The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Hope Restored
  • The Great Turning
  • The Ideal of the Bodhisattva
  • A "Must Read" for Every Lover of Democracy
  • A MUST-READ
The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents)
David C Korten
Manufacturer: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GlobalizationGlobalization | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Social TheorySocial Theory | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business BooksLook Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. When Corporations Rule the World When Corporations Rule the World
  2. Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community
  3. Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
  4. Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future
  5. The Post Corporate World: Life After Capitalism (BK Currents) The Post Corporate World: Life After Capitalism (BK Currents)

ASIN: 1887208070

Book Description

The threat of continued warfare to the future of humanity has become dire. "The Great Turning explores that threat in detail and provides an equally detailed plan for meeting -- and overcoming -- it. Written in the author's trademark clear, compelling style, this timely book uncovers the roots of Empire in ancient Athens and charts the long transition from the institutions of monarchy to those of the global economy as the favored instruments of imperialism. Korten then discusses the promise of early America as a democracy dedicated to spreading liberty and freedom -- and the failure of the "American experiment" through the contemporary takeover of the U.S. government by corporate plutocrats, religious theocrats, and neoconservative militarists in pursuit of naked imperial ambition. Korten draws on sources as varied as evolution, developmental psychology, and the wisdom of religious mystics to make the case for "Earth Community" -- a people-centered, community-based future that is both possible and necessary.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Hope Restored.......2007-08-07

David Korten has restored my hope that humanity can and will survive the upcoming collision with our own short sighted Hubris. Some, perhaps many of us will make it through and will have restored to us in the process a great deal more of our own compassionate humanity. Well researched, well written. A seminal work! Thank you David!

5 out of 5 stars The Great Turning.......2007-06-12

This book should be read by anyone thinking about how to move toward a fair, just society. Korten talks about levels of maturity leading to understanding that enough people and groups have reached a level where a society based on the principle of community rather than that of domination is within reach. It undercuts struggling with all the forms injustice takes in our present society and considers joining with like-minded groups all over the world to form a bottom-up society concerned with the good of all rather than just looking out for what's good for the most powerful among us.

5 out of 5 stars The Ideal of the Bodhisattva.......2007-05-13

The Great Turning masterfully traces the concept of Empire from pre-history to the present and states that the current world situtation has been shaped by the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few. The motivating actions of governments are to preserve their control over the forces of money and power. The democracies of the Western world are not true democracies as they maintain their control over the many by giving prevledge to the few. Korten goes on to relate various pardighms that our culture buys into and which perpetuate the rule of Empire. one of these views is related in the "Imperial Secular Meaning Story."
"Matter is the only reality. the whole of the cosmos is a product of the orderly playing out of physical forces amenable to description and prediction by mathematical equations. Life is the accidental outcome of material complexity. Consciousness and free will are illusions, nothing more. Because life has no intrinsic meaning, the only rational couse of the intelligent individual is to seek material gratification through the accumulation of wealth and power.
The evolution of the living species occurs through a competitive struggle in which the fittest survive and the less fit perish. Mammalian species, naturally organize themselves into heirarchies of dominance for mutual protection and breeding success.
Human progress likewise depends on competitive struggle in which the most fit triumph and those of second rank serve the most fit. the winners prove their superior worth and therby their contribution to the betterment of the whole by virute of their victory. They have a natural right to the rewards of their victory as their just due. Their is no reason for guilt or for concern for those whom the struggle destroys or leaves behind, as their loss is itself proof that they are the less fit. For the betterment of the whole, we must all accept that this their proper fate."
What makes the Great Turning a landmark book is that it exposes these myths for what they are-propaganda for maintaining control with power and wealth. The actions of governments rather than being for the well being of the people are for the maintaining of the myths which concentrate power and wealth in the hands of the few. Korten goes on to forge the strategy for removal of these myths and replacing them with the reality of a sustainable Earth Community.
The human and Divine potential of the sage, writer, artist, scientist cannot be fully realized without the move away from empire to Earth Community. The Bodhisattva's vow while at the threshold of enlightenment takes on the meaning for all of us to work out our daily lives in harmony with the forces that are attempting to bring about an Earth Community.

5 out of 5 stars A "Must Read" for Every Lover of Democracy.......2007-03-08

This is the most important book I have read in years! There is hope. The people can take back America and truly make it a land of freedom, liberty and justice for all.

5 out of 5 stars A MUST-READ.......2007-02-20

This book has changed the way I think about the world and the challenge we face in avoiding "the great unraveling." After reading it, I want to stand up and start making a difference.
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • An inspired 40-something
  • completely false advertising
  • if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X
  • Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism
  • Keys to change any reader can use.
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Heather C. Flores
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Garden DesignGarden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
OrganicOrganic | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
UrbanUrban | Techniques | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
AgronomyAgronomy | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Crop ScienceCrop Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Home & Garden BooksLook Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
  2. The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements
  3. Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)
  4. Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
  5. How to Make a Forest Garden How to Make a Forest Garden

ASIN: 193339207X

Book Description

Gardening can be a political act. Creativity, fulfillment, connection, revolution--it all begins when we get our hands in the dirt. Food Not Lawns combines practical wisdom on ecological design and community-building with a fresh, green perspective on an age-old subject. Activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own "paradise gardens." But Food Not Lawns doesn't begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden--simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community--to all aspects of life. Plant "guerilla gardens" in barren intersections and medians; organize community meals; start a street theater troupe or host a local art swap; free your kitchen from refrigeration and enjoy truly fresh, nourishing foods from your own plot of land; work with children to create garden play spaces. Flores cares passionately about the damaged state of our environment and the ills of our throwaway society. In Food Not Lawns, she shows us how to reclaim the earth one garden at a time.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An inspired 40-something.......2007-09-04

Food Not Lawns speaks to my heart and has inspired me in my home gardening. I bought copies for two dear gardening friends who are in their 20's and 30's, and they are also excited by the ideas presented in the book. The author takes a holistic view of community and gardening, of working with Nature as an orchestra of forces influencing each other and working collectively together. Heather Flores encourages us to think out of the box and some might find that uncomfortable, but I still think her vision and sense of hope is so needed in our world today. Share this book with family and friends!

1 out of 5 stars completely false advertising.......2007-07-05

I see that this books appears a hit with many reviewers, but I am unfortunately going to dissent. I was excited to read this book when it arrived and was subsequently dissappointed in the overall quality of the work as a whole. First and foremost, Flores leaves out a great deal of detail with regard to the actual work involved in any form of agriculture, be it animal husbandry, permaculture, or anything between. I say this not only as an avid reader, but also an environmental studies major reviewing the work for a class as well. Second, Flores' method of combining the topics of agriculture and social change is facetious at best, with no real segway from the former to the latter. In other words, this is literally two unconnected books sharing the same binding. Finally, and most disheartening of all, the work gives faulty advice at best, especially with regard to her advice on dealing with numerous aspects of gardening (traditional and permaculture), pending jail time, and conflict management strategies(with latter are potentially dangerous). I will also note that I resold this book immediately upon completion due to the above. Those interested would be better served to read The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, or other such related books by other reputable authors such as Joseph Jenkins, Eliot Coleman, Louise Riotte, or John and Martha Storey. In short, do not purchase this book if you are serious about either agriculture or social change.

1 out of 5 stars if you are over 40 skip it... so gen X.......2007-05-25

This is a very shallow book by the new generation of writers that find fault with everything done in the twenty years before they were born,
Its very shallow, big type and very preachy.
If you are interested in gardening, try Giaas garden, a much more serious study of permiculture.
In this rambling book, the aurthor boasts of not making over 8 k a year, but inherited the money to buy her farm!
I liked camping living until I was thirty, now I am 45 and really like my freezer and new stove.( yes, I have my own three hens and belong to a CSA)
I know a number of the original flower/farm people, and as they got older they liked having a few more comforts.

