‘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 Monbiot2018-06-02T20:21:24+00:00

‘Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World’ by Ken Wilber

Ken Wilber's Integral approach, which is intrinsically value-free, is a unique method for understanding pretty much anything in a fully comprehensive, multidimensional and holistic way. It has the capacity to break up socio-cultural and ideological logjams and may well be the best tool available, right now, for achieving religious tolerance, peace and (when applied to ecological issues) sustainability.

‘Integral Spirituality: A Startling New Role for Religion in the Modern and Postmodern World’ by Ken Wilber2019-08-04T12:07:43+00:00

‘The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry’ by Rupert Sheldrake

The aim of this book is to encourage a fundamental and beneficial re-evaluation of the way the sciences are defined and practised in our modern world. It does so by carefully and systematically examining ten core beliefs that most scientists accept without question, all of which are in fact untested and untestable and which severely limit the ability of our modern sciences to respond convincingly to the challenges we face in the twenty-first century.

‘The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry’ by Rupert Sheldrake2018-06-02T21:14:39+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 Johnstone2018-06-02T21:16:32+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 Louv2018-06-03T09:41:12+00:00

‘The Spell of the Sensuous’ by David Abram

Part personal story, this book begins among the bright green terraced rice paddies of Bali as the author sets out on a study tour through Asia to document the relationship between magic and medicine. Rather than travelling as an academic, he goes simply as a magician, using his own well-developed magic skills to make a collegial connection with the various sorcerers and shamans he meets along the way. Soon, however, he begins to discover the deeper truths of the shamanic role in community, which is to be the knowing, sensing bridge between the community and the greater reality, both psychic and organic, in which all our human communities are embedded.

‘The Spell of the Sensuous’ by David Abram2018-06-03T09:44:29+00:00

‘Becoming Animal: An Earthy Cosmology’ by David Abram

An essential first step in repairing the damage we have done to the planet and to ourselves may be to go back to basics and, literally, to come to our senses. Not only must we fully re-inhabit our animal bodies but we must also become aware of our vital interconnectedness with all other creatures. And for tutoring us and inspiring us in these twin tasks I have never met a better teacher than David Abram.

‘Becoming Animal: An Earthy Cosmology’ by David Abram2018-06-03T09:45:33+00:00

‘Sweat Your Prayers: Movement As Spiritual Practice’ by Gabrielle Roth

Gabrielle Roth’s dance system or ‘the five rhythms’ isn't about definite steps, but about responding directly to music and moving however you feel. The five rhythms are supposed to be the five basic types of process which underlie all music, even though they are often found mixed together.

‘Sweat Your Prayers: Movement As Spiritual Practice’ by Gabrielle Roth2018-06-03T09:51:49+00:00

‘From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness’ by Peter Russell

The book is written as a journey of discovery and Russell writes in the context of his own search to find a theory of consciousness. Apparently this is one of the major unsolved conundrums of psychology and even of quantum physics. It is possible to explain most human activities in terms of conventional science but how and why we should be conscious has still no satisfactory explanation.

‘From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness’ by Peter Russell2018-06-03T10:06:51+00:00

‘Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World’ by Bill Plotkin

Depth psychologist and wilderness guide Bill Plotkin, well known for his earlier book, Soulcraft, begins this one with a quote from Thomas Berry, a poignant poem from Drew Dellinger, five succinct sentences outlining the mess our species has made of the planet in the last two hundred years and the following statement: “True adulthood, or psychological maturity, has become an uncommon achievement in Western and Westernized societies and genuine elderhood nearly nonexistent.”

‘Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World’ by Bill Plotkin2018-06-03T10:11:35+00:00

‘The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World’ by Iain McGilchrist

This is one of the most important books that I've read. I heard Iain McGilchrist talking about it on the radio when it was first published and just knew I had to read it. It's a weighty tome (both in size and content), covering both the structure of the brain and how the brain’s structure and function has shaped Western culture. McGilchrist is eminently suited for the task, as he taught English at Oxford University before training as a psychiatrist and is therefore able to express complex ideas in simple, attractive ways.

