Pick-me-up books needed 7

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1. 

   Erik Hoffner Posted 3:06 am
   30 May 2007

   Blessed UnrestYes, have heard that about McCarthy's new book. Paul Hawken's new one is an upper, though. Excerpt here:
   http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2 ...
   It's about how all of us, NGOs, netrooters, and grassroots activists of every stripe are working successfully if slowly against entrenched power to remake the world.  
   
   The Orion Grassroots Network: 1000+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more
   
   

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2. 

   Montanaebiker Posted 4:39 am
   30 May 2007

   a must read...This is an old one but a must read that I just started...so I don't know if it will be perceived as an "upper" or a "downer" - Jared Diamond's Collapse - How Societies Choose to Fail or Suceed, published first in December of 04. So far I'm finding it easier to read than Guns, Germs and Steel, which could be a little ...dry at times. And long. One of the things I'm finding fascinating about it is how ancient societies that "failed" could not see the warning signs that seem so blatent or transparent in retrospect...but Diamond is good at teasing apart complex reasons behind the collapse of specific groups of people. One little thing, like deforestation, coupled with a small change in climate, coupled with a warring neighbor...and you're doomed! Very very interesting...

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3. 

   SustainableGreen Posted 5:15 am
   30 May 2007

   A Sand County AlmanacHey, all:
   There are, of course, many good new books out there, and I recommend them and in turn receive recommendations.  But my favorite book of all, in any field, is "A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold.  It was first published in 1949, but it has staying power and universality like nothing else.    It is also extremely uplifting, but sober, and beautifully, incandescently, but simply written.  
   It is on my reading list for all seasons.
   David
   
   Sustainability For Life
   Messages done with sustainable energy, with Wind and Sun!

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4. 

   jsco Posted 6:39 am
   30 May 2007

   Natural CapitalismErik posted about Paul Hawken's new book, but his classic "Natural Capitalism" is also a great book.  Can't think of many uplifting environmental books, unfortunately... try reading a zen book for peace of mind :-)

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5. 

   wiscidea Posted 7:22 am
   30 May 2007

   Said it before and I'll say it again... and again.COLLAPSE, by JARED DIAMOND
   I'm glad monatanaebiker mentioned it  so I could second the motion. But it's not really a pick-me-up book. It shows that humans will continue to make the same stupid mistakes over and over and over and over again... until the Earth is a dry lifeless rock.
   Hey... but until now they've never had Jared Diamond's clear analysis of how humans might avoid destroying themselves. Maybe his ideas will reach the upper leadership and make a difference.
   Anyway... COLLAPSE should be required reading for all high school students and, again, for all college students. Every citizen should know at least this much history. And every single recipient of a higher degree could learn something valuable from this book.
   
   Forward!

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6. 

   Storm Dragon Posted 7:45 am
   30 May 2007

   My picksIf you want something uplifting, it's hard to beat the essays of Wendell Berry. You might also try "Always Coming Home", by Ursula K. Leguin, "Why Birds Sing" by David Rothenberg, or the poetry of Gary Snyder.  For a little light relief, read some Gerald Durrell- he seldom fails to cheer me up.

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7. 

   Jack Harich Posted 8:05 am
   30 May 2007

   The Dueling Loops of the Political PowerplaceDear fellow readers,
   This is my first book, and I'm in the pre-publication stage. I'm trying to get feedback so I can polish it before taking it to a real publisher. At the moment it's self-published and is available at Amazon for 12 bucks. But you can read a 29 page paper containing the core content for free at Thwink.org.
   If you really want to read the book and are running a tight budget so you can afford that eco-vacation to Costa Rica, contact me, twist my arm a little with why you want to read it, say you heard about it at Grist, and ask for a free copy. I'm a pushover, at least until I run out of copies. But please at least read the first two chapters first.
   Here's why you might like this book:
   
   
   It's short, at only 144 pages. You can finish it before the summer is even half over.
   It goes against conventional wisdom. If you want a book that sets your reading list apart from all the others, try this one. Rather than tedious descriptions and inspiration about what to do, it analyzes the sustainability problem, finds the root cause of inability to solve the problem, and pinpoints the high leverage points that offer a possible path to a solution. The way it does this is just as radical as the way Limits to Growth did it in 1972.
   Despite its occasional technical content, it's written in language for the layman, and is certified to be 100% jargon free. No seals were harmed in writing this book.
   If you want the ultimate uplift, try chapter 9, The Tantalizing Potential of a Permanent Race to the Top. You will be singing "We can do it, because now we have a way," all the way home.  Or at least I was, as I wrote it.
   
   
   Thanks from a struggling writer,
   Jack

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