Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Interesting but not what I expected
  • This book could change your world
  • Good reference
  • brilliant!
  • A smart and inclusive book, really recommendable!
Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century
Alex Steffen
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810930951

Book Description

Worldchanging is poised to be the Whole Earth Catalog for this millennium. Written by leading new thinkers who believe that the means for building a better future lie all around us, Worldchanging is packed with the information, resources, reviews, and ideas that give readers the tools they need to make a difference. Brought together by Alex Steffen, co-founder of the popular and award-winning web site Worldchanging.com, this team of top-notch writers includes Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture for Humanity, Geekcorps founder Ethan Zuckerman, sustainable food expert Anna Lappé, and many others. Renowned designer Stefan Sagmeister brings his extraordinary talents to Worldchanging, resulting in a book that will challenge readers to personally redefine the conversation about the future.

Each chapter offers readers new answers to key questions, such as:
Why does buying locally produced food make sense?
What steps can I take to influence my workplace toward sustainability?
How do I volunteer, advocate, and give more effectively?

From eco-building to responsible shopping, political action to humanitarian relief, Worldchanging
puts the power to solve problems into the readerÂ's hands.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Interesting but not what I expected.......2007-09-14

This is more like an encyclopedia than "a users guide for the 21st century". The hefty volume includes hundreds of short topical articles on lots of different things but doesn't go into a lot of detail on any. I was hoping for more practical examples of things I could do to survive in a changing world but was disappointed. For example, there is a section on Green Rooftops. You would think that a "users guide" might give you practical advice on creating one. Instead it talks about how they are great for saving energy and creating gardens. Okay... I get that and I agree but maybe a little more info please?

All and all the writing is good and it does cover a lot of topics I just think that the description when buying it leads one to believe there is a bit more depth than there actually is.

4 out of 5 stars This book could change your world.......2007-08-29

This publication is worth it's weight in something quite valuable. It provides a mass of information on all sorts of subjects relating to changing your outlook and how to live within the planets available resources. It has some surprisingly useful tips on things like how to make a small apartment look and feel big by using great space saving ideas; how to use less of the planets scarce resources in many ways.

My only beef is that it looks like a self published volume and so lacks gravitas somehow. For example it does not have any information on the inner fly page about the book, such as year of publication, publisher, ISBN Number, and other essential info. Another problem I found was actually finding some of the reference works in the text. Not enough info to enable the reader to trace sources adequately.

I found it very difficult for example to find the publisher of one work I was interested in. Google hadn't even heard of the publisher. I did find them and the book eventually but had to try very hard and boy, was it obscure.

Even though the jacket and outer are quite attractive, they reek of self-publishing. This is not good for the image of a book on such an important subject.

Sorry chaps, only 6 out of 10 from me.

4 out of 5 stars Good reference.......2007-07-15

Some info is out of date and biased, ie article on Vancouver (my home town). Lots is covered, not in much depth but there are lots of references for further reading. Would be a great addition to everyone's reference section.

5 out of 5 stars brilliant!.......2007-07-12

For a "users guide" I actually expected something more "portable"... its brilliant in its content and design!!

5 out of 5 stars A smart and inclusive book, really recommendable! .......2007-07-03

The book contains small articles about everything between heaven and earth all within the envionmental scope of interest. You find your self reading it, flipping through the pages wanting more info...A fun concept between an excellent encyclopedia, interesting facts book and a nice coffee table book. Only con might be the size, making it a bit bulky to read for more than a short while...
Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • made me angry
  • Policical retoric and not science
  • Good Practical Book
  • Schoolbook review
  • Reviews, anyone?
Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)
G. Tyler Miller Jr.
Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0534997295

Book Description

Miller's LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT, 14th Edition is the most comprehensive and up-to-date environmental science text on the market. It has the most balanced approach to environmental science instruction, with bias-free comparative diagrams throughout and a focus on prevention of and solutions to environmental problems. Tyler Miller is the most successful author in academic writing on environmental science because of his attention to currency, trend setting presentation of content, ability to predict student and instructor needs for new and different supplements, and his ability to retain the hallmarks on which instructors have come to depend. The content in the 14th edition of LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT is everything you have come to expect and more. In this edition, the author has added the "How Would You Vote?" feature, which is an application of environmental science-related topics in the news. Students apply their environmental science knowledge from the book to a Web activity, which helps them investigate environmental science issues in a structured manner. They then cast their votes on the Web. Results are then tallied. Also found at the Miller website is the much used "Updates on Line." Updated twice a year with articles from InfoTrac College Edition service, CNN® Today Video Clips, and Web links, instructors can seamlessly incorporate the most current news articles and research findings to support text presentations. This is a time saver for instructors and part-time teachers who can quickly determine what ancillary materials they want to utilize in just minutes. As with the last edition, this text is packaged with a free Student CD-ROM entitled "Interactive Concepts in Environmental Science." Organized by chapter, the CD gives students links to relevant resources, narrated animations, interactive figures, and prompts to review material and test themselves.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars made me angry.......2007-09-23

