Early Summer Reading: Creation Corner Column June 2013

Cold, Hungry and in the Dark: Exploding the Natural Gas Supply Myth. Bill Powers. New Society Publishers. Explains why shale gas is not the "game-changer" touted by many. Earth Repair: A Grassroots Guide to Healing Toxic and Damaged Landscapes. Leila Darwish. New Society Publishers. From and for those who are impatient, not wanting to wait for the healing of the world. Eco-Business: A Big-Brand Takeover of Sustainability. Peter Dauvergne and Jane Lister. MIT Press. Two experts explain the consequences for the planet when corporations use sustainability as a business tool. The Environmental Advantages of Cities: Countering Commonsense Antiurbanism. William B. Meyer. MIT Press. An analysis that offers evidence to challenge the widely held assumption that urbanization and environmental quality are necessarily at odds. The Five Stages of Collapse: Survivors' Toolkit. Dmitry Orlov. New Society Publishers. Especially for those who think collapse is impossible, this is an entertaining look. Flourishing: A Frank Conversation About Sustainability. John R. Ehrenfeld and Andrew J. Hoffman. Stanford Univ. Press. Of this book, Bill McKibben says: "These are unexpectedly deep and moving conversations about where we can go, and where we must go, both as individuals and as a planet. It's a hardheaded account of the sacredness of the earth, and what that implies for our work and society." The Great Reversal: How We Let Technology Take Control of the Planet. David Edward Tabachnick. Yale University Press. A history of technology, how it threatens our humanity, and clouds our judgment about what constitutes the good life. Harvesting the Biosphere: What We Have Taken from Nature. Vaclav Smil. MIT Press. An interdisciplinary and quantitative account of human claims on the biosphere's stores of living matter, from prehistoric hunting to modern energy production. Henry D. Thoreau, Essays: A Fully Annotated Edition. Edited by Jeffrey S. Cramer. Yale University Press. Arranged chronologically, Thoreau's outlets for his thinking are laid out in the periodical press, newspapers, compendiums and lectures. Living Room Revolution: A Handbook for Conversation, Community and the Common Good. Cecile Andrews. New Society Publishers. An enjoyable primer on how to enrich our lives and make the world a better place at the same time. Living Through the End of Nature: The Future of American Environmentalism. Paul Wapner. MIT Press. An analysis of the theoretical issues of current environmentalism. The Rediscovery of the Wild. edited by Peter H. Kahn, Jr., and Patricia H. Hasbach. MIT Press. A compelling case for connecting with the wild, for our psychological and physical well-being and to flourish as a species. Small Stories, Big Changes: Agents of Change on the Frontlines of Sustainability. Lyle Estill. New Society Publishers. Determined people hard at work on the front lines of the sustainability movement share their inspiring stories. Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution. Brian Czech. New Society Publishers. A vision of steady statesmanship leadership helps to manage and conserve the natural resources and habitats of the world.