ignores the fact that mandatory fixes (eg. improved fuel economy, reductions in business pollution) are likely to be required.
Bottom Line: "A Contract with the Earth" has very little value.
Where is the beef November 6, 2007
17 out of 34 found this review helpful
Nicely written background on the subject but no where does he have a difinitive plan on what we can do to help get the solutions going. Too much big talk like "a climate of adversarial politics must be overcome". Big, general comments like that do nothing to resolve the problem. There are no solutions offered here.
 get past the left wing bias reviews October 31, 2007
12 out of 47 found this review helpful
The left wing scumbags of the world think they own the environment, but in fact all they do is wish for the end of the internal combustion engine, the end of cars, roads, and cement. However, the road to hell is paved with left wing legislation: as an example, Gov. Swartzkoff of California wants lots of publicity for green cars, hydrogen cars, fuel cells, etc. Well, that will happen someday. But, a glance at our vehicle code allows any car manufactured before 1975 to operate without restriction in California. Further, it you own a car that does pollute, if you are sufficiently poor, that requirement is waived because it might cause a "hardship". Thus, the worst cars, driven by the poorest non-citizens, pollute LEGALLY and with the full blessing of the State of California! So much for being "green".
Better Than expected October 30, 2007
I frequently don't agree with Gingrich's politics. But this book, which demonstrates how some conservatives care deeply about the environment was an eye opener. It also reveals that there's more to Gingrich than meets the eye.
Gingrich demonstrates a keen appreciation for nature and a desire to protect wildlife. regardless of your feelings for his politics in general, even ardent environmentalists would approve of this book.
 Big Business will not change simply for the sake of change October 29, 2007
30 out of 34 found this review helpful
Whether you believe we've made tremendous progress in preserving our environment or believe we've made little progress, everyone should agree that there is still a lot more work to be done.
It's refreshing to hear new ideas, fresh ideas from such a familiar figure and such a strong voice for change.
A Contract with the Earth is all about the intersection of business and science.
After all, where would we be today if not for business and science pioneers like the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison? Although few and far between, entrepreneurs such as those men, and leaders like John F. Kennedy and his 1961 goal to go to the moon within a decade are the reasons that we live in the greatest country in the world. We are innovators. We are doers!
I ask all of you out there to reserve judgment on this book until you've read it, and reread it. After hearing another side of the debate, then, and only then can we intelligently enter into a discussion about the solutions to the obvious environmental dilemmas that face America and the World.
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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