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New Dream Book Recommendations
The In Balance Newsletter features book reviews and recommendations. Some reviews have been excerpted below, if you have read these books or would like to offer other recommendations, keep the discussion going in our book club forum
Consumed is one of those books that should come with a warning: "Not for the fainthearted, but well worth the effort." It shows how capitalism has penetrated every aspect of our lives, undermined our ability and desire to act as citizens, and consequently exacerbated the most pressing problems of our times. Reviewed by: Franca Brilliant
The book begins with 50 pages of engaging essays on organic and bio-dynamic farming, community-supported agriculture, and healthy habits for the body and the planet. Along with recipes, the rest of the book includes educational and inspirational materials that help the cook draw the connection between earth, farm, kitchen and the belly. Reviewed by Matt Kittell
The book's photos serve as a backdrop to the larger story, which is recycling --the ins and outs (and back ins) of everything including paper, plastic, glass, metal, household waste, and compost. It covers where stuff comes from and where it goes, offers advice on what individuals can do, and features case studies of what innovative communities are doing. Reviewed by Dave Tilford
Author Michael Pollan uses the ubiquity of corn derivatives (from the addictive high-fructose corn syrup in snacks and drinks to the anonymous xanthan gum in kids' toothpaste) to illustrate that what and how we eat determines not only our own health but that of the natural world. Reviewed by Joshua Knights**
From October 2004 through April 2005, we ran a monthly series of discussions with your neighbors and national leaders in the fields of sustainability and culture change. We encourage you to check the audio streams of the conversations or to use our resources to use in your own local book club. Don't have a book club? Find New Dreamers in your city and town and invite them to join you!
Click here to listen to an audio recording of the call
 James Gustave Speth, currently the dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, has also worked for the UN Development Programme, advised former Presidents Clinton and Carter, and helped found both the World Resources Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In his book, Red Sky at Morning, Speth details the major environmental crises the world is facing, explains the failures of the international community thus far, and outlines strategies for change.
March 2005 - Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life with Cecile Andrews
January 2005 - Lifting the Veil with Peter Forbes
November 2004 - Hundred Dollar Holiday with Bill McKibben
October 2004 - Born to Buy with Juliet Schor
**Guest reviewer Joshua Knights is director of corporate partnerships at The Nature Conservancy.
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