Ted Steinberg's book American Green provides a detailed description of the lawn and its role in America. He provides a history of the lawn starting with the origin of the word "lawn" itself in the 16th century and provides wide-ranging anecdotes throughout the book that attempt to show the reader how obsessed Americans are with their lawns. His anecdotes are often thought to represent people across America, but when you take a step back you realize that they are actually rare stories that provide little broader meaning. Steinberg fails to prove that Americans are obsessed with their lawns because of the inadequate assumptions he makes and the examples he uses. From the beginning, Steinberg paints a distorted picture of lawn culture that puts the reader on notice. It is clear that he will be critical, even mocking, of those who care deeply about lawns, sometimes as an environmental offense and sometimes as simply nonsense. One must assume that the story he writes about the lawn is accurate, but when he begins to interpret it, he makes it seem like pot is a much bigger deal in every American's mind than it actually is. Having spent my entire life living in the suburbs, surrounded by homes with respectable lawns, I know that my lawn occupies a minimal amount of my conscious thought and perhaps only a slightly larger portion of my neighbors' thoughts. Steinberg is telling me that I care more about the lawn than I do, but I know that's false. Starting from Steinberg's fundamental assumption that Americans are obsessed with the meadows in question, it is necessary to question the adequacy of the examples he uses to prove his point. Therefore, Steinberg should provide concrete examples that demonstrate a superior understanding of lawns... middle of paper... nearby than the aesthetic appearance of the lawn itself. The fact that a well-maintained lawn increases the value of a home suggests that it reflects a well-kept home overall. In other words, the care lavished on the lawn reflects the care the homeowner has for everything else in the home. The lawn itself may not be the object of desire. American Green contains entertaining anecdotes, but should be considered more of a light read than an authoritative work of nonfiction. This book may be enjoyed by environmentalists who want to learn more about the impact lawns have on the environment or by someone who is truly obsessed with their lawn and wants to learn about others who share this obsession. Steinberg's goals may have been ambitious, demonstrating a national obsession, but his arguments and assumptions created a book that cannot be taken seriously..