I have not read the whole book yet, and I have the 2004 edition (#13). I truly hope the newer editions are better. This is a review of Chapter 1 only.

The chapter annoyed me. It even made me angry. It is milquetoast, unable to just say we, the human population, is depleting too many resources to be sustainable. Adding the statement "other analysts do not believe we are living unsustainably" to an Environmental Science textbook is like saying "some people believe the earth is flat," in a geography textbook, or, something that unfortunately seems to happen in some biology textbooks these days, "evolution is just one theory, there are other theories as well, some experts believe god created all life on earth as it is today." A similar statement was made in part 1-6, "Is our Present Course Sustainable?." "Are things getting better or worse? Experts disagree..." Experts paid by huge resource exploiting corporations? Experts who like to bury their heads in the sand?

There were a number of interesting facts in the text that the general statements did not reflect. These inconsistencies really got to me. It seemed as if it were trying to write about what was outside the box but writing from inside the box. I particularly disliked the sentence that included: "... how much more we need to do to help make the earth more sustainable..." Wait a second, if you were writing from a viewpoint that "Nature does not exist just for us and we only think we are in charge. We need the earth, but the earth does not need us," how can you talk about "making the earth more sustainable?" The earth is what it is and is bountiful, it is our resource exploitation and pollution that are not sustainable for human survival.

I found the first part of the side bar "Free-Access Resources and the Tragedy of the Commons" quite interesting, but the second part on solutions seemed to missing a lot. The first of the two listed solutions was: "Use free-access resources at rates well below their estimated sustainable yields or overload limits by reducing population, regulating access, or both." It then went on to say how this is rarely used since it means we would have to establish and enforce rules and regulations, and it is hard to figure out a sustained yield. But it doesn't mention that educating people about these resources that they take for granted could go along way. Also not mentioned is that regulating the devices that allow people to exploit these resources (such as clean air, the atmosphere, water and wildlife) so easily and unthinkingly would be much easier than regulating their actual use. A lot of the resources mentioned are being depleted by pollution not use in a strict sense. The other solution listed is: "Convert free-access resources to private ownership," since if someone owns something they will protect it, has so many problems which are not addressed. The books lists the problem with this solution as being that "it is not practical for global common resources (such as the atmosphere, the open ocean, most wildlife species, and migratory birds) that can not be divided up and converted to private property." What about the fact that people do exploit the resources that they do own, and the fact that it would no doubt cause even more problems with poverty, and sharing things in common is what brings people together as a community (e.g. they all go to the park and see each other), and so many other problems that I get overwhelmed just thinking about them.

There was a lot of talk about overpopulation as a major problem, but not so much talk about overconsumption by certain parts of the population, even though there were sections on this. There was a section on ecological foot print and how the people in the USA have such a large one, but this didn't seem to get integrated into the text. There was also the statement: "Thus poor parents in a developing country would need 70 - 200 children to have the same lifetime resource consumption as 2 children in a typical U.S. family," but there was a lot of emphasis on population as a major problem and how in underdeveloped countries populations are growing as such a fast rate, when slight rises in US middle/upper class populations can make so much more difference. It felt to me like too much blame poor people in poor countries when it is people in the US and corporations based in the US enriching people in the US who are causing so much of the problems, even exporting our TV and advertisements to other countries which makes people want our unsustainable lifestyle.

There was also no mention of empowering women as a major tool to deal with high birthrates. There is overwhelming evidence that when you empower women to choses when they want to get pregnant and give them education and job skills birthrates do down. The paragraph on why poor people have so many children basically says the reason is to have their labor, with no mention of lack of birth control or power of women to make choices. It also seemed racist and disrespectful.

While we are on the subject of racist and disrespectful, what is with the developed and developing labels? The societies in all countries are developed, it is just industrial manufacturing and certain kinds of resource exploitation that are not as developed.

