I have been teaching history and environmental studies at Bard College since 1975. In that time the college has grown into a dynamic intellectual community that encourages its faculty to have a high scholarly profile, while bringing their ideas into the classroom. That synergy helped me conceive both "America's Uncivil Wars" and "The Gentle Subversive." Indeed, I first wrote about Carson in my 60s book, though I got to know her writing in my course on American Environmental History. Of my other publications certainly "After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection," co-authored with my close friend and jogging buddy Jim Davidson and now in its sixth edition is my personal favorite. It has allowed me to think and write across a broad span of American history. Most recently I added a chapter to it on the Greensboro, North Carolina sit-ins, exploring the question of whether or not they were spontaneous as numerous historians have asserted. I'm currently working on a book for Oxford on American consumerism and its environmental consequences since World War II. I find it ironic that President Obama faces the unenviable task of inspiring a consumer lead recovery that does not worsen the threat of global warming. We'll find out if Americans have both the wisdom and self-restraint needed to save themselves and the planet.