Public Lands and Political Meaning: Ranchers, the Government, and the Property between Them. By Karen R. Merrill. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. Pp. xix, 274. $50.00

The objective of this book by Karen Merrill is to use the history of public land policy to better understand the political history of the American West since 1870 and the recurring tensions between government, ranchers, and environmentalists. Although the book is aimed primarily at political historians, it is a useful reference for economic historians interested in property rights and land-use regulations.