One last perhaps picky complaint. Figure 1-13 mentions "Traditional decision making" and "traditional societies" but it really does not mean traditional, it means modern industrialized hierarchical societies. This may seem picky but I feel it really does matter, we need to keep remembering that these societies we are living in are new, not traditional. True traditional societies did merge social, economic and environmental issues when making decisions, in fact, they did so in all aspects of living their lives. What we need to do is get back to them.

1 out of 5 stars Policical retoric and not science.......2007-04-29

The state of Washington mails each registered voter a "Voter's Pamphlet" with statements for and against each initiative and candidate.

This book has the same format as a page for initiative X complete with rebuttals, but no page against initiative X.

This is completely one sided political rhetoric.

Why are high school students being given 815 pages of brainwashing?

I can understand some political extremest writing this book, but why would the Mercer Island school district buy this book?

I know science.
This ain't science.
Maybe political science.

5 out of 5 stars Good Practical Book.......2007-04-20

Being a chemistry student, I've read this book as part of my classes. I've got to say, it's an excellent book, definitely worth reading by itself. It offers concrete, pragmatic solutions and an unbiased collection of scientificly supported descriptions of environmental problems and how to deal with them. It's also almost completely devoid of gloom and doom, as opposed to some of today's green movements. Very much recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Schoolbook review.......2007-01-03

I found this book to be fairly well written with only a little bias toward evolution, an unproven scientific theory.

5 out of 5 stars Reviews, anyone?.......2006-01-18

This is an excellent textbook, one that I have used in two of my Environmental Science classes (namely, Environmental Problems of Man [Bio 11], and Energy for the Future [Envi Sci 1].) While not completely without bias (which is mostly subtle, and not totally incorrect), the book offers a solid introduction to many environmental issues. The introduction chapter of the textbook states that environmental science is interdisciplinary, and the book is laid out accordingly. Chapters run the gamut from biology, chemisty, simple physics, and pure ecological common sense. An excellent purchase for any serious scientist and/or conscientious environmentalist.
Business and Its Environment (4th Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Business and Its Environment (5th Edition)
  • New Edition is Better
  • The book for dilettante readers
  • The book for dilettante readers
  • Pretty Easy Reading
Business and Its Environment (4th Edition)
David P. Baron
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0130470643

Book Description

Brings together the disciplines of economics, political science, law, and ethics to address a class of management issues of growing importance to the performance of companies. Provides conceptual frameworks for understanding issues in the environment of business and their development; strategy formulation; analysis of the news media; political analysis; the economics and politics of government intervention in markets (regulation, antitrust, and torts); the economics and politics of international trade; the political economy of countries; and ethical analysis and decision-making. For all business professionals, including managers looking to enhance their knowledge of an ever-changing, increasingly global field.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Business and Its Environment (5th Edition).......2006-07-19

This book is an easy read. It has tons of useful information. I would recommend this book.

5 out of 5 stars New Edition is Better.......2005-12-05

There is a new edition (the fifth) for this book, and it is better than the edition shown here. While avoiding a polemical view, Baron illustrates business ethical priciples with very poignant examples and stories. The case studies are very up to date and fun to read. More than that, though, the case studies can form a basis for classroom debate and discussion which not only brings the material to life but also promotes critical thinking and articulation among students.

I liked it very much, and recommend it highly.

4 out of 5 stars The book for dilettante readers.......2002-01-21

The author provided some good examples demonstrating a picture of business and its environment. People who have exposed to Industrial Organization (or at least some levels of application of game theory) will get bored of all arguments without mentioning anything about its quantitative aspect.

3 out of 5 stars The book for dilettante readers.......2002-01-21

The author provided some good examples to demonstrate some business's environments. The book is very readable. You will get bored if you have exposed to industrial organization or some applications of game theory.

3 out of 5 stars Pretty Easy Reading.......1999-05-30

I've read a good chunk of this book during a B-school elective on non-market strategies, and found it imparted some valuable information. It's not very prescriptive if that's what you're looking for. But it made me feel like I got something out of the class despite an unstellar professor.
Natural Resource Conservation: Management for a Sustainable Future (9th Edition)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Natural Resource Conservation: Management for a Sustainable Future (9th Edition)
    Daniel D. Chiras , John P. Reganold , and Oliver S. Owen
    Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 0131458329

    Book Description

    Written from a sustainable perspective, this readable, yet rigorous, book provides comprehensive coverage of a variety of local, regional, national, and global resource and environmental issues from population growth to wetlands to agriculture to global air pollution. It emphasizes practical, cost-effective, sustainable solutions to these problems that make sense from social, economic, and environmental perspectives. Overall increased emphasis on international and global issues (includes many examples from Canada). New information on Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing—integrated GIS Remote Sensing boxed information appears throughout, including 12 case studies. Expanded coverage of ecosystem management and watershed management, global climate change, ozone depletion, wetlands protection, and policy—including new international treaties, new federal laws, and more. The friendly, approachable writing style makes the book accessible to a wide range of readers—from those who want an introduction in natural resource conservation and natural resource management to professionals in this field.
    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

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    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.
    Environmental Science
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • contrary
    Environmental Science
    Daniel D. Chiras
    Manufacturer: Jones & Bartlett Pub
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0763708607

    Book Description

    Completely updated, the new Seventh Edition of Environmental Science enlightens students on the fundamental causes of the current environmental crisis and offers ideas on how we, as a global community, can create a sustainable future. It's student-friendly, up-to-date coverage, newly revised Critical Thinking questions and integrated technology package, prompt students to think critically about the key principles of environmental science and sustainability.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars contrary.......2007-02-10

    This book is more than enlightening in describing and explaining in detail how we have impacted and abused our environment and what we can do to counter act some of the damage. The one thing that I find ironic about preserving the "natural way" is that scientists in all of the science type books that I have read, want to stop the natural pro-creation of man, yet clone animals and man Wow! Wierd, isn't it?
    Flowcharts: Plain & Simple: Learning & Application Guide
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Basic, simple, easy and practical tutorial guide.
    • Very Plain and Simple!
    • Simple yet very useful
    Flowcharts: Plain & Simple: Learning & Application Guide
    Sue, Ed. Reynard
    Manufacturer: ORIEL PRESS
    ProductGroup: Book
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    1. Process Mapping, Process Improvement and Process Management Process Mapping, Process Improvement and Process Management
    2. The Basics of Process Mapping The Basics of Process Mapping
    3. Mapping Work Processes Mapping Work Processes
    4. Business Process Improvement Workbook: Documentation, Analysis, Design, and Management of Business Process Improvement Business Process Improvement Workbook: Documentation, Analysis, Design, and Management of Business Process Improvement
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    ASIN: 1884731031

    Book Description

    Flowcharts teaches how to create and compare different flowcharts that outline the sequence of steps in a process. The information is presented in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner through a series of exercises and case studies. Users of Plain & Simple Series learn how to select the right tool for the task at hand, collect the right data, interpret the data, and take appropriate action based on their findings.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Basic, simple, easy and practical tutorial guide........2007-08-11

    This book is a tutorial for business flowcharting. This is not a reference book, it is a tutorial; as such it has lot of repetitions and exercises to be sure you learn why and how to create useful flowcharts. If you are a computer programmer, don't get this book, as it does not cover that kind of flowcharts. But if you are a manager, planner, medical doctor (this is a good guide to develop flowcharts for clinical guidelines), or technical writer and you have never created flowcharts before, get this book.

    This book cover four flowcharts: basic, detailed, opportunity and deployment charts. They may have other names in other books or softwares but they are the most common types used in the business environment.

    The book does NOT cover the usage of any flowcharting software; after reading this you will be able to do it with any software or just with a pencil and paper. The book is about the why, when and how, not about using some software.

    The book is pretty easy to read; I think even a child can learn from this book without any problem.

    Also, with the book are included some flowcharting paper templates so you can make photocopies and practice.

    3 out of 5 stars Very Plain and Simple!.......2007-06-15

    This thin book provides the basics of flowcharting basics for a very reasonable price without needing to trawl through the internet to find it.

    If you know how to draw basic flow charts in applications like Visio and other MS Office tools, it's likely you will find that you will not get anything out of this book.

    This book is designed for someone who is completely new to flow charting, or for someone who needs to teach this skill to others.

    What I would have like to have seen is an additional section describing the different standards used in flowcharting and a list of common tools that are available.

    While most of the information can be found online for free, it is nice to have it printed in one spot.

