Ted Steinberg is professor of history at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the author of four books, including Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America.

"The lawn is the centerpiece of the American Dream, and why wouldn’t we dream about our obsession? In American Green, Ted Steinberg explores the psychological, moral, economic, and, yes, even political implications of growing and mowing a lawn, a not at all academic act that turns out to be a blast. You may never picnic the same way again, but if you do, you will want to talk about it with your city councilman, if not your doctor."