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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflondon AT mindspring.com>
  • To: market-farming
  • Subject: Agriculture bibliography Part 27
  • Date: Sat, 04 Mar 2000 01:14:23 -0500




***************************************************

Limited Wants, Unlimited Means : A Reader on Hunter-Gatherer Economics
and the
Environment
by John M. Gowdy (Editor) Our Price: $27.00 Special Order Paperback -
(January
1998) 300 pages
Customer Comments : NS(shadago AT sbcm.com) from New York , April 6, 1998
insightful
and timely This is a wonderful collection of articles on economic
anthropology.
The
book begins with the seminal article by Marshall Sahlins' on the
"original
affluent
society" which debunked the myth that pre-agricultural life was
"short, nasty
and
brutish". Monographs by Richard Lee and Lorne Marshall that originally
appeared
in
'Man the Hunter' are included. The main thrust of the book is that
primitive
cultures had found a way of living on this planet that was
sustainable, but in
the
Neolithic era our farming ancestors abandoned this way of living for a
much more
arduous life-style that is ecologically unsustainable. What was the
basis for
this
change? This book explores some of the canonical assumptions in our
economic
thought
and how it differs fundamentally from that of primitive cultures. This
is a
great
starting point for anyone interested in paradigms for sustainable
development.
References and further reading lists are particularly useful.

***************************************************

A Green History of the World : The Environment and the Collapse of
Great
Civilizations
by Clive Ponting Our Price: $11.96 You Save: $2.99 (20%) Usually ships
in 24
hours
Paperback - (April 1993)
Reviews From Kirkus Reviews , February 15, 1992 A comprehensive
assessment of
humanity's assault on the environment across the centuries, by British
historian
Ponting (University College, Swansea). Examining the interaction
between
societies
and their surroundings from the earliest hunter-gatherer groups on,
Ponting
describes the first great leap of civilization--the development of
crops and
agriculture--as the start of a systematic environmental
transformation. As
groups
settled near their fields and as populations grew, the burden on the
land
increased,
and at times the ecological pressure grew too great. Crop irrigation,
the author
says, led to increased salination and diminished yields, while a loss
of forest
cover brought erosion and the destruction of precious arable land. The
Sumerian
civilization in the Middle East and the Mayans of Central America,
among others,
fell victim to these limits to growth, with the collapse in some cases
being
precipitous. Other societies survived, however, to participate in the
more
recent
great transition involving the use of fossil fuels for energy. With
this step,
Ponting says, environmental degradation increased exponentially
through
pollution at
all stages of the industrialization process--and, in addition, the
industrialized
societies, by their exploitation of others less advanced, created the
Third
World,
with its Pandora's Box of poverty, overpopulation, and other social
ills that
continue to worsen today. Ponting suggests no solutions, marking
instead the
devastating course of human progress and the ruins that serve as its
milestones.
Few
colorful anecdotes, but an impressive accumulation of evidence culled
from the
annals of recorded history: a sobering view of a planet deeply in
peril. (Maps
and
charts.) -- Copyright 1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights
reserved. --This
text
refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Synopsis For
the
first time, a professional historian examines human history not in
terms of war,
politics, or economics, but from an environmental perspective: how
nature has
affected the growth of human civilizations, and how humanity has
altered the
earth.
Maps and charts throughout. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable
edition of this title. Synopsis An examination of human history in
terms of
the
environment explores how nature has affected the growth of human
civilization
and
how human civilization has affected nature, from the earliest
hunter-gatherer
groups
to the present. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable
edition of
this
title. Synopsis In an important work that forces readers to view
history with
new
eyes, Ponting shows in compelling detail how, over and over, human
beings
throughout
history have prospered by exploiting the Earth's resources to the
point where
they
could no longer sustain societies' populations, causing collapse.
Publicity to
tie
in with Earth Day (April 23rd). Booknews, Inc. , May 1, 1993
Historian Ponting
examines human history from an environmental perspective--how nature
has
affected
the growth of civilizations, and how humanity has altered the
earth--and
concludes
that if the current global civilization follows the pattern of earlier
civilizations, it will outstrip its resource base, bringing about its
own
destruction. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. --This
text
refers
to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Customer Comments : remik AT geocities.com from Hoboken, NJ , September
22, 1998 A
must read. It may change how you think. This just isn't some
greenpeace hippy
book.
It really gets into many fascinating aspects of mankind's err with our
world.
Things
might change for a better future if everyone read this book. A
reader from
Hoboken, NJ , September 10, 1998 decent This book is very
interesting. It also
moves very slowly. The format is well thought out, and there has been
a lot of
time
and research put into the book

