American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn

by Ted Steinberg

“Ted Steinberg proves once again that he is a master storyteller as well as our foremost environmental historian.”―Mike Davis The rise of the perfect lawn represents one of the most profound transformations in the history of the American landscape. American Green , Ted Steinberg's witty exposé of this bizarre phenomenon, traces the history of the lawn from its explosion in the postwar suburban community of Levittown to the present love affair with turf colorants, leaf blowers, and riding mowers.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Environment, Nature, Gardening, Reference

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll never see lawns the same. Shout out to dandelions and crab grass!

[Kristina Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting - I may never roll around in the grass ever again.

[Brooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Diatribe against the suburban lawn. There are chapters on each of the vices of lawns. For example, there was the change in the last 30 years on clover from being added to grass seed mixes to being considered a weed. Professional golf course superintendents warn home owners against trying to get to golf course standards. It requires daily work to maintain grass at low heights. Putting green grass heights are getting shorter and shorter to create faster rolling which increases the grass maintenance. Augusta National on TV has driven the perception of the perfect lawn – the course is closed for six months/year to get TV perfect. There is a chapter on the lawn mower – how manufacturers opposed safety improvements for decades. The old spinning cylinder mowers were much safer as they moved much slower. The standard rotary mowers blade moves much faster – faster than a bullet. This causes the ejection of material from the chute and direct amputation. Scotts had a lawn mower with a dead man’s switch in the early 1960, but took over 2 decades to become required which `100,000 injuries/year. The section on fertilizers covered the usual issues. One interesting item is a product called Ironite – basically Iron is needed for photosynthesis and makes grass greener. However, Iron sourcing for the product has significant amounts of Arsenic and Lead as similar chemicals. The product is banned around the world, but not in the USA. Lawncare industry has made claims about the sustainability/environmental gains with lawns. One of the interesting claims is the amount of oxygen created – lawns do provide oxygen. However, lawns produce significantly less than equivalent acreage of forest. Further, the world is not in danger of having too little oxygen – it is constrained on water. Interesting read, but not very balanced - preaching to the converted on environmentalism.

[Meagan Houle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never given lawn much thought in my life, other than noticing when other people spent what seemed an inordinate amount of time tending to theirs. But as soon as I found this book, I knew it would be about so much more than lawn care itself. As I imagined, it is a fascinating tale of power, class, privilege, hypermasculinity, and the American dream gone very, very wrong. The details can become a bit overwhelming, so I don't recommend binging it unless you're really hooked, but it's such an interesting, wide-ranging exploration of human nature itself, and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates long-form investigations.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciate the perspective. This is kind of partway between cultural criticism of corporate marketing campaigns, lawn care reflections, and compendium of various writers and landscape tinkerers.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite clichés about watching grass grow, American Green is riveting and compelling, and much to its credit concludes with concrete ideas about what can and should actually be done to address the problems of turf-mania. Steinberg approaches the subject from a variety of perspectives including chemistry, economics, environmentalism, and cultural history, which makes for both breadth and depth. The one area I would have liked more attention to is the psychological or metaphorical origins and importance of lawns -- as much as I learned about the route by which lawns reached their current state, I was left curious about what instigated and still drives the desire for perfect lawns in the first place. But still a thought provoking, invaluable read.

[Sarah]

A gripping page-turner about your lawn? Yes it is possible. Steinberg looks at every facet, from corporate interests to cold war history to color to see why Americans are so obsessed with their lawns when they come at such a price. I learned a lot from his book, such as that fertilizer companies can petty much get away with any pollution they want, that clover is great for the soil because it is a nitrogen producer, and that golf courses make turf specialists live off tums and spite. He argues passionately for less fertilizer and pesticides as well as better safety measures for our lawn tools (since riding lawnmowers really are rolling deathtraps for children). Educational, informational, and highly applicable, I recommend it fully to fans of non-fiction.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting read about the odd obsession America has with "perfect green lawn." Once you explore this book, you'll never look at suburban lawns the same way!

I enjoyed how the author dove into the background and history of lawns - how they were marketed, championed, and became the norm in post-WWII America, when chemicals and technology made them attainable for the middle class. You'll be perplexed when you finish the book - how are so many still so suckered in to spending hours pushing lawnmowers around and chasing after the "ideal" of Augusta? What a massive waste of time and energy!

[O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew that a book about grass growing could be so interesting!

I got this book on a lark after watching a segment on CBS Sunday morning, because I like non-fiction books about off beat subjects, and this seemed to be one of that type.

But it proved to not be just cut and dried (a grass joke for you)but rather humorous and informative, and easy to read.

I might not purchase it, but I'd get it from the library, for sure!

[Collin A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew that lawns such a history! Ted Steinberg's fascinating and black comedy-infused piece is a true trip down history lane. Cataloging the rise in lawn culture from the initial aspects of European exploration to the consumerist culture of post World War II suburbanite America, Steinberg weaves an educational and enlightening story about pop culture, ecological consequence and mankind's obsession for even the small objects of our daily routine.

[Karen Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book I learned as of 2002 there were 26 million leaf blowers in the U.S. I don't remember how many lawn mowers or how much pesticide was bought, but that just skims there surface to the problem. The increased obsession with the "ideal" lawn landscape is truly a degradation of our society, the earth and life on our plant. If I had a lawn I'd turn it into a food forest, veggie garden or native plant arboretum in a heartbeat.

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

The suburban lawn tale inside an out...funny and disturbing. I particularly liked the tale of the Wisconsin woman who brandished a butcher knife at town officials who tried to convince her to mow her overgrown lawn (she backed down only after a police officer drew his weapon).

