Politics

‘People Habitat: 25 Ways to Think About Greener, Healthier Cities’ by F. Kaid Benfield

As well as easy access to the places we go to for shopping, services, leisure and socializing, human beings need comfort, cosiness, connectedness, clean air, beauty, lovability, safety, atmosphere, diversity and other subtle qualities of place that are hard to name but which we all recognize with our hearts. This book is about turning our existing cities into dense, mixed-use urban environments with high ‘walkability,’ excellent public transit, cycle paths etc., along with greening and revitalizing run-down neighbourhoods and finding ways to retrofit existing suburbs to cope with changing demographics, changing work patterns and dwindling natural resources.

‘People Habitat: 25 Ways to Think About Greener, Healthier Cities’ by F. Kaid BenfieldIan Mowll2018-06-02T10:18:36+00:00

‘Keeping the Wild: Against the Domestication of Earth’ by George Wuerthner (Author, Editor), Eileen Crist (Editor) and Tom Butler (Editor)

Anthropocentrism, instead of gradually going away as so many of us have hoped, is sneaking in again by the back door. The people letting it in are not the familiar enemy who rip the tops of mountains and drill the Arctic but a small bunch of people who are billing themselves as the ‘new environmentalists’ (also known as ‘Anthropocene-boosters’) and who are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

‘Keeping the Wild: Against the Domestication of Earth’ by George Wuerthner (Author, Editor), Eileen Crist (Editor) and Tom Butler (Editor)Ian Mowll2018-06-02T10:25:06+00:00

‘Hosting Transformation: Stories from the edge of changemaking’ by Betsy McCall and Joos van den Dool

Education like all sectors of our economy and society is undergoing huge changes. On the pioneering edge of this process is a group of organisations across Europe exploring and experimenting with what education and learning might look like in these times. McCall and van den Dool have woven together threads of stories from many people hosting innovative educational experiences.

‘Hosting Transformation: Stories from the edge of changemaking’ by Betsy McCall and Joos van den DoolIan Mowll2018-06-02T20:09:22+00:00

‘Soil, Soul, Society: A New Trinity for our Time’ by Satish Kumar

Drawing on the teachings of Buddha, Ghandi, Rabindranath Tagore and E.F. Schumacher, Satish Kumar outlines a spiritual vision of sustainability in which we can learn from Nature as well as about Nature. Offering practical guidance for how we can achieve this vision, Satish teaches that only love and reverence and not fear will lead to long term sustainability.

‘Soil, Soul, Society: A New Trinity for our Time’ by Satish KumarIan Mowll2018-06-02T20:10:46+00:00

‘Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice’ by Cormac Cullinan

South African lawyer Cormac Cullinan describes all the ways in which human laws and governance systems need be designed to promote human behaviour that contributes to the health and integrity not only of human society, but also of the wider communities, and of the Earth itself.

‘Wild Law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice’ by Cormac CullinanIan Mowll2018-06-02T20:15:10+00:00

‘Manifesto of the Poor’ by Franciso Van der Hoff Boersma

Permanent Publications, 20141, 66 pp ISBN 978-1-85623-170-1 Reviewed by [...]

‘Manifesto of the Poor’ by Franciso Van der Hoff BoersmaIan Mowll2018-06-02T20:18:38+00:00

‘Feral: Searching for enchantment on the frontiers of rewilding’ by George Monbiot

Rather than seeing the bare hills of mid-Wales as beautiful in their remoteness George Monbiot sees them as ruined, ‘sheepwrecked’ landscapes and re-imagines them as they once were—and could be again—thickly forested and rich with wildlife. His biggest dream is the restoration to completeness of fractured ecosystems by the eventual re-introduction of the wolf, the lynx and other large mammals to our British landscapes in the same way as this is already being done in other parts of Europe and in certain areas of North America.

‘Feral: Searching for enchantment on the frontiers of rewilding’ by George MonbiotIan Mowll2018-06-02T20:21:24+00:00

‘A Better World Is Possible’ by Bruce Nixon

After reviewing what is wrong with today's world, Nixon argues for a sustainable and just economy, involving reform of the large global financial institutions currently dominated by the interests of big business and rich countries. He proposes unlocking democracy by moving to a more participatory system, with more power at a local level. He also illustrates how the money currently poured into the military machine could be used for conflict resolution and war prevention. Additionally, he addresses the issues of eradicating world hunger, and creating sustainable (and beautiful) towns and cities.

‘A Better World Is Possible’ by Bruce NixonIan Mowll2018-06-03T14:23:07+00:00

‘Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy’ by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone

It is so easy to become fearful, isolated and despondent about the enormity of the environmental and social challenges that we, as a human race, are currently facing. This book tells us how we can sustain ourselves through these challenges and live positive, compassionate and hope filled lives

‘Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy’ by Joanna Macy and Chris JohnstoneIan Mowll2018-06-02T21:16:32+00:00

‘The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder’ by Richard Louv

Whereas Louv's earlier book Last Child in the Woods pointed out the problem of Nature- Deficiency Disorder in children, Louv’s new book The Nature Principle points out that adults themselves can suffer from the same disorder—and many already are. Though we tend to forget it, we too are animals; we co-evolved with the natural world and we need it as much as ever. Being isolated from green and growing things predisposes us to a range of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, behaviour disorders, depression and a lack of connection with community and place. We ignore these warnings at our peril.

‘The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder’ by Richard LouvIan Mowll2018-06-03T09:41:12+00:00

‘Out of the Labyrinth: Who We Are, How We Go Wrong and What We Can Do about It’ by Carl Frankel

This book addresses the elements in human nature that either propel one in the direction of living in harmony with the earth or, as is the usual case, carry on as though a connection didn’t exist.

‘Out of the Labyrinth: Who We Are, How We Go Wrong and What We Can Do about It’ by Carl FrankelIan Mowll2018-06-03T09:59:46+00:00

‘Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning’ by George Monbiot

George Monbiot researches the subject of climate change in depth, he cuts through preconceptions and gets to the root of the problem. A breath of oxygen rich fresh air. He shows how we can reduce carbon emissions by 90% by 2030 – this is the level he suggests we need to reach to avoid runaway global warming and the collapse of large eco-systems.

‘Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning’ by George MonbiotIan Mowll2018-06-03T10:04:17+00:00

‘The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community’ by David C Korten

David Korten wrote this book several years ago, but it is probably even more relevant – and urgent – today. He sees us at a crossroads, and the choice we make will result in either The Great Turning of the title, or The Great Unravelling.

‘The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community’ by David C KortenIan Mowll2018-06-03T10:12:46+00:00

‘EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want’ by Frances Moore Lappé

When she was researching for her landmark book Diet for a Small Planet back in 1970, Frances Moore Lappé realized that it is we human beings ourselves who create the problems, such as scarcity, that we find so troubling. “While most of us think that ‘seeing is believing’… no, for human beings ‘believing is seeing.’ Our core ideas about how the world works determine, literally, what we can see and what we can't.”

‘EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want’ by Frances Moore LappéIan Mowll2018-06-03T10:16:27+00:00

‘Enough:Breaking free from the world of more’ by John Naish

This book opens with words from the Tao Te Ching “He who knows he has enough is rich” ... and then continues ... “We have some evolving to do. And quickly. We need to develop a sense of ‘enoughness.’”

‘Enough:Breaking free from the world of more’ by John NaishIan Mowll2018-06-03T13:07:13+00:00

‘Madness, Mystery and the Survival of God’ by Isabel Clarke

Healing, at least in part, can come through making sense of suffering and learning from it. So, for those who have suffered from mental ill-health or those who meet people who do, this book is particularly helpful.

‘Madness, Mystery and the Survival of God’ by Isabel ClarkeIan Mowll2018-06-03T13:27:16+00:00

‘The Animals’ Lawsuit against Humanity’ by Ikhwan al-Safa

The story of this book is miraculous in itself. The fable and the message it so clearly contains date from over a thousand years ago. The origins of the story were Indian, but it was actually written down for the first time in the tenth century C.E. in Arabic by a Sufi order. It has since circulated through most of the Eastern religions; this edition is the first one in English. I found out about it through Isabel Carlisle, who converted it into play form and has used it in schools over the last few years.

‘The Animals’ Lawsuit against Humanity’ by Ikhwan al-SafaIan Mowll2018-06-03T13:53:05+00:00

‘A Wiser Politics’ by Jean Hardy

You must read this book. If you are interested in political philosophy you will find it fascinating. If you are not interested in political philosophy you soon will be.

‘A Wiser Politics’ by Jean HardyIan Mowll2018-06-03T13:55:04+00:00