***************************************************

Cannibals and Kings : The Origins of Cultures
by Marvin Harris Our Price: $10.40 You Save: $2.60 (20%) Usually ships
in 2-3
days
Paperback - (June 1991)
Reviews Book Description By the distinguished American
anthropologist, the
brilliant study that shows how the endless varieties of cultural
behavior- often
so
puzzling at first glance- can be explained as adaptations to
particular
ecological
conditions.
Customer Comments : nancymc AT voicenet.com from New Jersey, USA ,
February 23,
1998
One of the most important books of the 20th century This is the book
that
introduced me to Marvin Harris and cultural materialism - one of the
most
important
intellectual developments of the 20th century. If you like this book
and you
want to
delve even further into Harris's theories, check out "Cultural
Materialism - the
Struggle for a Science of Culture". Not only does he explain CM, he
explains and
refutes competing schools of anthropology. afreese AT cstp.umkc.edu
from Kansas
City,
MO , October 22, 1997 Very High Quality Writing. Thought provoking to
the
extreme
This book was used as one of the textbooks in a Sociology class that I
took. I
was
very impressed by the quality of writting and with the reasoning and
thoughts
contained within. I highly recomend it; even for recreational reading.
Especially if
you enjoy thinking along lines that you may not have explored before.

***************************************************

Our Kind : Who We Are, Where We Came From, and Where We Are Going
by Marvin Harris Our Price: $13.60 You Save: $3.40 (20%) Usually ships
in 24
hours
Paperback - (September 1990) 560 pages
Customer Comments : apiontek AT pomona.edu from Roseville, MN, USA ,
August 4, 1998
Good, but dated, and has the usual failings of pop-sci books A nice
survey of
what
we know about why we humans are the way we are in LOTS of different
areas.
However,
it's now a little dated, and Harris says a lot that we actually don't
know.
It's
always difficult to find popular books about Anthropology that
actually say
something about questions Anthropology is still struggling with, and
probably
always
will. There are anthropologists who view humans in a very
reductionist,
cause-and-effect-with-nature kind of way, like Harris does. But there
are also
Anthropologists who view humans as a products of their own invention,
of
cultural
mutation. I think the best road is the middle one. It's a great book
that tells
most of the story, but don't make it the only one you read.
rnepean AT ncs.com
from
Toronto , August 28, 1997 Thought Provoking Despite the hamburger
on the
cover
this book is one of the most thought provoking books I have read. The
book
explores
how humankind originated and evolved to where we have and where we are
possibly
headed. Explanations of food, religion, war, race, sex, and gender
roles all
provide
the basis for some deep coffee drinking contemplation of what is
humankind.