So this is one of the new gen X books, shallow to a fault. Nothing but sound bites.
the aurthor sems all hyped about third world living, but I am not sure she has ever been to a third world and seen how hard that style of life is,,it is easy to glamorius the distant!!!

4 out of 5 stars Not just Gardening--A guide to Activism and Environmentalism.......2007-01-23

I picked up this book to learn practical application of permacultural principles applied to urban yard scales--and there is a wealth of such information here. However, I do feel like Flores preaches just a little too much about the environmental destruction and political problems currently plaguing our country. In my view, anyone picking up a book called Food Not Lawns probably is already well-versed in such issues, and Flores is essentially preaching to the converted. That said, this book DOES have tons of practical information, and I would recommend it as an excellent counterbalance and companion book to Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden.

5 out of 5 stars Keys to change any reader can use........2006-12-14

For activist readers who believe activism is a political pursuit, FOOD NOT LAWNS: HOW TO TURN YOUR YARD INTO A GARDEN AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A COMMUNITY offers a different viewpoint, maintaining that growing food where you live is a key method of becoming a food activist in the community. Chapters advocate planting home and community gardens with an eye to drawing important connections between the politics of a home or community garden and the wider politics of usage, consumption, and sustainability. Another rarity: chapters promote small, easy changes in lifestyles to achieve a transition between personal choice and political activism at the community level, providing keys to change any reader can use.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Riparia: Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Streamside Communities (Aquatic Ecology) (Aquatic Ecology)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Riparia: Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Streamside Communities (Aquatic Ecology) (Aquatic Ecology)
    Robert J. Naiman , Henri Decamps , and Michael E. McClain
    Manufacturer: Academic Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Ecology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
    EcologyEcology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
    All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    Professional & TechnicalProfessional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    ScienceScience | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    ScienceScience | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Stream Hydrology: An Introduction for Ecologists Stream Hydrology: An Introduction for Ecologists
    2. Methods in Stream Ecology, Second Edition Methods in Stream Ecology, Second Edition
    3. Streams: Their Ecology and Life Streams: Their Ecology and Life
    4. Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology
    5. Water, Rivers and Creeks Water, Rivers and Creeks

    ASIN: 0126633150

    Book Description

    This book describes the underlying water conditions and geologies that support viable riparia, illustrates the ecological characteristics of riparia, and discusses how riparia are used by human cultures as well as how riparia can be used to sustain environmental quality. In recent years riparian management has been widely implemented as a means of improving fisheries, water quality, and habitat for endangered species. This book provides the basic knowledge necessary to implement successful, long-term management and rehabilitation programs.

    * Treats riparian patterns & processes in a holistic perspective, from ecological components to societal activities
    * Contains over 130 illustrations and photos that summarize this complex ecological system
    * Synthesizes the information from more than 6,000 professional articles
    * Sidebars provide a look into ongoing research that is at the frontiers of riparian ecology and management
    Paleocommunities: A Case Study from the Silurian and Lower Devonian (World and Regional Geology)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Paleocommunities: A Case Study from the Silurian and Lower Devonian (World and Regional Geology)

      Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Geology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Ecology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Paleontology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
      PaleozoologyPaleozoology | Paleontology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
      GeologyGeology | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
      Look Inside Outdoors & Nature BooksLook Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
      Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
      ASIN: 0521363985

