Book review Book review

Food Anthropology in India

by Partho Pratim Seal 265
Routledge
India
1st edition (13 June 2023)
Pages: (1 – 154)
ISBN: 10 0367354667, ISBN-13 978-0367354664.
Review DOI 10.1108/NFS-02-2024-480

Introduction
Indian history is one of the most exciting fields of interest for anthropologists and historians
across the globe. Early developments of civilization across the continent, various foreign
invasions and their influence on all community domains are attractive to historians and
anthropologists. The book “Food Anthropology in India” by Partho Pratim Seal is
interesting in many ways. The book is published by Routledge (Taylor and Francis group)
in 2023, and the ISBN is 9780367354664. The author is an associate professor in Hotel
Management at Manipal University, India. His previous works include similar books like
Food and Beverage Management. In this book, the author tries to observe the development
of the present food culture in India and its embedded roots in the history of Indian
civilization. The book is presented chronologically, beginning with introducing the domain
of anthropology to the history of Indian food and concluding with the future of food. The
book draws attention to various topics, from food anthropology to Indian history and
culture and the unique characteristics of various Indigenous communities in India. Readers
feel the smooth flow of slipping from one chapter to another without confusion or hindrance
while reading.

History of Indian food and its relationship with religion and taboos
India is now the most populated country on Earth, with a vast cultural diversity across
various regions. The socio-cultural differences across geographical regions of East-West-
North-South are visible, including their living standards, culture, arts, socio-economic
performance and many more. Indian history and politics are deeply linked with the religious
practices of Indian communities, including widely known and accepted practices and
discrete practices less known to the world. The author made a challenging attempt to
introduce various religious attachments to food culture. Food taboos are less discussed in

Sincere thanks to Symbiosis Centre for Research and Innovation for the continual support.
Declaration: All authors contributed to the study’s conception, design, material preparation and Nutrition & Food Science
writing. Vol. 54 No. 2, 2024
pp. 265-268
Disclosure of conflict of interest: This study received no funds during any stage, and the © Emerald Publishing Limited
manuscript’s authors declare no conflict of interest. 0034-6659
NFS India, and the author infused significant insights regarding food practices and preferences
54,2 based on local communities and religious food decision-making.
The development of Indian civilization and food culture is well described in Chapter 2.
The author started by saying the early food history dates back to 6000 BCE and the
evidence of hulled barley and wheat used then. Harappa, aboriginal communities and
Mohenjadaro are mentioned in this chapter. Evidence of barley and wheat usage, the
beginning of agriculture and the domestication of animals from 10,000 BCE are also
266 mentioned. Aryans, or the Vedic age, is well described, as is the description of food in the
Vedas in Chapter 2. The author described various food practises mentioned in the Rigveda,
Atharva Veda and Yajurveda, including the development of present-day Khichdi from
barley, rice, fruits, intoxicating substances like Soma, and the healing properties of foods.
Ayurveda is an indigenous medical practice developed in India, and it largely influences
the food practices of Indians. Treatment of illnesses and diet based on Ayurvedic practice is
based on three domains: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Ayurveda mentions the association of diet
and health with five elements: space, air, fire (energy), water and Earth. The types of food,
Satvic, Rajasic and Tamasic, are essential mentions in Ayurveda; the nature of food, its
complexity and its effect on the body and mind are discussed here.
Food and religion are exciting topics. Across the globe, religion affects people’s food
decision-making. In India, most people identify themselves as followers of any religion.
Hinduism is the most popular religion in India, with the lion’s share of followers, followed by
Islam and Christianity. Sikhism is a unique religious practice that began in Indian territory,
with most Sikh followers from a particular region of India; Buddhism, Jainism and
numerous other religious identities are known to Indian people. Hinduism is one of the
oldest religions rooted in the Indian continent, and countless other religions have been raised
in India or introduced by various foreign prophets or people in the past. The book continued
to describe even the regional food practices, like the food offered in the shrines of Lord
Ayyappa, Muruga, etc., in south Indian states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. One suggestion
is the dominance of Hindu traditions and history and less significance given to other
religions throughout the book. In Indian culture, foreign invasions and religions like
Christianity and Islam have a profound influence.
Various rituals and festivals and their influence on food practices are shared across the
globe. India is a cocktail of numerous religious practices, festivals and individual
celebrations rooted in religion and local culture. The rituals in temples, mosques, Christian
churches or other shrines are often linked to food practices. Food is part of daily rituals in
Temples, and India is known for sweet dishes served in various temples. Also, famous meat
dishes served during Islamic and Christian festivals are attracting people across the globe.
In Chapter 5, the author concisely describes food rituals in India.
However, each topic the author introduces is complex and profound; the book hovers
through various aspects without providing in-depth ideas. This may be due to the peripheral
nature of the description; some minor confusions are observed in some domains. To point
out one, in the description of food taboos in Kerala, the author describes Malayalee
Brahmins eating buffalo meat; this generalization is not factual because most of the
Brahmins in Kerala follow a strict vegetarian diet, and they do not cook or eat non-
vegetarian food in their community.

Food and environment

In Chapter 6, the author flips to broader aspects of food anthropology, food and the
environment. The geography of a region is deeply linked to its diet and food practices.
India is a vast land with all possible types of ecosystems, from high-altitude mountains
in Kashmir to the vast coastal areas in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the southern region. Book review
Deserts, river banks and associated civilization forests are also found in India. This
geographical diversity is a significant player in all areas of food culture in India. Indian
economy and culture have been rooted in agriculture since ancient times. Around 50%
of Indians are dependent on agriculture presently, says the author. Also, the need for
fertilizers and the threat of long-term chemical fertilizers are discussed in the book.
Repeated natural calamities like floods during the monsoon, harsh winters and water
scarcity in various regions are significant factors in India’s food cultivation systems 267
and the cost of agricultural products. These climatic conditions also hugely influence
regional food practices. Sustainable agriculture is a global concern, and the author
briefly introduced the topic, including the need to preserve the ecology for future
generations.

Political, socio-cultural aspects and globalization of food

In Chapter 7, the author narrates the political influence of food. Politics has majorly
impacted food production, agriculture and its further distribution to consumers. There have
been famine-like situations post-independence that were occasionally taken care of by
political interventions. Various governments and political systems have contributed in
various states and implemented their party beliefs and the availability or ban on certain
food items. For example, India, with a dominant fraction of civilians following Hinduism,
has banned the sale of cow beef in most states as a religious practice. The chapter also
emphasizes that genetic advancements have produced organically grown crops with higher
yields. Various bills have been passed in Parliament to meet the demands and supplies as
agriculture forms a significant contributor to food security.
In Chapters 8 and 9, the author explains how globalization affects food culture, how
social status is associated with food selection and its impact on food anthropology. Various
past researchers and historians have explained nutrition among different socio-economic
strata. In Chapter 10, the author deftly examines the upcoming food landscape, emphasizing
its worldwide significance. The world faces various dietary concerns, ranging from
malnutrition to excessive intake, which fuels lifestyle disorders. The chapter dives into
functional and convenience foods, debating the benefits and drawbacks in light of the
younger generation’s increased prosperity and spending power.
Sustainable farming techniques such as organic, vertical, hydroponics, aeroponics and
pink farming have been established to meet the rising need for food. By birth or later, most
Indians support vegetarianism and vegetarian meat. However, the author very carefully
asserts the right to food sovereignty through industrialized agriculture, green manuring and
bio-fertilizers, all of which contribute to increased soil fertility, crop productivity, decreased
waste and healthy agriculture. The author has discussed the many artificial intelligence
tools that benefit the food business. Electronic tongues and electronic noses have been
mentioned. Overall, it is ongoing progress based on technological advancements in food
technology. With the introduction of modern technologies, there will undoubtedly be an
overall improvement in food production and demand sustainability. Innovative robotic chefs
open up diverse possibilities for customer satisfaction.

