cies by which opposition to the global ‘war onterror’, and its construction, are imagined, legiti-mised and directed in an imperfectly understood,and sometimes wilfully misunderstood, post-Cold War and post-9/11 geopolitical world. Theprevailing anagram for this new global war(WOT) can be regarded as only subconsciouslyironic in its capacity (with an added questionmark) to articulate the consternation of many ofits observers in reconciling the need to confrontand defeat the very real dangers of internationalterrorism with the measures currently in placeto do just that. Their discomfort emanates, thediverse chapters of this volume imply, from asense of disempowerment which stems from therealisation that much of what should be consid-ered in imagining, legitimating and applyingresponses to claimed insecurities is missing inaction.

The result is a distinctive assemblage of cross-disciplinary theoretical and methodologicalapproaches, offered as complements to, ratherthan replacements for, more readily recognisablemainstream geopolitical scholarship. Both linesof advance are afforded legitimacy in these pagesthrough either explicit or implied acknowledge-ment that older and newer ways of grapplingwith perceptions of approaching Armageddonmust co-exist successfully if coherent responsesare to be expected in plural societies, as well asfrom political leaderships. Along the way, theselargely fine-grained and carefully argued contri-butions allow the ready alignment of the specificwith the contextual.

In one sense, what is most heartening about thevaried analyses offered here is that they are, in themain, the work of early career researchers whohave taken up the opportunity to deliver a strongmessage about the mutability of academicendeavours, of the need for free and open inter-action within social scientific debate as the com-fortably entrenched is confronted by the fresh andthe innovative. The message is, of course, thatthere is room for the latter, in company with theformer. One illustrative example is SuthaharanNadarajah’s Foucauldian analysis of the ways inwhich the domestic discourse of terrorism inliberal democracies condition and shape theconduct of political activity in support of distantconflicts. In his ‘Disciplining the diaspora:Tamil self-determination and the politics ofproscription’, the international proscription of theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Elam as a terroristorganisation, and the alleged criminalisation ofthe political liberation project of the Tamil

diaspora which accompanied it, is the focus ofNadarajah’s analysis demonstrating the spread-ing trans-national agency of domestic politicaldiscourse. The Canadian experience provides oneinstance of this phenomenon in action.

A more idiosyncratic contribution is KeziaBarker’s thoughtful analysis of the problematicdiscursive processes involved in the merging ofbio-security with anthropo-security paradigms ina country with a strongly defensive bio-securityregime. In ‘Garden terrorists and the war onweeds: interrogating New Zealand’s biosecurityregime’, Barker discusses the conceptual andpractical difficulties inherent in using subjec-tively defined ‘security’ and ‘terror’ in assessingNew Zealand’s national responses to securing itsnatural environment against exotic and unwel-come biota. The use of expressions connotingparallel invasions by the Other must, she asserts,in this case be treated with caution in a world inwhich discourses on war, terror and securityeventually become normalized.

These are merely two examples from a widerange of disparate but nonetheless thematicallylinked analyses in which historicity, the construc-tion of ‘security’, the role of borderlands, thebusiness of security, and the all-pervasive natureof the War on Terror each find expression. Thiscollection of case studies deserves close attentionfrom those interested in advancing understandingof how the critical imagination can contributenew perspectives in countering the rise of globalterror.

Christopher HubbardCurtin University of Technology

Australia

Environmental Decision-Making: ExploringComplexity and PracticeRonnie Harding, Carolyn M. Hendriks andMehreen Farquqi, The Federation Press,Leichhardt, Australia, 2009, 400 pp, ISBN978 1 8628 7748 1 (paperback), A$55.00.

The three authors Harding, Hendriks and Faruqibetween them bring a wealth of expertise to thistext encompassing academic and practical expe-rience that spans political, social, economic andhands-on management elements. Dr RonnieHarding after retiring from her role as foundingdirector of the Institute of Environmental Studiesat the University of New South Wales is nowSenior Visiting Fellow with the Institute. Dr

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Carolyn Hendriks is a lecturer at the CrawfordSchool of Economics and Government at theAustralian National University and Dr MehreenFaruqi is Manager, Environment and Services,at Mosman Council and Visiting Fellow at theUniversity of New South Wales.

