This wide-ranging collection of essays is intended to provoke both thought and action. The pieces collected here explore a variety of issues facing the American West--disappearing Native American languages, deteriorating air quality, suburban sprawl, species loss, grassland degradation, and many others--and suggest steps toward "healing." More than "dealing with" or "solving," according to the editors, healing addresses not just symptoms but their underlying causes, offering not just a temporary cure but a permanent one.

The signs of illness and trauma can seem omnipresent in today's...