‘The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World’ by Iain McGilchrist2018-06-03T10:13:55+00:00

‘The Lilypad List: 7 steps to the simple life’ by Marian Van Eyk McCain

This is not the first book I have read on the subject of simple living, but it is as yet, the only one which tackles the psychological implications of making life changes in as much depth as the practicalities. We all have some resistance to change, especially when the outcome runs counter to the attitudes and values prevalent in our materialistic society. To summon the energy and willingness to do this requires both awareness and effort (qualities which the author has aplenty). So, if you are willing this book could be a useful companion.

‘The Lilypad List: 7 steps to the simple life’ by Marian Van Eyk McCain2020-10-26T18:13:36+00:00

‘The Science of Oneness: A worldview for the twenty-first century’ by Malcolm Hollick

Readers of GreenSpirit will be profoundly aware of the ecological stress now facing our planet as a result of human action, and of the call which many of us feel, to respond by embracing the earth more closely, connecting with it more intimately, so that we can know in our bones what is happening and respond more with our whole being. Many of us also feel that the underlying cause of what is happening is the progressive loss of any meaningful worldview within our society.

‘The Science of Oneness: A worldview for the twenty-first century’ by Malcolm Hollick2018-06-03T10:25:55+00:00

‘Deep Equality: Living in the flow of natural rhythms’ by Jocelyn Chaplin

At the core of this book is a profound understanding of the state that Jocelyn Chaplin sets out to evoke, being in “the flow”, which lies within us all but which in the West is hard to make contact with and live from. Rooted in her childhood spent in the Sudan and Ghana, and her adult years as a political activist, scholar, artist and psychotherapist, her writing succeeds in synthesising all these strands of her life.

‘Deep Equality: Living in the flow of natural rhythms’ by Jocelyn Chaplin2018-06-03T13:08:03+00:00

‘Gaia Eros:Reconnecting to the Magic and Spirit of Nature’ by Jesse Wolf Hardin

Jesse Wolf Hardin's book bears an accurately descriptive title. Gaia, the living, conscious, inspirited Earth, and eros, the love of the Earth. Gaia Eros – Earth love. Its thirty-eight small chapters felt to me more like a collection of love poems than a series of essays. Unconnected by a logical, progressive unfolding of ideas, each is complete in itself like musical variations on a theme – the theme of Earthly love.

‘Gaia Eros:Reconnecting to the Magic and Spirit of Nature’ by Jesse Wolf Hardin2018-06-03T13:10:01+00:00

‘Find Your Power: A Toolkit for Resilience and Positive Change ‘ by Chris Johnstone

“Ever felt stuck?” asks the publisher of this highly accessible book. “Here is an approach”, they claim, “..that helps us overcome obstacles, improve our relationships, supports our values, and moves us towards our goals.” For once, I’m pleased to say, the publisher’s blurb has not overstated its case.

‘Find Your Power: A Toolkit for Resilience and Positive Change ‘ by Chris Johnstone2018-06-03T13:11:19+00:00

‘Hope for Humanity: how understanding and healing trauma could solve the planetary crisis’ by Malcolm Hollick and Christine Connelly

As can be verified from Google, it has often been said that “what we do to the planet we do to ourselves.” An even more chilling thought, however, is that what we humans do to ourselves we may also do to the planet. A significant proportion of us have, today and throughout our history, routinely inflicted the most horrifying suffering on each other, on scales from the individual to genocide, despite widely spread contrary teachings from the major religions and despite – or maybe because of – the power and sophistication of our mind. So what is it about Homo sapiens that makes us the scourge both of other species and of our own?

‘Hope for Humanity: how understanding and healing trauma could solve the planetary crisis’ by Malcolm Hollick and Christine Connelly2018-06-03T13:12:12+00:00

‘The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?’ by Duane Elgin

How many of us, staring up into the unfathomable reaches of the Milky Way on a clear, moonless night, have felt a shiver run through us? Who could not feel a shiver of awe – perhaps even of terror – in contemplating his or her puny insignificance against a background of stars? Compared to the immensity of even this visible fragment of the mysterious universe, we are mere specks of dust. And yet… perhaps we are less puny and less separate than we think.

