Book excerpt: Land Management as Public Policy discusses goals, plans, and implementation means concerning public interference in land management after a more principal discussion of how far this ought to stretch itself and to what degree market forces and inputs of individuals predominate. The book begins with an introduction, definitions, and background information, followed by a more general discussion concerning goals, objectives, and different aspects on planning and implementation methods. The next section focuses on rural areas, discussing their development and problems concerning goals, planning, and plan implementation in terms of housing, agriculture, forest, water, recreation, and conservation. In a third section, urban areas are treated similarly. Finally, a postscript follows with some viewpoints and recommendations concerning future handling of these problems. The target groups for the book are college and university students at different levels within the subject, as well as professionals and practitioners who wish to complement their own specialties with a broader background.