“Perfect for the undergraduate classroom. . . . Provides readers new to both labor and environmental history with a succinct introduction to the ways in which American workers across divisions of race, class, and gender used ideas of nature, physical labor within the natural world, and outdoor recreation to negotiate, buffer, and resist the transition from rural to urban life, from preindustrial to industrial labor.” — American Historical Review
“Makes meaningful contributions to the integration of labor history and environmental history. . . . Montrie’s skilled use of secondary and primary sources enriches every chapter.” — Journal of Southern History
“A valid and important contribution to the development of a relatively less explored area of environmental history.” — Environment and History
“A solid collection of case studies. . . . will no doubt appear on reading lists in both environmental and labor history courses.” — Journal of Appalachian Studies
“Making a Living offers a place to begin talking about the historical relationship of workers and work to the environment.” — Journal of American Studies
“By illuminating the entanglement of past labor and environmental struggles, [Montrie] not only successfully challenges disciplinary boundaries but also shows that there are important precedents for contemporary efforts to unite labor and environmental activism.” — Journal of American History
“An excellent overview of the field of environmental history as it intersects with labor history. . . . Elegantly written. . . . Contains a wealth of stories and major insights. . . . An important invention.” — Left History
“Stimulating, insightful, and relevant.” — Labour/Le Travail
“Makes a convincing argument for a reevaluation of the modern environmental movement, one that includes the efforts of working-class union members.” — West Virginia History
“Making a Living should be greeted with enthusiasm by all those interested in unraveling the interactions between labor and nature in American history. The prose is graceful, the vignettes are poignant, and the subject could not be more important.” — Karl Jacoby, Brown University