The book is presented in two parts. Thefirst part comprises 10 logically sequenced andcarefully measured chapters that develop keyconcepts surrounding environmental decisionmaking. The second part introduces detailed casestudies and a practical task for the reader. Thisbook is an ambitious undertaking, the authorshaving synthesised materials that have previ-ously filled numerous books on single topics –environmental policy, environmental manage-ment, environmental decision-making tools andpublic participation, for example. The text is suc-cessful in combining these to provide a valuableand welcomed tome.

The book begins by providing an excellenthistorical and conceptual overview of the phi-losophy, politics and ethics of sustainable devel-opment. Within this context the text moves on(chapters 3 through 6) to explore the variouslenses or systems that frame the ways decisionsfor the environment are made, including the insti-tutional, value and knowledge systems.

Whilst chapters 7, 8 and 9 deal with diversetopics, namely ‘public participation’, ‘toolsfor environmental decision-making’ and ‘uncer-tainty, risk and the precautionary principle’ theauthors manage to integrate them successfully.The last of the conceptual chapters, Chapter 10,is a well-crafted overview and interweave ofthe book’s key ideas providing an assessment ofwhether/to what extent sustainable developmenthas been achieved and a ‘where-to-from-here’conclusion.

The authors take care to define key terms andconcepts and in this sense each chapter in thefirst part of the book is rather formulaic. One ofthe greatest strengths of the book is the con-sistent use of illustrative case studies drawnfrom Australia-wide examples. They bring tolife the theoretical ideas under discussion.International examples/experiences are offeredwhere appropriate. This combination of detail-ing the meaning of terms along with cogentexamples makes the discussion very clear.

The conceptual chapters are followed in thesecond part of the book by three detailed contem-porary Australian case studies: container depositlegislation, the Gunns Paper mill and the waterrecycling issue in Toowooba. These have been

thoughtfully chosen because they ‘are likely tocontinue in some form in the future’ (p. 277),giving the book a long shelf life. In addition, eachcase study highlights the wicked nature of envi-ronmental decision making by cleverly drawingupon the breadth of themes presented in the con-ceptual chapters. Each case study emphasisesdifferent facets of the sustainable developmentchallenge.

The authors further integrate the two parts ofthe book by including an innovative activitythat challenges the reader to evaluate their ownunderstanding of the material presented. Ablank matrix or table has been producedbetween pages 278–281 that identifies the mainideas from each chapter. The reader is chargedwith the task of deciding the extent to whicheach of the case studies illustrates the variousthemes.

The book is easy to read and very well written.Whilst the book is dense in detail each chapteris thoroughly cross-referenced for the readerto refer quickly across chapters. Supporting ref-erences are up-to-date and helpful to readerswishing to delve more deeply into conceptsunder discussion.

This book would be extremely useful to thosenew to the field of environmental management.Its breadth, attention to detail and logical struc-ture provide a comprehensive overview of thiscomplex area. It has been structured in a way thatmakes dipping into individual chapters possible.The in-built exercise allows for deep consider-ation of key concepts and encourages the readerto use a variety of ways to explore and thinkabout environmental challenges – these will bemuch needed skills of future managers.

Beverley ClarkeFlinders University

Australia

GIS Applications for Sustainable Developmentand Good Governance in Eastern Indonesiaand Timor LesteRohan Fisher, Bronwyn Myers, Max Sanam andVincent Tarus (eds), Charles Darwin UniversityPress, Australia, 2009, 260 pp, ISBN 978 1 92157606 5 (paperback), A$44.00.

This book is an outcome of collaborative workbetween Charles Darwin University (CDU),Australia and University of Nusa Cendana(UNDANA), Indonesia, and is based on the

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© 2010 The AuthorsGeographical Research © 2010 Institute of Australian Geographers