Book Spotlight

“Compass & Gyroscope” by Kai N. Lee

Synopsis

Using the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest as a case study, Kai Lee describes the concept and practice of “adaptive management,” as he examines the successes and failures of past and present management experiences. Throughout the book, the author delves deeply into the theoretical framework behind the real-world experience, exploring how theories of science, politics, and cognitive psychology can be integrated into environmental management plans to increase their effectiveness.

About the Author

Kai N. Lee is director of the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Lee was educated in physics at Columbia (A.B.,1966) and Princeton (Ph.D., 1971) and did postdoctoral work in political science at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1973 until 1991 he taught environmental studies and political science at the University Of Washington in Seattle. In 1976-77 he served as a White House Fellow at the U.S. Department of Defense and from 1983 until 1987 Lee represented the State of Washington on the Northwest Power Planning Council. Lee has served on several committees of the National Research Council and was a member of its Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology.