A State of Change

A magnificently illustrated classic of California natural history, now updated in a long-awaited reissue.

"This wonderful book is a vivid reminder of how things began, and also as a vision of the rich and beautiful world we can work toward in our shared future." —Kim Stanley Robinson

"This brings a lost world straight back to life—and one hopes it will help us work to restore it in the real world." —Bill McKibben

"I wouldn't be the artist-author I am today without A State of Change. I consider Cunningham's work to be an original inspiration for all that I do." —Obi Kaufmann

Travel through deep time to pre-colonial California, and see the world as it was when nature reigned and Native American stewardship shaped the land and its abundant life. A State of Change, reissued in this highly anticipated updated edition, transports us to centuries past, offering a vision of the American West outside the grasp of modern memory. Widely regarded as a classic, this magnum opus from artist and naturalist Laura Cunningham melds lyrical observation and scientific literature to trace the evolution of these superlatively biodiverse landscapes, depicting a world untrammeled by industrial technology, habitat disruption, and non-native species. Including masterful illustrations throughout, Cunningham envisions grizzlies foraging under oak trees, American cheetahs hunting pronghorns, and herds of elk grazing coastal prairies. This fully redesigned edition features new material on the reintroduction of wolves to California, the promise of regenerative agriculture, and traditional Indigenous uses of fire on the land. A State of Change will stun the imagination with glimpses of what has been lost—and give hope for what can be restored.