***************************************************

Restoring the Earth : Visionary Solutions from the Bioneers
by Ken Ausubel, Kenny Ausubel Our Price: $10.36 You Save: $2.59 (20%)
Usually
ships
in 24 hours Paperback - (August 1997) 288 pages
Reviews : E.M., Willamette Week Ausubel's message - that we're
entering an era
in
which we will live within our biological limits - might seem overly
optimistic,
but
he somehow manages to suspend disbelief. At least while you're reading
his book,
an
observation once made by Margaret Mead rings true: Never doubt that a
small
group of
thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the
only thing
that
ever has. Restoring the Earth is a good book to reach for when life
looks
particularly grim.
Network Quarterly : This book contains stunning information for
everyone.
Problems
with the environment, whether it’s soil erosion, pollutants, food
tampering, or
any
other area of concern, are given attention by this incredible
compilation of
bio-pioneers. The positive aspect of this book is that the solutions
that work
are
described. Within the text is the intelligence for survival and
healing of
ourselves
and the planet through relying on nature and ancient knowledge
providing Earth
Wisdom and Earth Harmony. These are heroic stories, hopeful stories
especially
since
some of the information is shocking. These bioneers are our hope and
our future.
The
solutions they offer are remarkably simple in some cases and can be
implemented
on
may levels.
Whole Earth, Spring 1998 : A lot of good news for a change, or, more
accurately,
of change. Restoring the Earth presents many of the heavy cutters at
the fabled
cutting edge of what is loosely dubbed sustainability. Kenny Ausubel,
founder of
Seeds of Change, is interested in affairs of the spirit, inspiring
readers with
the
stories of and from real people doing what needs to be done instead of
fretting
about finding a job or being downsized. Or quitting in despair. You'll
probably
be
glad to meet them all, even if you don't need role models.
NAPRA ReVIEW, Summer 1997: I first encountered Ausubel at a slide
show he was
giving to promote his first book, Seeds of Change (Harper, San
Francisco), which
profiled a company of the same name that markets organic and heirloom
seeds to
backyard gardeners in an effort to preserve bio-diversity. To describe
his
presentation as inspiring would be an understatement: Here was someone
combining
grassroots (literally!) activism with entrepreneurial spirit to
address a very
real
environmental concern. His portrayal of the interests of agribusiness
was
harrowing
as his pictures of New Mexico farm/seed bank were stunning, even
moving. Here
was
environmentalism being carried out on a variety of levels, blending
optimism
with
beauty, politics with enterprise. His new book profiles others who
are
committed
to the same vision: an Indian scientist preserving native seed stocks
and
traditional farming practices; a German minister of environmental
affairs
pioneering
green public policy; a mestizo poet whose work passes on a strong
Earth-honoring
tradition; and many more. The efforts of each of these visionaries
demonstrate
that
solutions to environmental problems do exist, inspiring and
emboldening us to
personally participate in restoring the Earth.
The Earth Times, November 1997 : All great religious movements and may
powerful
ideological systems are birthed in visions. Often those visions were
inspired by
the
urgent need for solutions to awful situations in which humans found
themselves
on
Earth. There is an almost mystical relationship between this ethereal
vision,
this
intangible dream, and the gritty reality it purports to ameliorate.
Kenny
Ausubel's Restoring the Earth, honestly subtitled Visionary Solutions
from the
Bioneers, is like a seedbed of ideas for healing the ailments of the
globe we
call
home, especially those diseases inflicted on it by us, the very
species now
menaced
by them. If the very good, dedicated and intelligent people who are
making their
way
through life working to alleviate our slide into an ecological hell,
if they
appear
to be Quixotic, tilting vainly against windmills of profit and greed,
let us
remember that all great tides of history were set in motion by such
people.
Often,
history has awarded these heroes and heroines their garlands of
victory only in
retroactive appraisal. There is a lot to chew on here, so many
facts, so many
solutions. What with all the threats of extinction hurled at us, it is
encouraging
to learn about peoples who haven’t thrown in the sponge, except into
the ocean
where
it is ecologically correct.
Larry Dossey, M.D., Author of Prayer is Good Medicine and Healing
Words : If
you've
ever wondered what you can do to restore the Earth, read this book.
Starhawk,
author of Walking to Mercury and The Fifth Sacred Thing : Restoring
the Earth is
a
vitally important and much-needed book than will challenge us to
change our
vision
of the environmental movement. Ausubel makes it clear that our
environmental
problems are not hopeless, that in fact solutions exist. He challenges
us to
find
the political will to support the vision of the Bioneers. Everyone
interested in
the
future of the Earth should read this book.
Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life : Restoring the Earth is
full of
concrete
examples of how ecological pioneers are rising to the great challenge
of our
time,
creating sustainable communities. This wonderful book gives us hope
and inspires
us
to become bioneers ourselves." "Restoring the Earth is a guide to a
