When Nature Goes Public The Making and Unmaking of Bio-Prospecting in Mexico

"This is an innovative and fascinating study that powerfully illustrates what the new generation of anthropologists trained in science studies can do. Using a combination of textual, historical, and above all ethnographic methodology, Hayden has produced a thought-provoking analysis of bio-prospecting as it plays out in real time. Her energetic writing and strong story line make this a compelling book."--Rayna Rapp, New York University "Skillfully negotiating politically charged terrain,When Nature Goes Publicchallenges romantic views of biodiversity and the associated reification of local communities. In so doing, Cori Hayden illustrates how the science of plant genetic resources and the markets for them emerge as contingent products of specific cultural and political practices. With admirable critical balance, she explores the shifting and unpredictable lines between private rights and public properties in global environmental politics and illustrates the law of unintended consequences at work in neoliberal efforts to value indigenous knowledge."--Rosemary J. Coombe, York UniversityHayden, Corinne P. is the author of 'When Nature Goes Public The Making and Unmaking of Bio-Prospecting in Mexico', published 2003 under ISBN 9780691095578 and ISBN 0691095574.