Conclusion
The book “Food Anthropology in India” is written excitingly, beginning by introducing the
topic of food anthropology and concluding with the globalization of food. Various issues like
the history of food in India, religion and food, food taboos, etc., can generate interest among
scholars. This book is a must-read for Indian culinary scholars and other domains like
NFS dietetics and hotel management. The book introduces many topics shallowly without in-
54,2 depth descriptions, which is a drawback. Similar books like Food and Faith: A Pilgrim’s
Journey through India, Religious Food (What’s Special To Me?), Feasts and Fasts, and A
History of Food in India are suggestible to the readers of this book.

Ketaki Washikar and Alaka Chandak

268 Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, and

Manesh Muraleedharan
Symbiosis Centre of Health Care, Symbiosis International (Deemed University),
Pune, India
 Book review: Shaping corporate Book review

culture for sustainable

business success
463
by Josef Herget
Springer
Berlin
2023
157 pp.
£ 54.99 (Softcover)
ISBN 978-3-662-65326-5
ISBN (eBook) 978-3-662-65327-2
Review DOI 10.1108/JOCM-03-2024-514

Corporate/organisational culture is the backbone of a company. The invisible yet powerful web
of shared values, beliefs and behaviours defines how things get done within an organisation. Its
significance can be classified as its impact on employees and business. In this respect, a positive
culture attracts talented individuals who resonate with its values and find the work
environment engaging, leading to better employee retention. It also nurtures a sense of
belonging and purpose, driving employee motivation and engagement, as employees feel
valued for their contributions and are more likely to do extra. In terms of its impact on business,
for example, the culture of an organisation can significantly impact its brand image, as a
positive and ethical culture attracts customers and investors, strengthening brand reputation
and trust. It also increases customer satisfaction. This is because it translates to better customer
service when employees are happy and engaged. Thus, as studies have shown, companies with
strong cultures outperform those with weak ones. The following quote by Henry Mintzberg
highlights its importance: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” (Herget, 2023, p. 3).
Thus, since “there is no such thing as a company without its own corporate culture,” we need
to understand what it is properly. This is mentioned in Chapter 1. In addition to introducing
“Levels of corporate culture” (Figure 1.1), which helps to define corporate culture (Herget,
2023, p. 5), this chapter also underlines the significance of corporate culture and how an
effective culture can be a financial booster, which in turn points to the critical role of corporate
culture management (Herget, 2023, p. 19). Chapter 2 posits that corporate culture is a dynamic
phenomenon, so it can be shaped. This discussion reminds us that leaders are not passive
recipients because they have a significant degree of agency over corporate cultures. In fact,
Schein argues that leaders create organisational cultures.
How to shape corporate culture is given in Chapter 3, where three levels are discussed:
strategic level, action level and selective level. The Culture Excellence Process is also presented
in this chapter, as it serves as a central management tool at all management levels and keeps
the process running (please note that this concept is identified in detail in Chapter 10). Chapter
4 seeks to answer the following questions, “Which corporate culture is the best?” And the
answer is “none”. This is because “each company has its own specific corporate culture and this
Journal of Organizational Change
fact is taken into account by individualization.” Hence, the argument indicates the superiority Management
of the individual model (Herget, 2023, p. 47). Vol. 37 No. 2, 2024
pp. 463-464
Chapter 5 is about auditing the existing corporate culture to analyse its characteristics. © Emerald Publishing Limited
0953-4814
Auditing is key because it is the starting point for shaping the corporate culture. DOI 10.1108/JOCM-03-2024-514
JOCM The maturity process, like auditing, tries to analyse the corporate culture of the company,
37,2 albeit with some differences, and Chapter 6 argues for it. This chapter also points out that this
model is a suitable communication tool to demonstrate the status, strengths and weaknesses
and possible development strategies.
After analysing and diagnosing the culture, the book explains strategy generation in
Chapter 7 to clarify the importance of a clear idea of the development path. Whilst generic
strategies primarily represent incremental improvements, specific strategies are often
464 overarching strategies that can have an impact on several cultural factors, and they are often
implemented through the introduction of new methods.
Chapters 8 and 9 are about cultural change. Whilst the former elaborates on some methods
that enable cultural change, Chapter 9 seeks to understand how change can be implemented,
as no change runs by itself, so it defines the change process. Additionally, Chapter 8
introduces different methods for different levels, such as in daily rituals, the practiced
behaviours, structures, processes, norms and value systems and attitudes because of the
main discussion in the literature, i.e., “what is it desired?” (Herget, 2023, pp. 95–96). Culture
change is not an easy and straightforward process. This is why the author, in Chapter 11,
suggests some do’s and don’ts for successful change.
As the initiative to shape the corporate culture comes from management, Chapter 12
highlights the critical role that leadership plays. Chapter 13 is a reminder that culture is a
living mechanism and requires time, as habits need time to develop, as well as reflection,
openness, constructiveness, perseverance and discipline. And it should not be forgotten that
it is a challenging process. The final chapter defines some challenges to corporate culture,
including digital leadership, digital transformation, globalisation and diversity, Generation Z
and so on.
With its insightful, real-world application exercises and in-depth exploration of a cutting-
edge concept, this book bridges the gap between theory and practice. Practitioners will be
equipped with actionable strategies about how to create a positive and productive corporate
culture, academics will find new avenues for research, and students will be inspired to delve
deeper. It is an unequivocal recommendation.
Whilst insightful, the book is not without its flaws. Notably, it paints an overly rosy
picture of organisational culture, framing it solely as a force for good. This overlooks the
potential for corporate cultures to breed exclusion, toxicity and other harmful dynamics.
Furthermore, its focus on Western business culture limits its generalisability. Whilst the
principles may be adaptable to smaller businesses, the book’s practical examples remain
firmly rooted in corporate giants. This narrow scope is further accentuated by the author’s
reliance on certain perspectives as the primary lens for understanding cultural change,
neglecting alternative perspectives and approaches such as organisational psychology.
Emre Şamlı
University of Dundee, Dundee, UK

References
Herget, J. (2023), Shaping Corporate Culture for Sustainable Business Success, Springer, Berlin.
 Book review: Book review

