This book synthesizes views of America's changing environment, and the Ideal of that environment, from the time of the Founding Fathers to the present. It is an exceptionally engaging account of American attitudes toward pristine and altered landscapes which they encountered, settled in, modified, and moved westward from during the last three centuries.

Getting from Here to There? seeks to take the study of sustainable cities into a realm of analysis and critique that has not been seriously investigated in any explicit and systematic manner: the sphere of power and politics. Using detailed case studies of selected urban sustainability programs-some stillborn or short-lived, others celebrated, still others most promising-it focuses on the political agencies shaping them and the structural elements either impeding or facilitating efforts to build sustainable cities. To accomplish this task, the authors utilize three theories or models of urban power-growth coalition, urban regime, and neo-Gramscian hegemonic-to explore the dynamics of power and politics to better understand these cases and to derive important lessons about getting from here to there. These models offer valuable lessons for ongoing or future sustainable city programs, community or business groups, key policy makers, grassroots organizations, mayors, and urban planners involved in or contemplating moving urban sustainability projects forward, as well as students of urban politics and environmental and sustainability researchers.

Discover Spiritual Truths from the Smash Broadway Hit Hamilton that Will Transform Your Life Hamilton―the hip-hop musical about a forgotten Founding Father―is the most compelling musical of our time. But if you watch it without understanding the spiritual themes of Alexander Hamilton’s life, you only get half the story. Discover how Hamilton is a modern-day parable that will: Lead you into a deeper experience of God’s grace Help you battle guilt and shame Challenge you to forgive Inspire your faith Engage you in the struggle for human equality God and Hamilton impressively weaves together insights from the musical itself, the lives of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, and the story of Scripture into a tapestry that challenges people of faith to reexamine their lives. “God and Hamilton turned me inside out and revealed a side of Hamilton I had never thought to explore.”―LAUREN BOYD, HAMILTON BROADWAY CAST “A wonderful example of drawing from contemporary culture to understand how God works…I cannot recommend it more highly!”―MIKE BREEN “A bold and creative exploration of the themes in life that matter most. In this beautiful book, Kevin Cloud helps us see, listen, and open to the all-consuming love God pours out to us.”―PHILEEN HEUERTZ “For all who struggle with doubt, depression, and despair, God and Hamilton offers an inspiring way forward. Kevin Cloud’s book made my heart sing!” ―CRAIG DETWEILER “In this book Kevin portrays a wonderful example of how you can draw from contemporary culture to understand how God works with us on our own heroic journeys. I found his emphasis on God’s grace and faithfulness particularly inspiring and think that all who read it will come away with a better understanding of the challenges we all face. I cannot recommend it more highly!” (Mike Breen, Founder of 3DM, Author of Building a Discipling Culture, Covenant and Kingdom, and Family on Mission) “A bold and creative exploration of the themes in life that matter most. If we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, we will notice God everywhere. In this beautiful book, Cloud helps us see, listen, and open to the all-consuming love God pours out to us.” (Phileena Heuertz, author of Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life and founding partner, Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism) “How did Alexander Hamilton overcome a tragic and shame-filled childhood? Kevin Cloud celebrates the amazing grace that propelled Hamilton to become a key architect of our fledgling democracy. For all who struggle with doubt, depression, and despair, God and Hamilton offers an inspiring way forward. Kevin Cloud’s book made my heart sing!” (Craig Detweiler, President, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology) “C.S. Lewis once lamented that people too often fail to appreciate the real and serious glory of even the most dull and uninteresting human life; that if we could ever truly glimpse the beauty of a normal everyday person’s story we might actually be tempted to worship them. In God and Hamilton, Kevin Cloud offers precisely this kind of appreciative glimpse into the life of Alexander Hamilton. These pastoral reflections upon a life that was anything but dull and uninteresting are sure to inspire. Read this book and catch a new imagination for what it means to be human.” (Tim Suttle, pastor and author of Shrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church-Growth Culture) A Note from the Author: I will never forget the moment I saw Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway. I walked out of the Richard Rogers Theatre that night knowing that I had seen a ground-breaking and brilliant Broadway musical. I also knew that Hamilton somehow become for me a deeply spiritual experience. I soon discovered that I was not the only one. I read so many reviews and watched so many interviews where people spoke of Hamilton as a life changing experience. Rosie O’Donnell even went so far as to call it “medicine that I need for my soul. It is vital to me; it feels like going to church.” In writing this book, I have come to see Hamilton as a story that will transform our lives. A story that teaches us about grace, shame, forgiveness, and despair. A story that invites us into the struggle for equality and challenges us to partner with God in his ultimate goal of bringing redemption to His creation. I pray that this story, which intersects insights from the musical, the lives of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, and the story of Scripture, might transform your life as well.