We will explain what this text is about, who it is written for, and how it is organised in the Introduction, and in Chapter 1. In regard to subject matter, we can say here that ecological economics is the transdisciplinary study of the human economy as part of nature's economy. In modern terms, the idea that the human economy needs to be, and can be, studied in this way is a relatively new one. Institutionally, ecological economics can be said to date from the establishment of the International Society for Ecological Economics, ISEE, in 1989.

ISEE now has several thousand members throughout the world, and our first acknowledgement is of the intellectual stimulation and nourishment provided by fellow members of that organisation. Perusal of the contents of the journal Ecological Economics, or of the proceedings of one of the many conferences and workshops organised by ISEE and its affiliated regional societies, will make clear our debt here. It is impossible to fully acknowledge our debts to the many individuals, not all members of ISEE, who have contributed to the development of ecological economics. Some indications of some of these debts are given in the Further Reading sections at the end of each chapter.