01/31/2009: "<p><a href="http://twitter.com/edhumes">Follow me on Twitter</a><p><a href="http://ecobarons.wordpress.com">Visit my Eco Barons blog</a>"

01/31/2009

Murder on the Gulf Coast — The all-new edition of Mississippi Mud is now out and available, a true story of murder, corruption and individual courage set on the Gulf Coast. I'm particularly thrilled to have been able to write a new final section and ending for the book, including a pivotal scene in which the heroine of this true murder mystery and the Godfather of Biloxi finally meet.

Mississippi Mud is my bestselling account of one of the South's most enduring and scandalous murder mysteries: the assassination of state court Judge Vincent Sherry and his wife, Margaret, a leading candidate for mayor of Biloxi. The perseverance of the couple's daughter, Lynne, ended up resolving what otherwise might have remained an unsolved murder and a continuation of Gulf Coast corruption on an epic scale.

My heartfelt thanks to all the readers who have followed this amazing case so closely since Mississippi Mud was originally published and who provided so much feedback and support, which is what made this new edition possible.

ECO BARONS — My latest book, ECO BARONS, is just out in paperback, updated with a great new cover and subtitle that pretty much explains the point of the book: The New Heroes of Environmental Activism. The men and women I write about include the fashion mogul who used his fortune to save more rainforest than anyone on the planet, the man who patented the plug-in hybrid car, and the two former Forest Service owl counters-turned-activists who forced the Bush Administration to admit global warming is real. I've started a standalone blog to explore the stories about individuals and groups who are tackling, rather than just bemoaning, the environmental challenges before us. It's called, you guessed it, Eco Barons.

The environmental story is THE story of our age, our generation’s toughest challenge, our biggest threat, our greatest opportunity. But how do you make sense of it without your heart sinking through the floor? Enter the Eco Barons, the moguls, inventors, and assorted renegades who inhabit my latest nonfiction book, and who are quietly tackling immense challenges to our environment and our future. They are showing the rest of us that's it is not too late to make a difference. Their story is one I felt compelled to tell, because everyone really needs to meet them.

Eco Barons named a top 10 environmental book of the year

Time Magazine on the Eco Barons

The New York Times: "We must all strive to become Eco Barons."

Power of the Plug — Read an excerpt from Eco Barons on environmental hero Andy Frank, father of the plug-in hybrid car, published in the Saturday Evening Post (pdf file).

The Ranch at the End of the World — Read my articles about the battle over plans to build a new city in the midst of one of the most ecologically unique wildlands in the country, Tejon Ranch, in a book excerpt in Los Angeles Magazine or a short opinion piece at NPR, then check out my Sierra Magazine article on the incredible wildlife and natural beauty at the Tejon conservancy.

Browse Eco Barons and read excerpts

Browse my Upcoming Author Events at Booktour.com

Other recent articles of interest:

Jerry Brown — My profile of the enduring California Attorney General and candidate for governor
California's Solar Gold Rush
Guilt by the Numbers — How fuzzy is the math that makes DNA evidence look so compelling to jurors? Read my new article in California Lawyer to find out.

Upcoming author events and interviews include:

To schedule an event or find out more information, click here.

Author talks: In recent years, I have been invited to speak and deliver keynotes at a variety of venues and conferences. I've been asked to testify before the U.S. Senate committee on family, youth and children, to address a joint session of both houses of the California Legislature, and to speak to the National Association of District Attorneys, the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the National Association of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the National High School Journalism Conference, the National Association of Teachers of English, the California Department of Corrections, the California Appellate Project, the American Psychology and Law Society, the Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Poynter Institute, the National Education Summit, and the National Steinbeck Center, among others. I've had the pleasure of delivering a commencement address at Hampshire College in Amherst, my alma mater, and have enjoyed speaking at venues throughout California as part of the amazing My California Project. I have also visited many schools and universities for lectures. The Marist School in Atlanta, for instance, assigned its entire junior class to read School of Dreams, then brought me in to lecture and teach a class; while the Hilliard-Davidson High School in Columbus made the book a faculty read, then invited me to lead a discussion and brainstorming session for improving their school. I enjoy doing writing workshops with high school and college students when I have the time.

Most recently, I have participated in a number of "Darwin Week" and "Science and Faith" events and symposia, at such venues as the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Washington State University, Ohio State University and the State University of New York.