Since its publication in 1983, William Cronon's Changes in the Land has been praised by historians. The book, Cronon's first, received the Francis Parkman Award for best new book in American history in 1984. Cronon's focus in the book is to evaluate changes in New England's ecosystems and the degree to which these changes result from relationship between Indians and Indians. settlers and changes in dominant modes of production. He argues that the transition to European agriculture and the unsustainable extraction and commodification that accompanied capitalism led to changes in the mutual relationships between humans and the environment. Cronon begins by explaining two important concepts that lay the foundation for his book. It details historical theories about the process of ecological succession and clarifies the dynamic equilibrium model by which ecologists currently understand ecosystems. Scientists no longer believe that ecosystems proceed through successive phases until arriving at a stable and unchanging culminating composition. Rather, scientists understand that ecosystems are constantly changing and that there is no immutable culminating stage. Furthermore, Cronon points out that precolonial New England was not a pristine land. Indians have lived on and managed the landscape for thousands of years. He states: “The choice is not between two landscapes, one with and one without human influence, but between two human ways of living, two ways of belonging to an ecosystem” (12). The reader must understand these important distinctions before delving into Cronon's argument, and he does an excellent job of explaining them clearly at the beginning. Cronon argues that Indians and Col… point for anyone interested in environmental history, Indian history, or colonialism, but, as with all works, it should be supplemented with additional sources for a full and detailed perspective. Works Cited Cronon, William. Changes in the Land: Indians, Settlers, and the Ecology of New England. New York: Hill and Wang, 2003. Diamond, Jared. Guns, germs and steel. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999.Flores, Dan. Review: Twenty Years Later: Thoughts on “Changes in the Land: Indians, Settlers, and the Ecology of New England.” Agricultural history. vol. 78, no. 4. 2004.Krech, Shepard. The ecological Indian: myth and history. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999.Martin, Calvin. Review: Changes in the territory. The historical review of the Pacific. vol. 53, no. 4, 1984. White, Richard. Middle Earth. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.