Revkin's examination of Chico Mendes is far more than the story of his murder, or even his legacy on the workers in the Amazon rain forests. By taking a broadview look at Mendes' life and work, Revkin also tells the story of a debt slavery system and its slow undermining, and how the story of the rubber tappers and workers in the Amazon began as a human rights story which only later became a question of environmental or global concern.

Chico Mendes began his fight out of his love for the people in the rain forests; when informal education led him to encourage unions, organize workers, and fight for conservation, his eventual legacy was always rooted in his straight-forward desire for sustaining a way of life he'd always known, ideally in more livable conditions than imposed by the debt slavery which forced so many of the workers he knew to live without any options and all but starving.

Revkin's work examined every aspect of this story--the humans involved, the science involved, the history involved, and, of course, the money involved. Any reader who wants a look into the Amazon rainforests, or into struggles for human rights (moving out of debt slavery and poverty), will find a great deal to admire in this work.

Whether you come to the book for a look at the history, the conservation, or the story of Mendes and his legacy...it's worth your while.

Recommended. ( )

This book is about the life and death of a remarkable courageous man called Chico Mendes. A Brazilian rubber tapper and self-taught environmentalist, Mendes was killed in December 1988 by ranchers intent on ravaging the jungle for short-term gain.