      Book Description

      Fossil communities, chiefly benthic, from Silurian and Devonian rocks are looked at in detail within this book. Discussion of their environmental and evolutionary significance provides a unique ecological view of this intensively studied part of the stratigraphic column. It is hoped that this case-study will illustrate a new trend for palaeontological research and synthesis that could be applied to other time intervals. Forty contributions from all parts of the world discuss and exemplify the general principles of this massive compilation and provide descriptions of many of the shelly mid-Silurian and early Devonian benthic communities in encyclopaedic form. Biostratigraphers and palaeontologists, as well as evolutionists and ecologists, concerned with fossil communities and their evolution will find this volume of interest. This book forms the final report of IGCP Project 53.
      Handbook on Urban Sustainability
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Handbook on Urban Sustainability

        Manufacturer: Springer
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        GeneralGeneral | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        RuralRural | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Geography | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
        Planning & ManagementPlanning & Management | Environmental | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        GeographyGeography | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        Natural ResourcesNatural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
        Look Inside Business BooksLook Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Outdoors & Nature BooksLook Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        ASIN: 1402053509

        Product Description

        Municipal authorities and agencies around the world are striving to place their cities on the road to sustainability. Cities, as very complex entities, offer a constant interaction between people, resources and the environment. This makes strategic planning demanding and difficult.

        This book, written by worldwide specialists from Canada, India, Italy, Palestine, Peru, Spain and the Netherlands, is a guide to establishing a city on a sustainable path. It addresses sustainable urban planning issues by breaking the city down to its main components. The authors analyze and discuss such topics as:

        The concluding chapters provide a what to do and how to do it practical roadmap for implementing a sustainability program.

        Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • 'God' created the entire world
        • Crucial Thoughts for Our Time
        • In comparison, our cultural thinking is dead.
        • Thomas Berry is a true genius
        Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community
        Thomas Berry
        Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        GeneralGeneral | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
        Berry, ThomasBerry, Thomas | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Geology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        Nature WritingNature Writing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
        ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        EcologyEcology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        GeologyGeology | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        Look Inside Nonfiction BooksLook Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Outdoors & Nature BooksLook Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Religion & Spirituality BooksLook Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. The Great Work: Our Way into the Future The Great Work: Our Way into the Future
        2. The Dream of the Earth The Dream of the Earth
        3. The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents) The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents)
        4. Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, And Other Wonders of the Universe Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, And Other Wonders of the Universe
        5. The Universe Story : From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos The Universe Story : From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era--A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos

        ASIN: 1578051304

        Book Description

        Among the contemporary voices for the Earth, none resonates like that of noted cultural historian Thomas Berry. His teaching and writings have inspired a generation's thinking about humankind's place in the Earth community and the universe, engendering widespread critical acclaim and a documentary film on his life and work.
        This new collection of essays, from various years and occasions, expands and deepens ideas articulated in his earlier writings and also breaks new ground. Berry opens our eyes to the full dimensions of the ecological crisis, framing it as a crisis of spiritual vision. Applying his formidable erudition in cultural history, science, and comparative religions, he forges a compelling narrative of creation and communion that reconciles modern evolutionary thinking and traditional religious insights concerning our integral role in Earth's society.
        While sounding an urgent alarm at our current dilemma, Berry inspires us to reclaim our role as the consciousness of the universe and thereby begin to create a true partnership with the Earth community. With Evening Thoughts, this wise elder has lit another beacon to lead us home.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars 'God' created the entire world.......2007-08-23

        Fr. Thomas Berry emphasizes that all things and beings have a place in Creation. It is a stimulating relief to have such a well respected scholar support what is my heart's understanding of the world I know. He is calm and accepting of the concept 'inclusiveness'. Science and spirituality are shown to be not only compatible but inseperable. The Universe Story tells us how our world was formed and comes alive. Thomas Berry emphasises appreciation of the beauty and strength found all around us. We are told we are moving into a new geologic time called the 'ecozoic' by the author. This book will help smooth our moves into the next chapter of the Creation.