Marketing management
by Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller 95
15th Edition
Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd.
2016
ISBN: 9789332557185
Review DOI 10.1108/RAMJ-01-2024-247
The Marketing Management 15th Edition is an extensive guidebook that covers a broad range
of topics essential for understanding the domain of marketing. The book offers a
comprehensive overview of the marketing. A major focus of the book is on the importance
of research in marketing and understanding customer behavior and requirements. By
analyzing and interpreting data, businesses can gain valuable insights into their target
audience, allowing them to develop marketing strategies that align with customer needs and
wants. The book also emphasizes the need to create value for customers and establish lasting
relationships with them. Businesses that prioritize the needs of their customers and deliver
products and services that provide value are more likely to build brand loyalty and retain
customers in the long run. Segmentation and target marketing are two critical concepts
discussed in this book. By segmenting the market and identifying target customers,
businesses can initiate targeted marketing strategies that are more effective in reaching their
desired audience. The book offers various tools and techniques to help businesses develop and
execute effective marketing strategies. The impact of technology on the marketing landscape
is another key focus of the book, including the role of digital marketing. As the world becomes
digital, businesses must adapt their marketing strategies to reach customers through digital
channels. This book explores the various digital marketing channels and provides practical
guidance on how to leverage them effectively. Real world examples and attractive illustrations
make the marketing concepts and strategies easy to understand. The book covers all relevant
topics of marketing management, from the basics to more advanced concepts. With over 800
pages in length, it is a comprehensive guide for anyone seeking to develop their marketing
knowledge and skills.
This book is an outstanding resource for individuals across various levels of expertise
and experience. From graduate and postgraduate students to marketing professionals
and practitioners, this comprehensive and well-written book offers valuable insights and
practical guidance in the field of marketing management. For graduate and postgraduate
students, this book has been specifically structured to address their learning objectives
and questions. The authors have taken great care to ensure that the book’s content is up-
to-date and relevant to recent developments in the field. This makes it an excellent
resource for students who seek to deepen their knowledge and understanding of
marketing management. Moreover, the book also serves as an invaluable reference
guide for marketing professionals who want to improve their skills and knowledge.

© Ashish Ashok Uikey. Published in Rajagiri Management Journal. Published by Emerald Publishing
Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone Rajagiri Management Journal
Vol. 18 No. 1, 2024
may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and pp. 95-98
non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full Emerald Publishing Limited
e-ISSN: 2633-0091
terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode p-ISSN: 0972-9968
RAMJ With its user-friendly format and practical approach, the book offers valuable insights
18,1 and strategies that can be applied in the workplace to enhance marketing efforts. The
authors’ focus on recent developments in the field is a testament to their commitment to
providing timely and relevant information to their readers. They have carefully
structured the book to suit the needs of different audiences, ensuring that it is accessible
and useful to a wide range of individuals.
The beginning of the book features a detailed introduction to the authors spanning two
96 full pages. This section provides essential background information about the authors,
including their areas of expertise and previous works. This introduction helps the reader
to understand the authors’ perspectives and qualifications in the field of marketing
management. Following the authors’ introduction, the book is divided into sections that
are structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of marketing management. The
preface provides an overview of the 15th edition and highlights how it differs from
previous editions. It also summarizes the structure of the contents of the entire book,
giving readers a clear understanding of what they can expect to find within its pages.
After the preface, the reader finds a section dedicated to acknowledging the contributions
of the co-authors, contributors and reviewers who helped bring the book to life. The
main content of the book is organized into 23 chapters, each of which explores different
aspects of marketing management. The chapters are carefully crafted to provide readers
with a deep understanding of marketing concepts and strategies. The book covers a
wide range of topics, including market insights, customer connection, brand building,
value creation, value communication, value delivery and responsible marketing practices.
The book is organized into eight distinct parts. Each part covers a particular theme or
aspect of marketing management, providing readers with clear and logical progression
of ideas. The eight parts are Understanding Marketing Management, Capturing Market
Insights, Connecting with Customers, Building Strong Brands, Creating Value,
Communicating Value, Delivering Value and Conducting Marketing Responsibly for
Long-Term Success.
Each chapter starts by outlining the key questions that will be addressed throughout the
chapter. At the end of each chapter, readers will find a summary, along with applications, case
studies that show how these concepts can be applied in real-world situations and a series of
discussion questions that invite readers to consider the implications of the material covered in
each chapter. After all the parts or chapters, the appendices are given, which include guidelines
about how to conduct several marketing control procedures; marketing plan and exercises for a
hypothetical start-up company and chapter wise assignments; Glossary of the terms. With this
book, some supplementary materials like Instructor’s Resource Manual, PowerPoint
Presentations, Computerized Test Bank and Image Library are also provided online through
a website.
Among the different parts in the book, the sixth part, which is about communicating
value to the customers, is very interesting. Marketing communications refer to the various
channels that companies use to inform, persuade and remind consumers about the products
and brands they offer. Through these communications, consumers can learn about the
product’s features and benefits, as well as the company that produces it. Additionally,
marketing communications can help connect a product or brand to people, places, events,
experiences, feelings and other things. In this part, there are four chapters from 17 to 20,
each chapter talks about communicating the value. It is suggested that communications
campaign marketers must carefully plan each step of the communications process in order
to achieve success. The communication process has certain elements in it like sender,
receiver, message, media, encoding, decoding, response, feedback and noise. The authors
stated eight steps in developing effective communications. They also mentioned the
marketing communications mix (with their characteristics), which includes advertising,
sales promotion, events and experiences, public relations and publicity, online social Book review
media marketing, mobile marketing, direct and database marketing and personal selling.
The authors mentioned that there are three main characteristics of effective marketing
communications: relevance, engagement and implicitness. They emphasize the importance
of careful planning, utilizing various marketing communication tools and the role of public
relations and publicity in achieving success. Public relations and publicity are often
underused, but can be very effective when used correctly.
It is important to look beyond just the traditional methods of marketing and explore the use 97
of new technologies and techniques. This is especially important in today’s digital age, when
marketing is becoming increasingly complex and multi-faceted. Many businesses are now
turning to digital marketing tools and techniques to reach their target audience more
effectively, and it is important to understand how to use them in order to maximize their return
on investment. In the 19th chapter of the book, the authors talk about managing digital
communications. The benefits and disadvantages of online marketing communications, online
marketing communication options, social media and mobile marketing are discussed in this
chapter. Also, some other things discussed are as follows: the maximization of the marketing
value of emails, social media platforms and their usage, word of mouth, its creation, different
forms and its measurement. At the end of the chapter, case studies of Facebook and Unilever
were also discussed.
The content is easy to understand and is full of real life examples. The authors are experts
in the field of marketing; these experts have given enough importance to every aspect of the
book, which makes it interesting to read. From the first chapter itself, it becomes evident why
the authors are designated experts in their field, that is marketing.
One thing easily noticeable is the over-reliance on case studies. It is a topic of argument
that the book relies too heavily on case studies, which may not always be applicable to every
situation, and may not provide a comprehensive view of marketing theory. It lacks coverage
of some contemporary issues, such as sustainability and socially responsible marketing.
Some readers may find that the book is too theoretical, western-focused or lacking coverage of
important contemporary issues in marketing.
This book provides an excellent primer on the basics of marketing and the principles
behind it. It provides readers with the necessary knowledge to understand the concepts and
apply them in a variety of business environments. The book also introduces readers to the
latest marketing trends and technologies, such as digital and interactive marketing, and the
use of social media. Authors give readers a thorough, yet accessible overview of the field.
They explain the concepts and theories in an easy to understand manner, while also
providing a wealth of practical examples and case studies. The book also provides readers
with a complete set of resources, including a glossary, a list of marketing tools and a detailed
section on career development. By following the guidelines outlined in the book, marketers
can develop effective communication strategies that engage customers, enhance brand
image and ultimately drive sales.
The book Marketing Management 15th Edition is available for as low as ₹949 at
ecommerce websites in India. Spending such an amount of money on this book is justified,
because the authors made this book very much interesting for the readers.
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of
marketing and gain valuable insights from one of the most influential and respected thought
leaders in the field of marketing. With its clear writing style, insightful examples and
practical advice, it is no wonder that it has become a classic in the field of marketing and this
book is a must in the collection of every person who is interested in learning marketing. It is
an ideal book for those who are interested in gaining an understanding of the basic principles
and strategies of marketing, as well as for those who are looking for the application of these
concepts in their own business.
RAMJ It is worth noting that this book is widely considered a classic and seminal text in the field
18,1 of marketing, and has been used by countless students and professionals over the years to
learn about marketing theory and practice. Ultimately, whether a book is “bad” or not may
depend on the individual reader’s needs and preferences.
Ashish Ashok Uikey
Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Nagpur, India
98
 Book review Book review

