A look at the ecological history of paved-over Greater New York City. The story is one of unending fill dropped onto the estuaries and seashore. Large natural oyster beds disappeared, along with all the other wildlife of the city. Fish were forced out of the local waters by lowering oxygen levels, replaced by different species in smaller numbers. In the end, 2012's Hurricane Sandy slashed through reclaimed areas while laughing at the minor efforts made to counter storm damage and flooding, largely ignored by an attitude that expansion potential is unlimited. Of course, even after Sandy, developers continue to promote expansion and reclamation, murmuring about the Dutch reclamation model. An interesting look at the history of the era that largely bypasses the people and the politics but shows the impact of both on the land and the non-human life that existed there, aside from those people who lived off that land and were ignored, victims of ambition, greed, and the Greater Good. A valuable look at the impact of the city's expansion, although I wonder if it is avoidable. New York was perhaps the victim of its obvious value as a potential seaport. There seems to be a certain inevitability in what happened. And with ambitious egomaniacs like Trump roosting in the city throughout its history, how can the outcome have been different? Illustrated with no photos but numerous maps from different periods of development. ( )