In this book, Ewbank examines the relationship between humans and the physical world, arguing that the earth is essentially a giant workshop where humans are integral parts of the processes at work. Written in the mid-19th century, his book reflects the Industrial Revolution and the changing ways in which people thought about the environment. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.