Overcoming Managerialism: Power, Authority and Rhetoric at

Work 303
Edited by Spillane R. and Joullie J.E.
2022
Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
Review DOI 10.1108/JMH-04-2024-306

Overcoming Managerialism, written by Robert Spillane and Jean-Etienne Joullie, is an

important account regarding the shortcomings of management practice and research
which emerged over the last 60 or so years. Accordingly, their work is a major
criticism against current mainstream business practice, education and research.
Indeed, some commentators, both on the political left and right, have challenged the
nature of managerialism, that is the idea that power and authority should adhere to the
top strata of society, who are seemingly beyond their responsibility to their fellows.
Many of the long-term trends in modern society, especially those that have been
impacting America and Europe over the last few years (especially since the 2000s),
come from the notion that corporations and politicians no longer care about the public.
While scholars over the years (especially James Burnham and Christopher Lasch) have
written extensively on this issue, Spillane and Joullie offer not just an explanation, but
also a solution.
Before I continue with my review, I would like to state that Dr Joullie and I are
members of the Journal of Management History editorial board and are working as
coauthors. In addition, Dr Joullie has published several articles in this journal. I have
previously reviewed their work, The Philosophical Foundations of Management
Thought, in this journal.
Professors Spillane and Joullie’s book builds on their previous work (Philosophical
Foundations), which challenged the orthodoxy of the modern business school. This book
examines why managerialism has become a common practice. Partly, this is a story of how
managerialism entered the business school, especially through Ford and Carnegie
foundations, which created a curriculum driven by empirical research and building a
technocratic ideal. Instead, the curriculum has glorified authority at the expense of
authoritative managers. The former seeks to dominate the worker through power; the latter
seeks to engage the worker through argumentation.
Authoritative managers are far more effective because they truly engage the
worker in a meaningful sense. This fact allows them to weather the storms that are
common in the modern world due to technological, political and economic changes.
For example, who could have predicted the upheaval of COVID-19 in 2018? The
Journal of Management History
business school, as other critics such as Steven Conn and others have noted, has not Vol. 30 No. 2, 2024
really addressed societal issues in any meaningful way in either curriculum or pp. 303-305
© Emerald Publishing Limited
research. In fact, the emergence of technical education, and the emphasis on 1751-1348
JMH conformity and acquiesce rather than argument, have furthered these trends of
30,2 ignoring societal issues in research.
A refocus on three prominent writers on authority, Max Weber, Mary Parker Follett
and Chester Barnard, could help to overturn the last 50 years of management education
and practice. I found the section on Follett to be most illuminating in that Follett
stressed the communal nature of both knowledge exchange and authority, both of
which receive some mention in the business curriculum, but one that is completely
304 ignored mostly in the vast majority. Indeed, part of the issue is that Weber, Follett and
others, were humanists, in that their education was in a humanity, rather than business.
In fact, the nature of arguing, understanding evidence and critical thinking, which are
parts of the classical liberal arts is missing from the modern business curriculum–
which creates a structure based on authority. To explain, in a liberal arts field, students
are offered an explanation as to why a particular theory is important; in business,
especially for undergraduates and MBA students, we are taught that something just is,
with little explanation.
As someone that has researched and taught personality, I found Spillane and Joullie
writings on personality, which was very critical, to be very interesting. This is not to
say that I agree with their arguments wholly (or even partly) but they raise some very
pertinent points in that our use of personality uses inference rather than observing
actual behaviors. This move reduces the humanity (what is distinct about the
individual) of workers, reducing them into objects, which can be easily classified as
extrovert or introvert. In such a move, it should not wonder that organizations may
select individuals who seek to confirm or eliminate personality types that may (rightly)
challenge the status quo. Likewise, personality research, as the authors’ note, probably
does not spend enough time discussing how situations impact behavior, instead
preferring to analyze personality. This approach ignores the true complexity of human
behavior. As commentators from Shakespeare, Euripides, Virgil, Chaucer and others
have noted, some of the best actions were done by the most evil; and some of the worst
were done by those who were noble.
The writing of the book was illuminative; the topics well selected; and the research,
sound. However, I still had some complaints about the book. I must concede that these
complaints are less than serious indictments, but more topics I wish the authors had tackled.
For example, their argument about the objectification of workers is interesting. One, many
scholars would point out that the modern business corporation is more humanized than ever
before. As evidence, they point out that modern managers are more socially aware as they
engage in stakeholder management and corporate social responsibility. Two, they argue
that management is less exploitative than ever before because it stands up for the forgotten
person.
Yet the charge of managerialism remains an issue, despite the changes above. For
instance, if we could accept that we objectify humans, then it is also possible that we
could humanize objects, such as a corporation. Recently, corporations (or rather its
agents) have been taking political stances on issues. Whatever the merits of those
stances, nevertheless, this is an example of managers trying to do good, contrary to the
wishes of shareholders or other members of the organization. In this case, managers
believe they are better and more competent than others. Indeed, managerialism could be
used to justify behaviors that are deeply unethical, such as effective altruism, or the
idea that ruthless cutthroat business actions may be justified if these unethical
behaviors support a noble cause. I believe managerialism justifies this action because
“managers know better.” While these are important topics, nevertheless, they might be
tangential to what the authors were doing with this book. Hopefully, though, the Book review
authors will look at these issues in the future.
To conclude: this is an excellent work and one that every management scholar and
practitioner should read.

