Everyone is concerned about tropical rainforest destruction but most of the analyses of WHY this happens are little more than rankly amateurish enviro-sensationalism. For those who are not content with explaining the tragedy with buzz phrases like "corporate greed" or the "rape of the environment" this analysis will reward your hard work (and it is hard going in places). Bunker shows how political and economic power and therefore environmental quality are systemically drained from a resource-rich region by the concerted (not necessarily conspiring) forces -- private and public sector -- from more populated "centres". The author is well versed in comparative theories of underdevelopment and provides, inter alia, a clear and concise review of these. he uses energy as a common denominator for what is lost and taken from the Amazon. Bunker's approach will be useful to those of us who reside in and/or care about the human and natural communities of sparsely populated areas.