In less than 60 pages, the authors summarize and analyze 90 years of Brazilian environmental laws and policies. They select the most important norms and policies, examine their origins, and evaluate their goals and effectiveness, besides looking into the agencies in charge of their enforcement or execution. The text works both as an introduction to this complex field and as a broad and seasoned account that will interest experts. Drummond, Capelari and Platiau have studied these matters for deca des. They have tried to pull together their findings and insights and present them in this compact, user-friendly text.