Jeff Muldoon
School of Business, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas, USA
305
AEDS
13,4 Book review: Asian research
in mathematics education:
mapping the field
386
Editors: Bill Atweh, Lianghuo Fan and Catherine P. Bistro-Yu
Publisher: Springer
Publisher location: Singapore
Page range: 323
Price: $149
ISBN: 978-981-99-0642-0
Review DOI 10.1108/AEDS-08-2024-295

1. Introduction
Educational inclusion is vital for global sustainability. Educational research on
inclusion and social justice contributes to this sustainability by identifying
discrimination in the classroom, understanding whose knowledge is reflected in the
curriculum and determining whether certain educational policies actually maintain
educational discrepancies. This research has been conducted at both the local and global
levels but, because international mathematics assessments such as TIMSS and PISA are
held periodically, educational inclusion at the global level has gained particular
attention from researchers and policymakers. Despite this interest, however, not all
regions are equally represented in mathematics education research. Asia is one of these
under-represented regions (Mesa and Wagner, 2019). The book Asian Research in
Mathematics Education: Mapping the Field is a timely contribution to the attempts to
improve inclusiveness in mathematics education research and practice. This review
summarizes the book and suggests implications for researchers seeking to expand upon
its ideas.

2. Inside the book

The book contains eight chapters, the first three of which discuss the culture of
mathematics education research, while the latter five review mathematics education
research. The countries covered in the book include the Philippines, China, Singapore,
Korea, Turkey, Macao and Indonesia. The first chapter investigates the research
culture surrounding graduate education in the Philippines. The second chapter
presents an account of the Beijing Mathematics Education Seminar in China using
the cultural–historical activity theory. The third chapter outlines the establishment
and development of the culture of mathematics education research at the National
Institute of Education of Singapore. After reviewing how the research culture has been
nurtured in three countries, the book moves on to a review of specific studies in the
Asian Education and Development remaining five chapters, which take a descriptive approach in providing an overview of
Studies
Vol. 13 No. 4, 2024
published research. The fourth chapter analyzes doctoral dissertations from the
pp. 386-389
© Emerald Publishing Limited
Philippines based on the research topics, the target participants, the roles of the
2046-3162 stakeholders and the theoretical frameworks used. The fifth chapter presents a
summary of two studies on the trends in Korean mathematics education research. The Asian Education
two studies employed content analysis and topic modeling on research articles and Development
published in Korean journals. In the sixth chapter, mathematics education research Studies
published in three Turkish journals is examined. The articles were classified based on
research methods and research topics. The seventh chapter focuses on research related
to the PISA assessment in Macao, China. The chapter also suggests the field to diversify
the topic of research and the methods. The last chapter explores research trends in
Indonesia. In particular, the type of research, research topic, research focus, educational 387
level and research output are used to classify research funded by National Competitive
Research in Indonesia.

3. Two possible directions to extend the ideas of the book for inclusive education
3.1 Research that goes beyond searching for the scientific truth
This book contributes to the sustainability of educational research and policy-making
internationally by focusing on mathematics education research in the Asian region.
Using the book as a starting point, I suggest two possible directions to extend it further.
First, more research should be conducted in a way that reflects how Asians make sense of
the world. The book mainly represents descriptive and scientific approaches that are
rooted in the Western understanding of knowledge. Assuming that narrowly defined
scientific research is the only valid knowledge is unethical because it disrespects
alternative ways of making sense of the world. In particular, this should not occur in
educational research because this perspective hinders the development of educational
policies to establish social justice. For example, researchers studying mathematics
education and educational matters in general have documented the detrimental effects of
the mismatch between a student’s home culture and the mainstream culture. In light of
this, researchers have investigated marginalized students’ home culture, suggested that
teachers and teacher educators learn about students and have designed curricula and
materials that can embrace students from various backgrounds. In addition, researchers
have studied indigenous ways of doing mathematics and developed mathematics
curricula that align with the views of indigenous people rather than traditional Western
thought. Some of these studies have been conducted in the USA and Canada, where
classrooms are culturally diverse.
From a global perspective, Asia can be considered a marginalized group in which their
own ways of doing mathematics have almost been lost and replaced with abstract
mathematics originating from Western countries. This does not just marginalize a small
number of students in the classroom but all students in all schools. To counter this, at
least in Korea, researchers have identified historical figures who could be classified as
mathematicians and scientists and revealed the mathematical elements of traditional
architecture, adding this information to mathematics materials as enjoyable side stories.
However, these efforts, though valuable and necessary, are insufficient. Consider the
example of a curriculum developed according to the worldview of an indigenous people.
Can a mathematics curriculum reflecting the Korean worldview be developed? For this to
happen, researchers need to first decolonize themselves from scientific research. The
research discussed in the paragraph above was made possible by researchers who stood
for social and socio-political turns that advocate research for emancipation and
deconstruction rather than prediction and understanding (Stinson and Walshaw,
2017). There are incidences in this book where the authors expressed their wish for
more innovative approaches. For example, Atweh and colleagues stated in their chapter
that they are expecting their work to contribute to “identify[ing] possible quality issues
with [mathematics educational research at the doctoral level], particularly, with respect
AEDS to their theoretical formulation, and importantly, to identify possible silences in that
13,4 research toward increasing its diversification” (p. 70). Later in the chapter, the authors
emphasized the necessity of “research that is informed by critical and sociopolitical
perspectives” (p. 91), which openly disagrees with the notion of a single, objective, and
scientific truth and is geared more toward the embrace of multiple truths. Therefore, it is
necessary to go beyond the research approaches described in this book and adopt
alternative ways of thinking when conducting mathematics educational research and
388 when doing mathematics itself. A postfoundational approach could be an option in this
respect (Mazzei and Jackson, 2023). If a researcher remains in an intellectually colonized
space, subsequent educational policies may fail to properly address social justice in an
educational context.

3.2 Critical reflection of the knowledge distribution system

Another possible extension of this book is to critically investigate the knowledge distribution
system. This book discusses research articles and dissertations that have been accepted and
published. However, not all rejected research work is of low quality. Innovative and creative
research is often rejected due to the ignorance of journal editors and reviewers (Guti�errez,
2013). Therefore, a critical investigation of what knowledge is accepted and what is rejected
is necessary to fertilize the educational research field with various approaches,
epistemologies, ontologies and philosophies. In fact, the current knowledge distribution
system may discourage researchers from even attempting to use innovative approaches in
their research. For example, to publish an article in Korea is expensive. This not only includes
the costs of data collection and analysis but also the money needed for articles to be
processed. Researchers need to pay a compulsory annual membership fee of $50–$100 for an
academic society in order to submit a manuscript to a journal published by that society.
Many Korean journals also collect fees from researchers for sending in their manuscript for
review. This typically costs around $100. Having a manuscript rejected means that $160 is
gone. After acceptance, researchers are almost always responsible for editing their
manuscript so that it is ready for printing. In addition, researchers pay publication fees based
on the length of the manuscript. This cost is twice as high for manuscripts with founding
sources, reaching about $500 or more. Despite these charges and extra labor, the journal
holds the copyright for the manuscript. Submitting manuscripts to non-Korean journals may
be an option but this is also expensive. Although a number of international journals do not
collect fees, they ask researchers to take responsibility for English editing. Some publishers
periodically send e-mails introducing their English editing services for academic writing. It
almost seems as if English editing has become a side business for the publishers. English
editing for a manuscript of an average length costs about $1,000. A revision request also
means extra expenditure with an uncertain return.
Most universities cover these fees for full-time professors. Researchers at the beginning of
their career are victims of this system. When a rejection means monetary hardship with no
return, researchers are likely to choose the safe route from the beginning by doing
conventional research or co-author with full-time professors who can cover some of the
expenses. In this knowledge distribution system, which is inherently unfavorable for early
career scholars, it is unrealistic to expect research that addresses social justice using
innovative approaches to flourish. History proves that any community ignoring productive
dissonance and choosing to maintain the status quo will eventually wither. Therefore, for
Asian mathematics education research to be sustainable, a critical reflection on the
knowledge distribution system is required.
4. Conclusion Asian Education
Overall, this book, which summarizes the work of Asian researchers, is a wonderful and Development
contribution to global educational research. More of such work is needed to enhance social Studies
justice and the sustainability of educational research. There is no guarantee that more room
for social justice in this research field will directly translate into social justice at the
classroom level. However, restricting the space for social justice in educational research will
prevent classrooms from becoming more socially just and inclusive for all students. That
said, this book should function as a starting point rather than the end of researchers’ efforts to 389
make education more inclusive and sustainable.
Heejoo Suh
Sung Kyun Kwan University, Jongno-gu, South Korea

