Weintraub - To life! eco art in pursuit of a sustainable planet

Tradition tampering , replete in this book, is not confined to the remarkable achievements of contemporary eco artists. It has even infiltrated the Acknowledgments, a standard component of every published text. The word acknowledgment is objectionable because it is too formal. It seems appropriate for legal documents and official issues of rights and claims, but it does not convey my heartfelt appreciation to the following supporters and participants. I am eager to convey the gratitude, as well as the affection, they have earned.

The artists, first and foremost, are the reason why I describe the arduous task of compiling this volume as a privilege. Besides honoring the brilliance of their creative endeavors, it is my hope that this book will assist them in fulfilling their missions to awaken eco consciousness, conscience, and consideration.

Rose Robitaille was hired to deal with photo rights and reproduction. She far exceeded her job description by supporting the long and convoluted process of preparing the manuscript. While I am particularly thankful to her for providing the first edit of the text, it is her gracious enthusiasm and persistence that deserve special recognition.

Kari Dahlgren replaced Deborah Kirshman as the books editor at the University of California Press. Both guided the texts formulation and public presentation. Since this process transpired over multiple years, there was ample opportunity to benefit from their astute supervision and enjoy their generous support.

Dan Franck graced this project with the experience he accumulated over the course of twenty years in educational publishing, science curriculum development, and science content writing. His editing contributions are apparent throughout the text. I am pleased that his generosity has been returned to his alma mater. Dan earned his doctorate in botany at the University of California, Berkeley, the publisher of this volume.

Andrew Weintraub served as a daily sounding board, consultant, counselor, and proponent of this authors efforts. He added much-appreciated affection to his performance in all these roles.

Skip Schuckmanns multiyear tutoring embraced cosmological theories, the minute operations of microclimates, and the wondrous adventures of life on Earth that exist between these extremes.

David Peattie, owner of BookMatters, and copyeditor Lou Doucette joined UC Press marketing manager Lindsie Bear, associate editor Eric Schmidt, and designer Nicole Hayward to benefit this project with their best work. Heidi Neff, Susan Steinman, Laurie Seeman, Dean Drake, and Alex Tuller all contributed to the refinement of the text and its expansion into computer space. I am grateful to them all.