future that
works - a future that's healthy and sustainable and magnificently
beautiful.
Restoring the Earth shines a beacon of hope and clarity." (John
Robbins, author
of
Reclaiming Our Health and Diet for a New America)
Book Description : Restoring the Earth is destined to become the
central
enterprise
of the years ahead. Leading that effort is a growing movement of
bioneers,
biological pioneers who are using nature to heal nature, and working
with
individuals, communities, business, and governments to implement real
change.
Offering practical solutions for virtually all our critical
environmental
problems,
these working models hold keys to planetary survival that can be
refined,
replicated, and rapidly spread around the world. Biology is indeed
destiny,
and
the survival of humankind rests upon our ability to live within the
limits of
the
natural world. Impassioned visionaries, the bioneers are pointing the
way.
Synopsis : The founder of the Bioneers conference, an annual event for
ecologists
from around the world, presents a collection of profiles of visionary
men and
women
and their solutions to the planet's most pressing ecological problems.
Restoring
the Earth is destined to become the central enterprise of the years
ahead.
Leading
that effort is a growing movement of "bioneers," biological pioneers
who are
using
nature to heal nature and working with individuals, communities,
business, and
governments to implement real change. Offering practical solutions for
virtually
all
our critical environmental problems, these working models hold keys to
planetary
survival that can be refined, replicated, and rapidly spread around
the world.
>From the Publisher : To our readers: The books we publish are our
contribution
to an
emerging world based on cooperation rather than on competition, on
affirmation
of
the human spirit rather than on self-doubt, and on the certainty that
all
humanity
is connected. Our goal is to touch as many lives as possible with a
message of
hope
for a better world. - Hal and Linda Kramer, Publishers
>From the Back Cover : Restoring the Earth is destined to become the
central
enterprise of the years ahead. Leading that effort is a growing
movement of
bioneers, biological pioneers who are using nature to heal nature, and
working
with
individuals, communities, business, and governments to implement real
change.
Offering practical solutions for virtually all our critical
environmental
problems,
these working models hold keys to planetary survival that can be
refined,
replicated, and rapidly spread around the world. Biology is indeed
destiny,
and
the survival of humankind rests upon our ability to live within the
limits of
the
natural world. Impassioned visionaries, the bioneers are pointing the
way.
What
People Are Saying About Restoring the Earth "Restoring the Earth is
a guide to
a
future that works - a future that's healthy and sustainable and
magnificently
beautiful. Restoring the Earth shines a beacon of hope and clarity."
(John
Robbins,
author of Reclaiming Our Health and Diet for a New America)
"Restoring the
Earth
is about wise guides and heroes - people whose lives embody solutions
to our
ecological crisis. If you've ever wondered what you can do to restore
the Earth,
read this book." (Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Prayer is Good
Medicine and
Healing
Words) "Restoring the Earth is full of concrete examples of how
ecological
pioneers are rising to the great challenge of our timecreating
sustainable
communities. This wonderful book gives us hope and inspires us to
become
bioneers
ourselves." (Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life) "Restoring
the Earth is
a
Declaration of Interdependence that is not to be missed - a road map
to a future
we
world all want to live in."(Jim Hightower, Progressive populist radio
host and
commentator) "Restoring the Earth tells the stories of present-day
pioneers
who
see the world in an entirely novel way. From their vision, an
extraordinary new
world is emerging." (Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce)
About the Author : Kenny Ausubel is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and
author. It
was
his vision that founded the company Seeds of Changes, a pioneer
enterprise that
markets heirloom seeds to backyard gardeners in an effort to preserve
the
bio-diversity of our food supply. He is the co-founder of the Bioneers
conference,
an annual event that attracts leading restoration ecologists from
around the
world.
He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife Nina.
Excerpted from Restoring the Earth : Visionary Solutions from the
Bioneers by
Ken
Ausubel and Kenny Ausubel. : The signs are everywhere, when you know
where to
look.
Like grass sprouting thorough the pavement, the force of life is
reclaiming the
earth and infiltrating culture the moment the machines go silent and
their
guards
fall asleep. Awareness of the inevitability of global restoration is
spreading
steadily among giant corporations, government institutions, grassroots
activists,
and individuals and communities around the world. Restoring the
Earth is
destined
to be the central enterprise of the years ahead, and leading the
effort is a
growing
movement of bioneers, biological pioneers who are using nature to heal
nature.
As
environmental restoration emerges as a major global industry, the
bioneers are
acting as the pilot fish guiding the dynamic transition to a future
environment
of
hope. Through it is not widely known, the bioneers have devised