References
Guti�errez, R. (2013), “The sociopolitical turn in mathematics education”, Journal for Research in
Mathematics Education, Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 37-68, doi: 10.5951/jresematheduc.44.1.0037.
Mazzei, L.A. and Jackson, A.Y. (2023), Postfoundational Approaches to Qualitative Inquiry, Routledge.
Mesa, V. and Wagner, D. (2019), “Behind the door: a critical look at the process of publication in
Educational Studies in Mathematics”, Educational Studies in Mathematics, Vol. 101 No. 3,
pp. 301-324, doi: 10.1007/s10649-019-09900-y.
Stinson, D.W. and Walshaw, M. (2017), “Exploring different theoretical frontiers for different (and
uncertain) possibilities in mathematics education research”, in Cai, J. (Ed.), Compendium of
Research in Mathematics Education, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, pp. 128-155.

About the author

Heejoo Suh is Researcher and Teacher Educator. Heejoo’s research interests include mathematics
education, teacher professionalism, curriculum material and alternative approaches to inquiry.
Leaderless Jihad: The Modern Face of Terror: Book Review
Author(s): Joshua Sinai
Source: Perspectives on Terrorism , March 2008, Vol. 2, No. 6 (March 2008), pp. 20-21
Published by: Terrorism Research Initiative

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26298354

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PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume II, Issue 6

Leaderless Jihad: The Modern Face of Terror: Book Review

By Joshua Sinai

Radical Muslims represent a minority within the Muslim world. If most Muslims are not extremists, why are so
many young Muslims drawn to extremist interpretations of Islam as the basis for establishing radical regimes in
their societies? How do they become radicalized? What is the tipping point from radicalization to terrorism?
Finally, how can violent radicalism be countered and defeated?

These questions are discussed in Marc Sageman's important book, "Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the
Twenty First Century" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008; 208 pages, $24.95). Dr. Sageman, a forensic
psychiatrist and political sociologist, is also a former CIA case officer who worked with the mujahideen in Af-
ghanistan in the late 1980s. He is also the author of the groundbreaking Understanding Terror Networks, which
was published in 2004 and has become one of the leading studies on the global Islamist terror movement.[1]

In "Leaderless Jihad" Dr. Sageman, whom I know professionally, updates and expands his earlier work on what
drives radical elements of a society to terrorism. Dr. Sageman's research is unique in the field of al-Qaeda stud-
ies, in particular, because of his "evidence-based" approach. Here he has assembled profiles of individual op-
eratives to generate insights about their personal characteristics and motivations, recruitment patterns, organiza-
tional formations, and warfare. Whereas his earlier study is based on the compilations drawn from unclassified,
open sources of profiles of some 172 individuals; this study is based on more than 500 profiles, making it a
valuable resource for the academic community. One drawback of the book is that it does not provide a sum-
mary of the database in an appendix.

According to Dr. Sageman, the al-Qaeda-led Islamist social movement consists of several thousand members
(out of a worldwide Muslim population of more than one billion). It is "composed of social networks that mobi-
lize people to resort to terrorism. These networks may become formal organizations, like al-Qaeda or its Indo-
nesian affiliate, Jemaah Islamiyah, depending on shifting circumstances." (p. 31)

Moreover, while al-Qaeda "Central" is currently headquartered along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, its
"social movement has spread far beyond the original organization." (p. 31) According to Dr. Sageman, this
makes the organization even more dangerous because as a social movement it has dramatically grown beyond
its organizational origins.

Dr. Sageman believes today's al-Qaeda (and the social movements it has spawned) is the product of three his-
torical waves. The first wave consisted of the "old guard," the veterans of the anti-Soviet campaign in Afghani-
stan who joined Usama bin Laden in forming the core of al-Qaeda “Central” in the 1980s. The second wave
joined al-Qaeda in the 1990s after training in its camps in Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda "Central" was predominant
during this phase, closely directing its operations around the world.

The third wave, however, is the post-2001 generation of radicals, who joined al-Qaeda following the overthrow
of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq. Although it lost its safe haven and training fa-
cilities in Afghanistan, the al-Qaeda-led social movement is even more pervasive because of its global reach as
well as its links to al-Qaeda "Central" along the Pakistan-Afghan border. Furthermore, the organization has
had great success on the Internet, where it has radicalized a new generation of activists, including many among
second-generation Muslim immigrants in Europe and North America. This was the group, for example, that
carried out the suicide attacks against London's transportation system in July 2005.

How are the members of al-Qaeda's third wave mobilized into becoming "warriors for Islam?" Dr. Sageman
writes that they view themselves, rightly or wrongly, as "heroes, fighting for justice and fairness" to transform
their societies.

Moreover, Dr. Sageman asserts, their radicalization is facilitated by a four-prong process (which is not neces-
sarily linear): (1) an individual's sense of moral outrage in response to perceived suffering by fellow Muslims

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PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume II, Issue 6

around the world; (2) how the individual might interpret such moral outrage within the context of a larger war
against Islam; (3) whether or not the sense of "moral outrage" resonates with one's own experience (for exam-
ple, discrimination or difficulty in making it in Western society) and, finally, (4) being mobilized by networks
that take one to the next level of violent radicalization in the form of terrorist cells. To this, I would add a fifth
prong (which I would place between Dr. Sageman’s first and second prongs): the influence of radical Islamic
texts, such as Sayyid Qutb’s Milestones, which had a profound influence in radicalizing bin Laden, Ayman al-
Zawahiri, and other al-Qaeda leaders, operatives, recruits and supporters.

Like any masterpiece, Dr. Sageman’s book is not perfect in all aspects. Some of his arguments are insuffi-
ciently explained or inadequately sourced. Dr. Sageman’s use of citations is inconsistent and incomplete. Some
endnotes list the authors’ first names and the date of their publications, but not the titles or page numbers. This
makes it cumbersome to check the validity of the cited information.

Aside from these criticisms, there is so much more to commend in Dr. Sageman’s book. The chapter on “How
to Study Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century” is required reading for every university course; similarly, the
chapter on “The Atlantic Divide” is a provocative analysis of the different trajectories of radicalization in
Europe and the United States, and the chapter on “Terrorism in the Age of the Internet” is one of the finest
overviews of this subject.

