Book excerpt: Published in association with the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Based on research and case studies in Brazil, Central America, Nepal, and Tanzania, as well as other work dealing with wider themes and regions, argues that most current discussions of increased rates of deforestation and perceived accompanying environmental crises are overly simplistic--the central issue being not how to halt deforestation but rather how to manage forest areas and natural resources in order to meet social goals on a more equitable and sustainable basis. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR