The authors and compilers of this bibliography work at the Centre for Technology and Social Development at the University of Toronto. They have been involved for the last 12 years in a project to examine the education of engineers, economists and others to see how that process can be developed to improve the awareness and incorporation of aspects about sustainable development. The outcome of this work was The Labyrinth of Technology (University of Toronto Press, 2000). What they have now done is to provide an annotated bibliography of the major works used in the production of the Labyrinth as an aid to those involved in training and practising the technical specialities so that they can address aspects of sustainability.
There are 261 references, which include monographs, research reports, journal articles and articles from economics and management magazines. Each has full bibliographic details, some keywords and a detailed evaluative review. There are indexes to authors and to keywords. The items are divided into sections that relate to specific parts of the economic network and the introduction of sustainability in to the process. These sections are fully described in the introduction. It is probably advisable to read the introduction before setting out to use the book, as it lays out the function of the book and the framework of the argument that the book is pursuing.
What has to be borne in mind is that this bibliography has a specific agenda to include sustainable practices in the processes of economic development. It is not therefore a full bibliography. It omits more general sources and does not cover all the alternative arguments. For those organisations involved in training technical specialists, and those employing them in the management of economic development this book will be a useful source of information. The variety of sources would not easily be re‐assembled and the cost of about 20 pence per item which is more than other printed bibliographies still compares well with online costs.
This is not the book for public reference libraries or higher education colleges where Sheila Allcock’s (1999) book which I have also reviewed would be recommended.