Dr. Sageman concludes that “the threat from al-Qaeda is self-limiting, [as] is its appeal, and global Islamist
terrorism will probably disappear for internal reasons…” because of the atrocities committed by al-Qaeda and
those acting on its behalf (p. 150). The most appropriate counter strategy, according to Dr. Sageman, “should
be one of restraint with respect to the greater challenge: preventing young Muslims from joining the terrorist
social movement…” (p. 150).

To counter the social movement inspired by al-Qaeda, Dr. Sageman proposes a strategy to "take the glory and
thrill out of terrorism." Military operations against them should be conducted swiftly and precisely, with such
terrorists considered "common criminals" (p. 151). The sense of "moral outrage" by young Muslims can be
diminished by helping to resolve local conflicts that al-Qaeda's propaganda highlights as injustices against the
Muslim world. The young jihadists want to become heroes, so they need to be provided with alternative role
models, such as Muslim soccer stars and other successful community leaders.

This is all true. Aside from addressing their concrete grievances, however, governments still need to formulate
effective responses to counter their desire to impose anti-modern religious orthodoxy over their respective so-
cieties and communities. What sort of alternative ideologies and role models can be provided to such militants
and their supporters that are likely to be embraced by them? Dr. Sageman’s book is valuable because research-
ers can apply this question against his empirical approach and findings in order to advance the state of knowl-
edge on this issue.

Dr. Sageman's incisive observations based on carefully examined evidence, astute insights and scholarship
make "Leaderless Jihad" the gold standard in al-Qaeda studies. Like his earlier book, it deserves to be widely
read in the field of terrorism studies.

Dr. Joshua Sinai is a program manager for counterterrorism studies at The Analysis Corporation
(www.theanalysiscorp.com) in McLean, Virginia, USA.

This is a revised and expanded version of Dr. Sinai’s review of Dr. Sageman’s book, which originally appeared
in The Washington Times on February 19, 2008. Reprinted with permission.

NOTES:

[1] See my review of Dr. Sageman’s Understanding Terror Networks in The Washington Times, May 25, 2004.

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Book Review and Commentary
Author(s): Ben Fusaro
Source: The College Mathematics Journal , Vol. 44, No. 5 (November 2013), pp. 446-449
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of the Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.4169/college.math.j.44.5.446

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BOOK REVIEW AND COMMENTARY

Mathematics for the Environment. By Martin Walter, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis
Group, New York, NY, 2011, xxvi + 653 pp, ISBN 978-1-4398-3472-5, $93.95.

Reviewed by Ben Fusaro

Environmental Mathematics (EM) is mathematical modeling that is applicable to the
Earth’s environment and suitable for a general education course. More than a differ-
ence of level separates EM from such subjects as mathematical ecology and systems
ecology, however. Teachers of EM are almost invariably committed environmentalists,
and this is reflected in their written work and teaching.
Martin Walter taught his first EM class from a forerunner of this book in 1992, the
year that Mathematics Awareness Week had the theme Mathematics and the Environ-
ment. This theme has steadily, but slowly, invaded the consciousness of our community
to the point that the MAA is a partner in MPE 2013. The author’s boldness and enthusi-
asm for environmentalism have triumphed. Contrast this with the reaction of one editor
to Walter’s manuscript a dozen years ago, “We don’t publish such commie crap!”
Mathematics for the Environment weighs in at 653 pages, has 745 references, and
can be the basis for four or five courses in EM. The book begins with a curious three-
page introduction, “Why Did I Write This Book” that suggests an apologia, but is
more like a manifesto. He begins with questions such as, “Have we learned anything
from the economic meltdown of 2008–2009?”; “Is global climate change really hap-
pening?”; “What does the second law of thermodynamics have to do with economics?”
Perhaps the most startling statement for many readers will be, “In many ways the logic
of human civilization is at odds with the logic of nature.” Walters supports this view
with a simple, potent example, the widespread belief of many economists, politicians,
and the public that a modern, industrial economy can continue to expand indefinitely
at an annual rate of two or three percent, thus sustaining unbounded growth. Walter
justly claims that elementary mathematics can help clarify, explain, and even resolve
some of his questions.
The introduction ends by stating the author’s basic belief about what should be
taught to a college student who will take a single mathematics course. These stu-
dents will respond more positively, he claims, to an interdisciplinary course devoted
to contemporary issues, than a college algebra or algebra-trig course. They can relate
personally to environmental topics, such as health versus potential disease, economic
boom/bust versus a steady state, and over-population and starvation versus a balanced
population and plentiful food. The author is relatively restrained in his criticism of
college algebra and algebra-trig courses, but clearly sympathizes with the spirit of
Schaufele and Zumoff’s rhetorical question [7]: “What makes College Algebra boring
to practically every student on this planet . . . ?”
A central theme of this book is that many of our environmental problems are due to
the humanistic conceit: We Are the Center of the Universe (WACU, for short). Walter
proposes a bio-Copernican axiom instead: It is not the case that WACU. The world-
wide stripping of fisheries, the use of the Earth as a biochemical dump, the pollution
of the atmosphere with CO2 : All these confirm that the narrow-minded, even childish,
assumption of WACU leads straight down the path of unsustainability.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4169/college.math.j.44.5.446

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 Walter’s energy, enthusiasm, and commitment permeate his panoramic book.
Simple mathematics is successfully used to clarify and even solve environmental
challenges, as well as raise the environmental consciousness of readers (see the out-
line of its contents below). I encourage the CMJ reader to take a look at Mathematics
for the Environment. Then choose a few chapters to complement Part I and teach your
own EM course.
You’ve come a long way, environmental mathematics!

Outline
Mathematics for the Environment has 32 chapters divided into eight parts. Many
courses can be constructed from Part I, followed by several chapters from Parts II to
VIII.

Part I. Mathematics Is Connected to Everything Else (Chapters 1–9). Part

I deals with climate change, economics, agriculture, energy, and sustainability. Ar-
rhenius’ Law, relating carbon dioxide concentrations to global warming, provides the
greatest challenge to an average student’s knowledge and ability—namely, a logarithm.
This part also discusses the challenges of criticizing forthrightly the environmental
policies of governments and corporations.

Part II. Math and Nature: The Nature of Math (Chapters 10–13). Mathe-
matics is presented as the search for, and study of, patterns, particularly in numbers.
Chapter 10 introduces the very small and very large numbers of elementary atomic
theory. Subsequent chapters take an axiomatic approach. The algebra and logic of the
later chapters might be challenging for a typical college freshman.

Part III. One of the Oldest Mathematical Patterns (Chapters 14–15). This
part defines equivalence relations, which are then applied to social and environmental
behavior rules of the Waripiri aborigines of Australia.

Part IV. Counting (Chapters 16–17). Combinations, permutations, and equiva-

lence relations are applied to DNA and the synergistic effects of chemicals.

Part V. Box Models: Population, Money, Recycling (Chapters 18–20). Box

models (i.e., compartmental models) and an alternative method (Schwartz charts) are
applied to the growth of populations and the spread of epidemics.

