DEVINE, Robert S. 1951–

Bob Devine)

PERSONAL: Born 1951; married; children: one daughter.

ADDRESSES: Home—Corvallis, OR. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Anchor Books, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Freelance journalist, 1982–. Former assistant editor, Rocky Mountain magazine.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Bush versus the Environment, Anchor Books (New York, NY), 2004.

NONFICTION; UNDER NAME BOB DEVINE

Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, National Geographic Society (Washington, DC), 1997.

Alien Invasion: America's Battle with Non-Native Animals and Plants, National Geographic Society (Washington, DC), 1998.

Guide to America's Outdoors: Pacific Northwest, photographs by Phil Schofield, National Geographic Society (Washington, DC), 2000.

Guide to America's Outdoors: Western Canada, photographs by Raymond Gehman, National Geographic Society (Washington, DC), 2002.

Contributor to periodicals, including Atlantic Monthly, Audubon, National Geographic Traveler, Mother Jones, Sierra and Travel and Leisure.

SIDELIGHTS: Robert S. Devine is a journalist who covers environmental issues, natural history, and outdoor travel for such magazines as the Atlantic Monthly, Audubon, and National Geographic. His full-length books—some published under the name Bob Devine—also make evident his deep concern about the future of America's natural environment and the potential health hazards awaiting plants and animals, including humans, if environmental degradation occurs. Devine's book Alien Invasion: America's Battle with Non-Native Animals and Plants details eight dangerous plant and animal pests that have proliferated in the United States after being introduced from other continents. While Devine focuses particularly on these eight invaders, he makes clear that many thousands of species of foreign plant and animal have been brought to America, for use in everything from children's aquariums to backyard gardens. A Publishers Weekly critic noted that Devine's book "shows how insidious" alien plants and animals can be. Library Journal correspondent Laura E. Lipton cited the work for its "nontechnical and readable" style.

Devine is one of many environmental journalists who have criticized the George W. Bush administration for its actions on a variety of ecological fronts. In Bush versus the Environment he outlines the tactics the Bush administration used to weaken federal regulations regarding the environment, from power-plant emissions to building roads through protected national forests. He cites the administration's efforts to advance its pro-business agenda without being regarded by the public at large as dangerous to the environment. "Bush versus the Environment is a well-researched book, a handy, perhaps even authoritative primer on the methods that Bush uses to make dangerous policies sound responsible and benign," wrote Matthew Dallek in the Washington Post Book World. Dallek added that Devine "offers a fresh and shrewd take on a familiar subject." Library Journal contributor Ilse Heidmann concluded that Devine's "lively and well-organized book offers citizens much needed insight into this part of the Bush agenda."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 2004, Carol Haggas, review of Bush versus the Environment, p. 1528.

Kliatt, January, 2005, Nola Thiess, review of Bush versus the Environment, p. 32.

Library Journal, June 15, 1998, Laura E. Lipton, review of Alien Invasion: America's Battle with Non-Native Animals and Plants, p. 102; June 1, 2004, Ilse Heidmann, review of Bush Versus the Environment,

Publishers Weekly, May 18, 1998, "Spanning the Globe," p. 64; April 5, 2004, review of Bush versus the Environment, p. 49.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), January 3, 1999, Lynn Van Matres, review of Alien Invasion, p. 10.

Washington Post Book World, June 20, 2004, Matthew Dallek, "Taking the Measure of the Commander in Chief, from His Spiritual Life to His Approach to War," p. 10.

ONLINE

Satya Online, http://www.satyamag.com/ (October, 2004), Catherine Clyne, "Bush and the Environment" (interview with Devine).