Nature's Laboratory: Environmental Thought and Labor Radicalism in Chicago, 1886–1937.

"Nature's Laboratory: Environmental Thought and Labor Radicalism in Chicago, 1886-1937" by Elizabeth Grennan Browning is a book that explores how influential Chicago thinkers turned to nature to address class inequality during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author argues that despite their different perspectives and moral commitments, these intellectuals shared a common approach to the city as an experimental space. They used the city as a field site to observe and map occupational issues and power dynamics. The book covers a wide range of figures and ideas, including architects, occupational health researchers, anarchists, and sociologists, making it relevant to intellectual, environmental, and labor historians. The author also examines how ideas of nature influenced educational reforms and challenged the commodification and abstraction of nature in Chicago's industrial economy. The book is described as multifaceted and offers perceptive interpretations and fresh questions for readers. [Extracted from the article]

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