American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn

“Ted Steinberg proves once again that he is a master storyteller as well as our foremost environmental historian.”—Mike Davis

The rise of the perfect lawn represents one of the most profound transformations in the history of the American landscape. American Green, Ted Steinberg's witty exposé of this bizarre phenomenon, traces the history of the lawn from its explosion in the postwar suburban community of Levittown to the present love affair with turf colorants, leaf blowers, and riding mowers.

ISBN-13: 9780393329308

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Norton - W. W. & Company - Inc.

Publication Date: 03-17-2007

Pages: 314

Product Dimensions: 6.10(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

Ted Steinberg is professor of history at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the author of four books, including Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America.

Table of Contents

Prologue     xi
The Origins
Live Free and Mow     3
The Levitt Legacy     17
"Mother Nature's Little Helper"     39
The Color of Money     63
The Augusta Syndrome     83
The Dark Side
"First-Aid for the Earth"     107
Blades of Thunder     133
Mow, Blow, and Go     157
The Future
The Suburban Jungle     179
The Case for Brown     201
Epilogue     227
Notes     231
Acknowledgments     279
Illustration Credits     281
Index     283 Show More