Throughout the book Eric Freyfogle uses examples of poems, fictional stories, and true stories to strengthen his view of the land, and land ethics. One such example is that of the poem by Robert Frost called "Mending Wall" where the phrase "Good fences make good neighbors" came from. Freyfogle uses this poem as a precedence throughout the book, making reference to it, and the contradiction of the meaning of the poem, and that people took that phrase literally, and it has become and anthem for the American culture and how they view the land.

From the poem on, Freyfogle gives examples of how America has shaped its land, and how boundaries have been set up in American culture. He states, "Boundaries and the bounding process have been central elements of American culture since the first days of settlement. The westward expansion of the country, in fact, was a matter not only of taming the land but also of dividing and bounding it. Through a messy process continuing for generations, an interconnected whole became a collection of parcels and pieces. As they divided nature, the settlers severed, mentally and sometimes physically, many of the connectio

Freyfogle talks about Mat Feltner and how he is a fictional old farmer that tends his land with respect. He uses old methods of farming, and how he sees himself as a part of the land, and he cares for it and loves it. Freyfogle also talks about "Private property and the American dream." He talks about land-use, and how it environmental policy and land-use laws need to change with time. He states, "Land-use rules should be viewed as expressions of community values and expectations as well as tools the community uses to promote its goals and defend its well-being. Rules should emerge from community deliberations and evolve over time as circumstances change and as community members collectively refine their knowledge and ethical sensibilities" (pg. 112).

The book definitely made me reconsider how I want to live my life, and how I want to treat the land. Who knows, maybe just me and a few of my classmates that are reading the book as well can pass along the knowledge that we learned and become motivated to change things in our own community. To stand up and say that we want regulations changed, that we don't want to pollute our rivers anymore, and the laws need to change.

Ø Environmental policy needs to focus primarily on the land and other renewable natural resources..... Most of all, though, landscape-level planning needs to begin, aimed at respecting the land's carrying capacity, preserving its beauty, and guaranteeing its health in perpetuity.

The examples he gave were inspiring and taught me a lot about what goes on in the rest of the country that I had no idea about, and about the past and what has gone on with laws and regulations about the land.

his ideas about the land. Our views on the way we treat the land isn't going to change until the people change, and demand that the laws about the land's health are changed, which I don't think will happen in my lifetime. That is why I think that Freyfogle is reaching when he states that things can change and gives examples of the ways that it can change.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1575
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)