        4 out of 5 stars Crucial Thoughts for Our Time.......2007-01-11

        Outstanding brief introduction to the thoughts of Thomas Berry, one of the visionary thinkers of our time in terms of ecology, impact of the human on the earth, and providing a promising larger vision of the possibilities for the future. The collection of thoughts will appear a bit repetitive at first glance, but I found the repetition of the key thoughts from different perspectives useful. Highly recommended. Rated 4 star instead of 5 due only to the repetitiveness.

        5 out of 5 stars In comparison, our cultural thinking is dead. .......2006-10-09

        The perspective I have come to is that for most of my life I lived in a human world which has not been able to offer in any comprehensive way, what really matters.

        What is going on is that the sources of human survival, imagination, knowledge and emotional balance have been diminished, distanced, ignored and replaced by an enslaving, stale and insulting world views.

        Enter Thomas Berry who after a lifetime of scholarship on human cultures has received the gifts of the scientific community and relit our human drama and our personal value. We are fortunate to be born into a community that knows how to survive through amazing trials. We are fortunate to be born into a school that has incomprehensible libraries and teachers to access. We are made with genes already experienced in phenomenal truth, art, music, flexibility and openness to diversity and enhancing possibility. There is nothing in the vast developing universe that is really foreign to us--it is our home and at this time in human history, we have a dinguished role to play. You'll have to read him to see what these remarks mean.

        There is no one I have ever met, heard or read who comes close to explaining the grief and chaos of our times and to offering a healing of being and living as does Thomas Berry.

        This is what children need to learn. This is the heroic task that young adults yearn to be presented. This is the good news that will bring a sign of contentment to more than our hopes. This is the story that provides a standard for every profession but especially education, economics, religion and government. At last we begin to hear what really matters.

        5 out of 5 stars Thomas Berry is a true genius .......2006-09-21

        Every politician should read this book and then look into their hearts. I must say that Mary Tucker's Editorial Preface says everything about Thomas Berry and his desire to enhance human beings' relationship to Earth. His writing is accessible and undaunting. The gift of his genius, still going strong at 90 years of age is expressed again in this book and the message will bring you into the fold of his views with keen insight and compassion. I am so grateful for his gifts and just want you to read it and give it to everyone else you know.
        Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Great overview of mediterranean climates
        • Author's Credentials
        • A thoughtful, beautifully produced book
        • A "must" for horticulralists and gardeners.
        Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates: California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin
        Peter R. Dallman
        Manufacturer: University of California Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        South AfricaSouth Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
        ChileChile | South America | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
        AustraliaAustralia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        BotanyBotany | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
        Look Inside History BooksLook Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Outdoors & Nature BooksLook Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Outdoors & NatureOutdoors & Nature | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        ScienceScience | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. The Cultivated Wilderness: Or, What is Landscape? (Graham Foundation / MIT Press Series in Contemporary Architectural Discourse) The Cultivated Wilderness: Or, What is Landscape? (Graham Foundation / MIT Press Series in Contemporary Architectural Discourse)
        2. The Control of Nature The Control of Nature
        3. Mediterranean Gardening: A Waterwise Approach Mediterranean Gardening: A Waterwise Approach
        4. Sun-Drenched Gardens: The Mediterranean Style Sun-Drenched Gardens: The Mediterranean Style
        5. In Praise of Shadows In Praise of Shadows

        ASIN: 0520208099

        Book Description

        This book provides a wonderful overview of the landscapes, vegetation types, and plants of the five regions of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. This climate of mild, rainy winters and dry, warm summers is found in California, Central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa, the southwestern part of Australia and the Mediterranean Basin. The regions are widely separated and the flora of each is distinctive, having for the most part developed independently. Nevertheless, the plants share remarkably similar characteristics which allow them to thrive in these unusual conditions.
        Peter Dallman's non-technical prose is complemented by numerous maps, tables, and figures, and the book is richly illustrated with photographs of landscapes, plants, and flowers. With its detailed information on some of the world's most resilient plant life, this book will serve as an excellent reference for everyone interested in growing drought-resistant plants and as a naturalist's guide to these beautiful and unusual bioregions.
        For the growing number of travelers whose vacations focus on learning about and appreciating natural history, Dallman also includes a chapter on planning trips to the five Mediterranean regions.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Great overview of mediterranean climates.......2005-09-19

