Bargaining for Eden
by Steven Trimble

What can we do about the forces that threaten to destroy the open spaces we cherish? How do we participate in our communities—as good, engaged citizens of the North American landscape? We can learn much from Stephen Trimble's stories rooted in his homeland in the American West.

In a David-and-Goliath parable of how power and money too frequently have their way, a billionaire ski resort owner works relentlessly to acquire public land on a lovely mountain. Trimble explores the process that allows greed to prevail, from the back rooms of Washington to the grassroots passion of individual citizens. He goes beyond politics to look at consequences in communities steamrolled by development. And then—to his astonishment—the author becomes a land developer himself.

A lifetime environmentalist, he confronts his own ambivalence and explores the ethics of ownership. In his newly adopted rural community, Trimble yearns to break the angry standoff between longtime villagers and the “wealthy, overeducated, spoiled-brat” newcomers—by searching for community dialogue, reciprocity, and common ground. In Bargaining for Eden , Trimble looks hard at the values that shape each of his characters, including himself—searching for historical context, for understanding of power politics, for the essence of America. It's a fascinating, revealing journey that ends on a note of hope—a working credo for citizens and communities seeking to reinvent their relationship with the American landscape.

“...inspires as it challenges our values, our commitment to action, and our sense of connection with place, community, and the essence of who we are.” Rocky Anderson,  Former Mayor of Salt Lake City

“...a chilling indictment of insider power... a soul-searching confessional, harrowing and revealing… ” Peter Shelton, Telluride Watch

“ In this mature and poignant book, we are not just bargaining for Eden but bargaining for our own souls.” Peter Forbes, Director, Center for Whole Communities

“...brave and important…a page-turner... If we are ever to learn how to live on the land and at the same time protect its heart...start here, in Trimble's beloved Utah mountains.” Kathleen Dean Moore, author of The Pine Island Paradox

Bargaining for Eden at www.stephentrimble.net
UC Press blog for Bargaining for Eden