    5 out of 5 stars Simple yet very useful.......2003-07-24

    There's almost no reference on the market today about flowcharting basics and their usage for different purposes. Since the basic information is vital for whom plan to begin process mapping, this book is a very good beginning to understand and teach the team the flowcharting basics and different types of flowcharts which can be selected according to your needs. Examples and hints are also very useful.
    Confronting Consumption
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Confronting Overconsumption
    • Best book in Global Environmental Affairs
    • Best Book in Global Environmental Affairs
    Confronting Consumption

    Manufacturer: The MIT Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0262661284

    Book Description

    Comforting terms such as "sustainable development" and "green production" frame environmental debate by stressing technology (not green enough), economic growth (not enough in the right places), and population (too large). Concern about consumption emerges, if at all, in benign ways--as calls for green purchasing or more recycling, or for small changes in production processes. Many academics, policymakers, and journalists, in fact, accept the economists' view of consumption as nothing less than the purpose of the economy. Yet many people have a troubled, intuitive understanding that tinkering at the margins of production and purchasing will not put society on an ecologically and socially sustainable path.

    Confronting Consumption places consumption at the center of debate by conceptualizing "the consumption problem" and documenting diverse efforts to confront it. In Part 1, the book frames consumption as a problem of political and ecological economy, emphasizing core concepts of individualization and commoditization. Part 2 develops the idea of distancing and examines transnational chains of consumption in the context of economic globalization. Part 3 describes citizen action through local currencies, home power, voluntary simplicity, "ad-busting," and product certification. Together, the chapters propose "cautious consuming" and "better producing" as an activist and policy response to environmental problems. The book concludes that confronting consumption must become a driving focus of contemporary environmental scholarship and activism.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Confronting Overconsumption.......2005-06-04

    Obviously you need to consume in order to survive and consume more in order to live comfortably. But in this country at least, it is almost impossible not to overconsume. Our president encourages us to spend more. Our vice president sneers that some "virtuous" people would have us conserve energy rather than use as much as we want to, at any cost. TV and other media bombard us with messages to eat more and buy more. Our financial advisors tell us to buy the biggest house we can afford. When was the last time anyone suggested saving money rather than "investing" it?

    Confronting Consumption tackles the problem from several angles. I'm afraid the larger global arguments Princen and his fellow editors and academics make are lost on me when they write of "commoditization" and "conceptualizing the consumption problem." But in the final section they get down to ground level and talk about voluntary simplicity, Adbusters, and alternate methods of home power (off the grid).

    An especially interesting observation appears in Michael Maniates's essay about the voluntary simplicity movement. He attended a voluntary simplicity day at a university. Thousands of people showed up, many more than the organizers expected. They wanted to know about cutting living expenses, downshifting, and job-sharing. They were not at all interested in the Sierra Club presentation or other "save the planet" groups. It isn't that people aspiring to live simply don't want to help save the planet. They just want to do it in a more manageable way, one person, one family at a time.

    Unfortunately, that won't undo the ecological, financial, and human damage already caused by overconsumption. For that, we will need leaders who at the very least acknowledge that overconsumption is a problem, not a virtue.

    5 out of 5 stars Best book in Global Environmental Affairs.......2003-02-02

    This award-winning book ("The Best Book in Global Environmental Affairs" according to the International Studies Association) offers an accessible and engaging analysis of the 800 pound gorilla in the living room that environmentalists find difficult to talk about with force: overconsumption. The early portion of the book documents the problem; the middle chunk offers a set of mental lenses for making sense of our quandry; and the final chapters offer real-life stories of actors and movements (the voluntary simplicity movement, for example, and the home power and local currency movements too) challenging the upward escalating trajectory of the consumption of "stuff."

    What's especially helpful about the book -- in addition to its "something for everyone" flavor -- is that it moves beyond simplistic prescriptions to "squash advertising" or "buy recycled products." Indeed, it is rather skeptical of these measures, which it views as diversionary activities meant to take our eye off the underlying forces at war with the planet. Instead, it offers strategies for coming together collectively to challenge broader powers and structures that make it so difficult for people worried about the future of the planet to live more with less.

    5 out of 5 stars Best Book in Global Environmental Affairs.......2003-01-30

    This award-winning book ("The Best Book in Global Environmental Affairs" according to the International Studies Association) offers an accessible and engaging analysis of the 800 pound gorilla in the living room that environmentalists find difficult to talk about with force: overconsumption. The early portion of the book documents the problem; the middle chunk offers a set of mental lenses for making sense of our quandry; and the final chapters offer real-life stories of actors and movements (the voluntary simplicity movement, for example, and the home power and local currency movements too) challenging the upward escalating trajectory of the consumption of "stuff."

    What's especially helpful about the book -- in addition to its "something for everyone" flavor -- is that it moves beyond simplistic prescriptions to "squash advertising" or "buy recycled products." Indeed, it is rather skeptical of these measures, which it tends to view as diversionary activities meant to take our eye off the underlying forces at war with the planet. Instead, it offers strategies for coming together collectively to challenge broader powers and structures that make it so difficult for people worried about the future of the planet to live more with less.
    The Raising of Money: Thirty-Five Essentials Every Trustee Should Know
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Enjoyable, with an intellectual appeal.
    The Raising of Money: Thirty-Five Essentials Every Trustee Should Know
    James, Gregory Lord
    Manufacturer: Philanthropic Quest International
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 093912002X

    Book Description

    "Sage advice." -- Booklist, March 15, 1983 "The" classic book on fund raising. "The Raising of Money" quickly became the all-time bestselling book in the world on fund raising, a distinction it continues to maintain because the human principles are timeless. It's also still the only book that distills the most important ideas - the essence - of fund raising and presents them in such a concise and useful format. It's like a checklist. The core of fund raising's key ideas are delivered each in a few hundred words. Often, called "the bible of fund raising," it's also being used as a desk-top reference for the professional, including the organization's CEO. Professionals give the book to volunteers as a gift to do their work for them: It gives them a quick grasp of work works in fund raising and what doesn't. It is designed to add weight and credibility to the ideas that the most successful development executives emphasize to their volunteers. ?? Author Jim Lord's life has been dedicated to advancing society, beginning with a 1975 series of articles on quality of life in American cities. In the first decades of his work, he facilitated the investments that people wanted to make in social sector organizations. And indeed billions of dollars have been contributed to causes where Jim has served as "thinking partner" in the relationship. A complement to "The Raising of Money" is "The Philanthropic Quest," a nine-installment series for the professional in fund raising. Looking beyond the rewards of that pathway, he committed himself to expanding the idea of what is possible for humanity, studying that question in intensive workshops with small groups of selected leaders from more than 50 countries. From that groundbreaking work, new ideas and practices emerged to advance our society to its next level through causes and organizations of social good. Now, more than a decade after the first learning lab, those discoveries will become available in his title, "What Kind of World Do You Want?" The author is listed in 'Who's Who in the World.' www.lord.org. Three Volunteer Leaders Comment on Jim Lord's work . . . From the founder of Procura A.C., the first institute in Latin America to teach institutional development . . . "Jim has helped me visualize where donors and non-profit organizations converge, where we can make the difference in a positive, human and ethical way. Bravo, Jim! Your way of thinking has inspired the 6,000 participants Procura has trained in Mexico and Latin America." - Marcela Orvananos de Rovzar, President of the Board, UNICEF Mexico From the former vice chair of the largest privately held company in the world . . . "When I was introduced to this approach, it was the first time an organization had ever asked what was important to me. It influenced how I think about myself philanthropically and how we need to treat others." - Barney Saunders, Civic leader; Vice chair (retired) Cargill, Inc. From the co-founder of a ten-year old school in Vancouver, widely considered the best in British Columbia . . . "We always felt we were on a heroic journey and it was confirmed to us by an introduction to Jim Lord's Philanthropic Quest. Jim's talent lies in helping individuals and organizations discover their strengths and articulate their highest aspirations for themselves and for society at large. This process energizes and inspires the commitment of volunteers and donors. What a gift for us all." - Debbie MacDougall, Board member, Southridge School, Vancouver

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, with an intellectual appeal........2000-08-08

    This book will likely not become obsolete as long as nonprofits are raising money. It doesn't attempt to address many specifics, as are different in every situation and with every organization wishing to raise money. Instead, it addresses the theories and philosophies of philanthropy and the ideas behind the core art of fund raising. I'm having my employees and board of directors review this book when I am finished with it.
    Handbook on Urban Sustainability
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Handbook on Urban Sustainability

      Manufacturer: Springer
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

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      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.

      Books:

      1. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
      2. A Pattern Garden: The Essential Elements of Garden Making
      3. A Voice in the Wilderness: Conversations with Terry Tempest Williams
      4. An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms (Complex Adaptive Systems)
      5. Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray
      6. Bats in Forests: Conservation and Management
      7. Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2007 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World)
      8. Blue Monday: Fats Domino And the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll
      9. BRS Cell Biology and Histology (Board Review Series)
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