Part VI. Chance: Health, Surveillance, Spies & Voting (Chapters 21–24).
This part introduces statistics with a Bayesian approach. The author emphasizes the
importance of being on the lookout for false positives and false negatives. Applications
include privacy issues, identity theft, and voting systems.

Part VII. Economics (Chapters 25–30). Economics and financial systems are de-
fined and a whole chapter devoted to distributed versus central control. Conventional
economists tend to minimize nature’s contributions to the human economy. In con-
trast, Walter discusses the relevance of the second law of thermodynamics to economic
systems, that there are costs associated with fragmenting or degrading the natural en-
vironment. Consumer math (interest and amortization) are covered to give students a
basis for their own economic self-defense.

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Part VIII Media Literacy (Chapters 31–32). The last two chapters, using ex-
amples of how corporate-influenced media have led to action harmful of the envi-
ronment, aim to help students negotiate narrow-band information sources to become
aware citizens and consumers.

Commentary: The MAA and Environmental Mathematics:

A Short History and a Manifesto
by Ben Fusaro
The Mathematics of Planet Earth, 2013 made its appearance at the Joint Mathematical
Meetings last January with presence, panache, and wide-spread coverage. A little over
two decades earlier, a group of MAA members convinced the 1992 JMM organizers
to adopt—for the first time—a meeting theme. Mathematics and the Environment was
that theme, in recognition of the recently-created, freshman-level subject Environmen-
tal Mathematics (EM). With the advent of MPE 2013, recognition has expanded to the
graduate-undergraduate level. Here is a brief history of the MAA’s involvement with
EM and some comments.

Odum’s diagrammatic energy language. H. T. Odum, a systems ecologist at

the University of Florida, developed an approach to modeling based on energy and its
transformation, which he expressed in his own diagrammatic language. In the early
1980s, when I became acquainted with his work, Odum had scores of graduate stu-
dents, most of whom had degrees in the biological sciences or engineering. Others
came from a wide variety of fields, including chemistry, geology, economics, and even
architecture. Students with degrees in mathematics were significantly absent.
This absence was reminiscent of the situation in the 1970s, when programs in en-
vironmental education and environmental science began to appear at many schools.
Mathematicians were strikingly absent, while non-STEM fields such as history, po-
litical science, and psychology were often represented. This in turn echoes how our
field has resisted new academic developments, going back to statistics in the 1930s,
operations research in the 1940s, and computer science in the 1960s.
Odum’s visual modeling was a natural basis for an environmentally-oriented, gen-
eral education course. His diagrams can be interpreted as flows (i.e., differential equa-
tions), approximated by difference equations, then solved numerically with a graphing
calculator. This got serious environmental applications into the mathematics under-
graduate curriculum, yet required nothing beyond Algebra II. EM became the topic of
a course I offered starting in 1983. (Later I learned that beginning in 1976, Richard
Schwartz had taught an EM course from his own notes, which became the book [8].)

A rump MAA committee. In the mid-1980s, informal conversations began at MAA

meetings about the low level of environmental awareness in the mathematics commu-
nity. A few years later, a group requested that the MAA form a committee to serve
as a home for this new, interdisciplinary field. Responses ranged from cool to tepid.
The perception was that EM would be mathematically weak and too touchy-feely.
Marcia Sward, Executive Director of the MAA and ardent environmentalist, and I,
issued a challenge in the April 1990 FOCUS. Along with Pat Kenschaft, Lee Seitel-
man, Martin Walter, and others, we created a rump MAA Environmental Mathemat-
ics Committee—‘MAA’ because we were all members and our actions took place at
MAA meetings. This committee had the twin goals of introducing EM courses in the
curriculum and of raising environmental awareness in the mathematics community. Its

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first meeting was held at the 1991 JMM and it met at every national MAA meeting,
drawing 10–15 members at Mathfest and 25–35 at JMM. Like a formally recognized
committee, we organized Contributed Papers Sessions, panels, skits, and other events.
After eight meetings and a record of activities at Mathfests and JMMs, the rump
EM committee again applied for MAA recognition. After a jurisdictional dispute over
where this creature belonged, we became, in late 1996, the MAA Committee on Math-
ematics and the Environment.
In 1999, four years after the MAA instituted Special Interest Groups—four years
of objections, charter revisions, and much administrative back-and-forth—an Envi-
ronmental Mathematics SIGMAA was finally created and was first listed on a JMM
program in 2003.

Continued resistance to environmental mathematics. As of 2013, after more

than 20 years of successful, well-attended activities, and programs, continued resis-
tance might appear puzzling. There appear to be two main reasons for this.
One is that proponents of EM come across as too committed. It is true that, for ex-
ample, all the authors in the references below are staunch environmentalists. This re-
flects their conclusion that multiple long-range processes suggest serious problems for
most of us and all of our children, e.g., increasing human population versus decreasing
resources, and increasing chemical/thermal pollution versus an increasing demand for
energy and products. Commitment is not a priori a sound reason to reject a curricu-
lum. Most courses are taught out of a firmly-held commitment of one kind or another.
Environmentalism, however, was a minority stance for much of the last decades of the
twentieth century. That has changed, but only very slowly.
A second reason is the belief that EM courses are mathematically weak. EM courses
are, by their nature, interdisciplinary modeling courses and aimed largely at a non-
mathematical audience. Judged by straight (or pure) mathematical criteria, they seem
mathematically weak. Modeling, however, requires that we first “look out the win-
dow” at the world, then produce a mathematical representation of the observed ob-
jects, processes, or systems. The simpler the resulting mathematics that is then applied
to provide clarification, explanation, or prediction, the more powerful the model. The
seeming mathematical weakness of environmental mathematics is, in fact, a strength.
If the momentum generated by MPE 2013 can be sustained, perhaps we in the math-
ematical community will increase our presence in environmental fields, and become
more involved (for the greater good of mathematics as well of that of society) in the
environmental challenges to our local and global communities.

References

1. B. A. Fusaro, Environmental mathematics, in Heeding the Call for Change, L.A. Steen (ed.), Mathematical
Association of America, Notes, #22, 1992.
2. B. A. Fusaro and P. C. Kenschaft, eds., Environmental Mathematics in the Classroom, Mathematical Associa-
tion of America, Washington DC, 2003.
3. L. S. Grinstein and S. I. Lipsey, eds., Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education, Routledge, New York, 2001.
4. C. R. Hadlock, Mathematical Modeling in the Environment, Mathematical Association of America, Washing-
ton DC, 1998.
5. P. C. Kenschaft, Mathematics for Human Survival, Whittier Publications, Island Park NY, 2002.
6. G. Langkamp and J. Hull, Quantitative Reasoning and the Environment, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River,
NJ, 2007.
7. C. Schaufele and N. Zumoff, Earth Algebra, preliminary edition, HarperCollins NY, 1993; 3rd paperback ed.,
with Stan & Marlene Sims, Pearson Custom, London, 2003.
8. R. H. Schwartz, Mathematics and Global Survival, 4th ed., Simon & Schuster, Boston, 1996.
9. D. L. Wheeler, Mathematicians develop new tools to tackle environmental problems, Chronicle of Higher
Education, 22 Jan. 1992.

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