‘The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?’ by Duane Elgin2018-06-03T13:19:00+00:00

‘Towards Wisdom’ by Sheila Ward

Sheila's book, Towards Wisdom, is in part autobiographical, exploring the author's own journey of personal and spiritual growth through the membership of various groups and circles in which she has taken part over the years. It details the techniques and practices used in each of these and how they might be used by other groups or individuals, particularly groups of women entering -- or already in -- the second half of their lives.

‘Towards Wisdom’ by Sheila Ward2018-06-03T13:20:11+00:00

‘The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine’ by Matthew Fox

Finally, I suggest that this book is for women just as much as for men. Partly because, as Matthew rightly says, we all have our inner masculine and inner feminine to honour. And also because the more understanding and dialogue there is between the sexes, the more chance there is for a sacred union between these two polarities. Although as he says, the dance between the two polarities never ends; they need to be in creative tension.

‘The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine’ by Matthew Fox2020-03-08T19:22:13+00:00

‘Presence: Exploring Profound Change in People, Organisations & Society’ by Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski & Betty Sue Flowers

I’ve always wondered what manner of ‘profound change’ it would take to alter how individuals think and act. Individuals make up society; if enough of them did change, that would mean society itself would undergo some kind of transformation. Thus it was with great curiosity and anticipation that I waded in and began absorbing the discerning logic and experiential wisdom the four experts had woven in and out of all kinds of background qualifications and assembled into one gigantic platter of prescriptions for how to make sense of who we are, how society functions, the consequences of our interactions and the kinds of scenarios that result because of the choices we make, both personal and public, at all levels of human conduct.

‘Presence: Exploring Profound Change in People, Organisations & Society’ by Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski & Betty Sue Flowers2018-06-03T13:21:54+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 Clarke2018-06-03T13:27:16+00:00

‘The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles’ by Bruce Lipton

We’ve all been taught – whether by high school biology teachers, college lecturers or the journalists and TV documentary-makers of popular culture – that it is the DNA in our cells which determines who we are. Nurture is important but it is our genes that confer upon us our individual identity.

‘The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles’ by Bruce Lipton2018-06-03T13:35:53+00:00

‘The Psychology of Spirituality: An Introduction’ by Larry Culliford

From my experience of a career in the so-called ‘helping professions,’ I think I can safely claim that in these industries geared to health, healing and helping, scant attention is ever paid to people’s spirituality. We train our medical, paramedical and mental health workers in the mechanical workings of the body and the mind, but speak rarely of the heart and never of the soul.

‘The Psychology of Spirituality: An Introduction’ by Larry Culliford2018-06-03T13:37:36+00:00

‘Elderwoman: Reap the wisdom, feel the power, embrace the joy’ by Marian Van Eyk McCain

What I like most about this book is that it genuinely celebrates the late afternoon and evening of our lives. Most biographies draw the human life as though it were a hump - starting small, growing towards the prime, and then downhill all the way, leading to death often in depression and failed faculties.

‘Elderwoman: Reap the wisdom, feel the power, embrace the joy’ by Marian Van Eyk McCain2018-06-03T13:42:12+00:00

‘Nature as Mirror: An Ecology of Body, Mind and Soul’ by Stephanie Sorrell

The old mechanistic paradigm under which most of us grew up has trained our thought habits so thoroughly that those of us struggling to express an ecocentric worldview often find ourselves literally at a loss for words. For example, we hear ourselves using phrases like ‘walking outside in Nature,’ even though we know that Nature includes us also, whether outdoors or in. We talk about ‘caring for the planet’ as though it were a thing and separate from ourselves. And if finding a vocabulary for ecocentrism is hard, how much harder is it to live it?

‘Nature as Mirror: An Ecology of Body, Mind and Soul’ by Stephanie Sorrell2018-06-03T13:50:54+00:00
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