        This book is great. It has plenty of pictures, diagrams and drawings. Most of the pictures are not in color, however, which is its biggest downfall. It is not a detailed evaluation of mediterranean climates nor is it a good plant ID book, but provides an excellent overview for both the layman and scientist. It provides informatin on the plants that make the mediterranean climate unique and the typical plant communities that are found in them. It is great for someone who doesn't want to get bogged down with individual species and wants to see how all the parts fit together. I first checked this book out of my local library and felt it would be such a good reference book for work, play and travel that I had to have it. The book uses the most scientific and inclusive use of the term Mediterranean which means you are going to get descriptions of plant communities from San Diego to Sacramento to San Francisco. For those of us that prefer the more exclusive definitions it may come as a shock that San Francisco and Sacramento could be considered mediterranean so I'm warning you now. I am currently using this book to help plan a trip to Australia as a supplement to Lonely Planet's travel guides. This book has inspired me to visit all the world's mediterranean climates at some point in my life and I'm not even a plant lover.

        4 out of 5 stars Author's Credentials.......2004-09-21

        Peter Dallman, a retired pediatric doctor and docent at Strybing Aboretum in San Francisco, California, spent many years
        studying plants and traveling the world to see them where they grow in the Mediterranean climate areas of the world. Prof. Robert Ornduff, the late director of the Univ. of California Botanical Garden, encouraged him to write about these
        plants and his travels. The result is a book giving the reader the best armchair picture of the vegetation of a very special part of the world.

        5 out of 5 stars A thoughtful, beautifully produced book.......2001-01-02

        This book falls into a category somewhere between botany, climatology, and geography; it looks at several different types of "mediterranean climate" around the world, and describes the different vegetational types within each region, explaining (in a scholarly but accessible way) why these plant communities look the way they do.

        It's beautifully produced, with both climate maps and full-color illustrations of plants and plant communities. I know of no other book that explains the relationship between geography and botanical ecology this elegantly; it's a lot of fun to browse, and I would recommend it *very* highly to armchair travellers with botanical inclinations.

        5 out of 5 stars A "must" for horticulralists and gardeners........2000-02-03

        Peter Dallman's Plant Life In The World's Mediterranean Climates covers plants of California, Australia, South Africa and the Mediterranean, and will prove more accessible to general audiences studying plants. Here are photos, charts, and a host of details on plant communities and plant life common to this climate, with chapters providing both individual regional details and links between plants of each area. This is a highly recommended pick not just for specialty libraries, but for general collections.
        Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World
        Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
        • Must Read
        • Engaging Style
        • Not DIY
        • interesting
        • Wonderful, Inspiring, Hopeful!
        Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World
        Alan Weisman
        Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        RuralRural | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
        Renewable EnergyRenewable Energy | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
        ConservationConservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
        ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
        Reference & TipsReference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books | Beaches | Business Travel | Cruises | Essays & Travelogues | Food & Lodging | Guidebooks | Pictorial | Reference | Spas | Tips | Tourist Destinations & Museums | Travel Writing
        Environmental ScienceEnvironmental Science | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. Original Wisdom: Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing Original Wisdom: Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing
        2. Dancing With Mosquitoes Dancing With Mosquitoes
        3. A Future for Everyone: Innovative Social Responsibility and Community Partnerships A Future for Everyone: Innovative Social Responsibility and Community Partnerships
        4. Beyond Civilization: Humanity's Next Great Adventure Beyond Civilization: Humanity's Next Great Adventure
        5. Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature

        ASIN: 1890132284

        Book Description

        The eastern savannas of war-ravaged Colombia, known as the llanos, are among the most brutal environments on Earth, an unlikely setting for one of the most hopeful environmental stories ever told. Here, more than twenty-five years ago, an intrepid visionary named Paolo Lugari set out to create a village that could sustain itself agriculturally, economically, and artistically. He reasoned that if a community could survive in the Colombian llanos, it would be possible to live anywhere. The new village was named after the graceful river terns common in the area, los gaviotas.
        The early inhabitants of Gaviotas soon realized that if they wanted even basic necessities, they would need to be very resourceful. So they invented wind turbines that convert mild breezes into energy, super-efficient pumps that tap previously inaccessible sources of water, and solar kettles that sterilize drinking water using the furious heat of the tropical sun.
        They even invented a rain forest! Two million pine trees planted as a renewable crop have unexpectedly allowed the rain forest to re-establish itself. Paolo Lugari and the Gaviotans, in their quest to create a model human habitat, serendipitously renewed an entire ecosystem. This is why Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez has called Lugari as “The Inventor of the World."

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Must Read.......2007-03-15

        This is an amazing story about an amazing REAL place... It is an obligated reading for all of those who care about sustainability and renewable energy and wonder whether there is an alternative for our society.
        Read this and you will be full of hope and energy for action.

        5 out of 5 stars Engaging Style.......2006-04-04

        This book shows people solving ecological problems as a community. Weisman engages the reader by showing the people involved, not only the ones with training in certain disciplines, but also natives with practical solutions for living in a Columbian village. Even the children got involved in problem solving in Gaviotos.

        They have learned to live in a place where there are many dangers due to drug wars, yet their survival skills are exceptional.

        I highly recommend this eye-opening book

        Barbara Spring

        4 out of 5 stars Not DIY.......2005-03-14

        The vision described in the book is inspiring and very hopeful. The idea is to use our ingenuity in ways directly adapted to our environment so that small towns can be self-sufficient. Along the way, very clever uses of wind and water are discovered and described. If the reader is looking for great general ideas or approaches, this book would be hard to beat. On the other hand, if you are a garage-tinkerer and would delight in building the clever devices described, this book is close but no cigar. The drawings offered in the book purposely omit the most important details required to fabricate the devices in a proper working form. If you are a tinkerer and want to build these "goodies," you have three options. In the U.S., you can e-mail with the "Sustainable Village" web site and get the plans (eventually---they are not quick in responding). You can contact the Gaviotas offices in Bogota, Colombia. You can, of course, also take the basic idea and think through the details for yourself. That could take longer and be a little more expensive---perhaps. If you primarily want the ideas and the inspiration, then buy the book, by all means. If you primarily want to tinker and build, go straight for the plans.

        4 out of 5 stars interesting.......2004-12-17

        In 1998, journalist Alan Weisman collected and presented information about a little known, yet quite monumental, village known as Gaviotas. To get there, one must travel 16 hours by car from the nearest major Columbian city, Bogotá. Even then the path there is not a smooth one; rough, muddy roads and severe political unrest serve as some major barriers in getting to Gaviotas. So why then is such an arduous trip worth it; in essence, Gaviotas is yet another tiny village located in a generally uninhabitable region and possesses none of the modern modes of transportation or communication that we are accustomed to. While in a sense these aspects may be true of Gaviotas, it is also undeniable that this community holds as one of the most efficient, supportive, and thoughtful communities on the planet.
        Started in 1971 by a group of Bogotá scientists, Gaviotas originally was created as a sort of scientific experiment, a reaction to the way things were - which clearly wasn't working. A Gaviotas saying goes "the real maturity in life is to realize your dreams" and the founders of Gaviotas did just that when they decided to create their own society. The harsh life and extreme poverty that had been rampant in developing urban areas paired with the blatant depletion of natural resources was enough to spark the idea that maybe there should be a change. Yet instead of trying to make changes in the system already in place, this group of determined individuals took on the radical notion of creating an entirely new, segregated, yet completely self-sufficient, place to live. And that is just what happened.

