Best Books for Wiser Living

(Page 5 of 5)

April/May 2008
By Mother Earth News readers 
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Of all the books that I have read, one stands out — The Turning Point by Fritjof Capra. Capra sheds light on popular culture and society, particularly the influences of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, and clarifies how we got to our modern world view, or paradigm. The turning point occurs when the dominant paradigm gives way to a new view. Capra’s new paradigm takes a holistic approach “based on awareness of the essential interrelatedness and interdependence of all phenomena physical, biological, psychological, social and cultural.”

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The closest concept that we have today to Capra’s paradigm is sustainability. Inspired by this book, I have been working in the areas of solar energy and sustainable design, both in practice and as a college teacher. Though I read his book over 20 years ago, it still profoundly influences my life today.
Andy Lau
State College, Pennsylvania

Change the World by Changing Your Perspective

I didn’t know what to expect from Daniel Quinn’s The Story of B, and therefore was not prepared to be introduced to my own culture from such a different perspective.

Quinn points out that diversity is what makes a system strong and adaptable, that a single species or culture cannot take over an entire habitat. Because tribal groups are unique and have developed their own working lifestyles, Quinn thinks that only one modern culture needs to change its ways — ours.

Quinn’s method is to demonstrate to us what we already know, and in so doing, guide us to change our way of thinking. “If the world is saved,” he says, “it will be saved by people with changed minds.”

My mind has been changed.
Peg Ryan
Fort Plain, New York

The Original, and Still the Best

Henry David Thoreau’s Walden has caused me to rethink many facets of my life, and forced me to consider how changing to a simpler but infinitely more enriching lifestyle is not only possible, but necessary.

More than anything, Walden is the work of a man begging his fellow men to step outside the obvious and live life by their own standards. While Thoreau’s world may not contain many material goods, there are great riches to be found by anyone willing to join him in the discovery.

I have enjoyed returning to this book, sensing again just how profound his statements are and just how applicable his theories remain.
Michael Jones
Farmington, New York

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