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the history of why we have lawns and why so many "my neighbors" need a perfect monoculture to constantly tend to and devote coutless hours and dollars toward.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable and fun. Scary to see the extent of the lawn fetish.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very interesting history of the lawn. Who knew how interesting that could be?

[Brad Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful! Steinburg is a superb storyteller.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Green is not about a political party; it is about the obsessive quest for the perfect lawn. The rise of America's Obsession coincides with the spread of the suburb in Post-WWII America. I thought I knew about grass, or turf as the book calls it, but I come far behind Ted Steinberg in this ideal.

What is the "perfect" lawn, though? Well, it has to be green as possible, free of weeds and other unwanted plant species, cut to a certain height, and feel like a plush carpet. If these requirements sound challenging, you would be right. Mother Nature hates the perfect lawn and sends countless agents of destruction to sabotage your efforts. Various pests, diseases, soil erosion, the fact that you're trying to grow grass in the desert, and more obstacles stand in the gardener's way. Too much sunlight, too little sunlight, too much watering, too little watering, turf isn't as hardy as I thought.

Steinberg goes over the history of the suburb and the lawn in general. I always thought that they were to show your wealth. In America, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had them, but the trend didn't take off until after World War II, as I said. So the perfect lawn is a marketing ploy by several corporations. First off, Levitt & Sons created the suburb. Levitt found a way to mass-produce homes and the landscape. Second, Scotts is a corporation that sells seeds, weed-killer, fertilizers, and other lawn care products.

Furthermore, another problem lies in the riding lawnmower. I didn't know that there weren't stringent safety rules for these behemoths. I mean, you have all of these issues; countless injuries and deaths from riding lawnmowers, and the corporations, with few exceptions, lobby to prevent the safety measures from passing.

American Green is the perfect combination of information and muckraking. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually kind of fascinating. I've always had kind of a 'meh' attitude towards lawns and gardening, so I wasn't sure it would hold my interest until I actually started it. The writing style is pretty laid back and conversational, kind of like a comedic straight man running a routine with all the crazy things people do and say for and against lawns. I liked that it wasn't preachy for or against lawns, showcasing and poking fun at everyone who is way too invested in their points of view. The history of how we ended up with lawns turned out to be more interesting than I anticipated and the issues raised regarding our landscaping practices in the US do merit real consideration as not all the anecdotes are lighthearted and amusing. Overall, it was a thought-provoking book that kept me reading.

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

American Green The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn by Ted Steinberg. Why exactly are Americans obsessed with their grass? Steinberg begins this weirdly interesting book by explaining how grass became an obsession then continues with a section on what our obsession is actually doing to the planet and finally ends with his thoughts on the future of lawns. He takes many factors into account as he deeply delves into the topic and includes not only the environmental impact of keeping our grass beautiful, but also the impact the changing environment has on our grass. Steinberg’s approach shares the true cost of a beautiful lawn and lets the reader determine its actual value. A much more interesting read than one would think based on the topic – watching grass grow.

[John Nondorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard a radio commercial for a product that claimed to kill 100 kinds of bugs without harming your lawn and I could only think, "what the hell is wrong with people?" This books goes a long way toward explaining lawn obsession, details the absurd lengths people go to in order to maintain this most unnatural landscape, and shows the disastrous effects lawn maintenance can have on the environment. Steinberg does not come off as militant anti-lawn, but promotes a much more relaxed, common sense relationship with turf that could save money and lives.

[Christopher Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so interesting. It tells a complete history of lawns and lawn care in the United States. There is an entire chapter on golf courses and the history of them as well. There are stories of the extreme; people who take their lawns very seriously and those who feel that lawns should be more natural. There is information on various lawn care companies such as Scott's and ChemLawn and how they have contributed to the ideal of the perfect lawn and how fertilizing and chemical weed control affects the environment.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good primary and secondary research connecting various threads of history to the modern lawn. Unfortunately the author likes to use absolutely bananas comparisons which are extremely off putting. For example: on zoysia grass, "it's as if Rachael Carson were reincarnated as a roll of sod," "leaf blowers are the lawn industry's answer to the abortion debate," on burning straw in grass seed agriculture "this is the atomic bomb of smoke problems." Yikes!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

American's quest for a perfect lawn has severe consequences on our environment. Especially enlightening to me! Hopefully I can convince my husband to stop fertilizing, weeding, etc and plant a different species of grass that requires less maintenance :)

[Amaya Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely a good read if you want to find out about Americans unhealthy obsession with the perfect green lawn, gives history, data, and facts, as well as a lot of personal insight that’s a nice touch.

[Maia Roseval · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who grew up or lives in a suburb should ABSOLUTLEY read this. Steinberg is hilarious and informative. This book completely changed the way I view the built environment. A great and quick read.

[Kadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another Environmental Geography book. Not quite as interesting as the last one, this one spat more figures at me which made me lose attention and while the lawn industry and some of the stuff people put on their lawns is horrendous, it was hard for me to relate because I don’t live in neighborhoods like that so I never see that happening. However, if you’re wondering what lawn care and practices are doing to your safety and others, then you might want to look into this book. I think we could all do with a little less fertilizer and a lot more clover.

[Henrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but not my favorite book of lawn history

[Dan Croak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining look at lawn maintenance in American culture. History of mowers, fertilizers, water bans, all fascinating. Leans towards environmentalism and health and safety.

[Hannah Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

knocking out the ol US Environmental History reading list. slow at the top but really interesting stuff, helping build perspective.

[Azzami · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a bit dry at times, Steinberg is far from humorless in his dissection of the obsessive quest for the perfect lawn.