        5 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Inspiring, Hopeful!.......2003-05-06

        It was one of the best books I've ever read.
        Go get it right now!
        Community and Population Health with PowerWeb: Health and Human Performance
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • It does a fairly basic job.
        Community and Population Health with PowerWeb: Health and Human Performance
        Lawrence W Green , and Judith M. Ottoson
        Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        GeneralGeneral | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
        Public HealthPublic Health | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Medicine | Subjects | Books
        NutritionNutrition | Nursing | Medicine | Subjects | Books
        Preventive MedicinePreventive Medicine | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books
        NutritionNutrition | Nursing | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Public Health | Administration & Medicine Economics | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Sports | Subjects | Books
        Look Inside Health BooksLook Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Science BooksLook Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        Look Inside Sports BooksLook Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        MedicineMedicine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. Marketing Public Health: Strategies to Promote Social Change Marketing Public Health: Strategies to Promote Social Change
        2. Public Health Leadership: Putting Principles into Practice Public Health Leadership: Putting Principles into Practice
        3. Public Health Leadership and Management: Cases and Context Public Health Leadership and Management: Cases and Context
        4. Public Health Informatics and Information Systems Public Health Informatics and Information Systems
        5. New Ethics for the Public's Health New Ethics for the Public's Health

        ASIN: 007250515X

        Book Description

        Now in its eighth edition, Community and Population Health provides a comprehensive introduction to the four areas of community health - Preventative Medicine, Public Health, School Health, and Self-care. Reflecting the recent emergence of population health in the community health field, Community and Population Health represents the concept that many populations of concern in health programs are not solely defined by geographic location. This revision continues to present information within a problem-solving framework as exemplified in the issue boxes and case studies throughout the text.

        Customer Reviews:

        4 out of 5 stars It does a fairly basic job........2007-09-04

        It does well at giving an over view of how community health promotion works in real life. However, it can be a little pie in the sky.
        Structured-Population Models in Marine, Terrestrial, and Freshwater Systems (Population and Community Biology Series)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Structured-Population Models in Marine, Terrestrial, and Freshwater Systems (Population and Community Biology Series)

          Manufacturer: Springer
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Ecology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
          Population BiologyPopulation Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
          BiomathematicsBiomathematics | Applied | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
          EcologyEcology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
          All DealsAll Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
          ScienceScience | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
          All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          Professional & TechnicalProfessional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          ScienceScience | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          ProfessionalProfessional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          ScienceScience | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          ASIN: 0412072718

          Book Description

          This indispensable guide provides a comprehensive treatment of the construction and analysis of models for age- and stage-classified populations. It covers methods based on projection matrices, delay-differential equations, and partial-differential equations. The book addresses both field and laboratory studies on a wide range of specific ecosystems and taxa, as well as problems in evolution, genetics, conservation biology and epidemiology.

          Books:

          1. The Last American Man
          2. The Naked Truth: A Working Woman's Manifesto on Business and What Really Matters
          3. The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates (Volume 1)
          4. The Synaptic Organization of the Brain
          5. Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Biological Sciences
          6. This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future
          7. Vertebrate Life (7th Edition)
          8. Vertebrate Life (7th Edition)
          9. Walker's Bats of the World
          10. Wheater's Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas

          Books Index

          Books Home

          Recommended Books

          1. Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present
          2. Heaven
          3. Biologists under Hitler
          4. Cosmeceuticals and Active Cosmetics: Drugs vs. Cosmetics, Second Edition
          5. Estimation with Applications to Tracking and Navigation
          6. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
          7. Essential Winetasting: The Complete Practical Winetasting Course
          8. Miller's Guide to Home Plumbing
          9. Chinese Brush Painting an Instructional Guide
          10. Prescriptions for Healthy Farm Animals