Book excerpt: This important resource offers a comprehensive overview of the major U.S. environmental laws and approaches, strategies, standards, and enforcement techniques by which American law protects our environment and our health. Written for the non-lawyer, the book puts the spotlight on general concepts that go a long way to demystify the American legal system (what law consists of, who makes it, how it is made, and how it is enforced). The authors also introduce the major environmental laws and evaluate issues, controversies and developments in environmental policy.