The premise of this book is that the role of government is to look to the well-being of the people and to maintain and improve the quality of the environment. In other words, government is animal husbandry and ecosystem management – it is applied biology.

Following this line the author examines the physical and mental needs of human beings, including the special needs of children, and how governments might best provide for these needs.

He then brings a biologist’s eye to the requirements for a healthy society; crime and punishment; and gods and religion.

The responsibility of governments as ecosystem managers is explored by examining the ability of the world to produce enough food to feed itself, both now and in the future: environmental problems and abuses that are and will limit food production, from both the land and the sea, are identified. Potential “nightmare scenarios” arising from global warming and climate change, population increase, acidic and oxygen-deficient oceans and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are examined.

Greg Lawrence