practical
solutions
for virtually all our crucial environmental problems, and the problems
are truly
grave. Brother Can You Spare a Paradigm? Try as we might, human
beings have
been
unable to repeal the law of gravity or regulate the weather. In that
sense,
biology
is indeed destiny, as the ultimate fate of our species rests upon our
ability to
live within the limits of the natural world. As we witness the
widespread
degradation of the basic life-support system upon which human and all
biological
life depends, we are realizing that Earth itself is stronger than we
can imagine
and
will certainly survive our folly. But human beings as a species may
not prevail,
and
we are permanently destroying countless other species in a cascade of
extinction
bearing the unprecedented mark of the human hand. Many scientific
experts tell
us
that we have only the decade of the 1990s to launch a fundamental
reversal of
the
devastating damage we have visited upon Earth.
1. Environmental conditions are also precipitating mounting political
crises, as
journalist Robert Kaplan disturbingly illustrated in his article The
Coming
Anarchy.
Characterizing the environment as a hostile power, he wrote, "For a
while the
media
will continue to ascribe riots and other violent upheavals abroad
mainly to
ethnic
and religious conflict. But as these conflicts multiply it will become
apparent
that
something else is afoot, making more and more places like Nigeria,
India, and
Brazil
ungovernable. It is time to understand the environment for what it is:
the
national
security issue of the early twenty-first century. The political and
strategic
impact
of surging populations, spreading disease, deforestation and soil
erosion, water
depletion, air pollution, and, possibly, rising sea levels in
critical,
overcrowded
regions like the Nile Delta and Bangladesh - developments that will
prompt mass
migrations and, in turn, incite group conflicts - will be the core
foreign-policy
challenge from which most others will ultimately emanate, arousing the
public
and
uniting assorted interests over from the Cold War."
2. How have our advanced science and technology led our society to the
brink of
the
most unnatural disaster? What is our place in the natural world? How
do we set
about
restoring Earth, our home? In fact, practical solutions do exist for
almost
all
our environmental problems. Dedicated bands of bioneers have been
persistent in
creating and demonstrating innovative models. They span fields as
divergent as
restorative agriculture, ecological design, power generation, water
purification,
natural medicine biodiversity conservation, economic renewal, cultural
revival,
and
spiritual politics. They have produced successful prototypes and shown
their
effectiveness. These working models hold the keys to our survival and
can be
refined, replicated, and rapidly spread around the world. The
optimistic bioneer
vision is already empowering individuals, communities, groups, and
companies to
act
as a primary force in the fabric of restoration. The bioneers herald
a coming
Age
of Biology, one in which as human beings we ground our lives within
the limits
of
the natural world. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and we
are
learning
to emulate natural systems to fashion benign technologies and just
forms of
social
organization. Above all, the bioneers call for us to grow a culture
that
connects
with the sanctity of all life through the heart of nature. The
Superb Art of
Relationship Biology is not rocket science. It if far more complex
and subtle
than
the physics of sending metal to the moon. Ecology is the superb art of
relationship
in the fantastically elaborate web of life. As geneticist David T.
Suzuki
observes,
In fact, so exquisitely orchestrated is this global system of flowing
energy and
matter that the biosphere as a whole seems at times to have the
self-perpetuation
qualities that we normally associate only with intact living
organisms. The
entire
Earth, within its extraordinary capacity (within limits) to regulate
and
maintain
its own global ecological balance, acts as if it were a single great
superorganism
of planetary proportions.
3. This concept, elaborated as the Gaia Hypothesis by scientists James
Lovelock
and
Lynn Margulis, views the very Earth as a whole living system that is
self-regulating.
4. Margulis, a revolutionary microbiologist who has spent her life
studying
bacteria, happily underscores the fact that we live in a microbial
world. Our
bodies
may be little more than convenient hosts for the
three-and-a-half-billion-year-old
microbial community. Microbes, which make up at least 80 percent of
the Earth's
biomass, are now believed to have been the dominant player in creating
and
arranging
the rocks, seas, oil, soils gases, metals, and minerals of the Earth's
surface.
5. Without these organisms, all life would cease because decomposition
would no
longer occur and we would be buried in a matter of weeks under a heap
of eternal
biomass. Perhaps we should learn some respect for this invisible
microbial
polyverse, which cohabits our own universe and generously harbor us as
guests.
The
mystery of life and living organisms is probably so intricate and
profound as to
be
ultimately unknowable by human beings. Esteemed Harvard biologist
Edward O.
Wilson
paints this remarkable tableau of biological relationships among
leafcutter ants
and
fungi: The leafcutter colony is a single organism. The superorganism's
brain is
the
entire colony.Through a unique step in evolution taken millions of
years ago,
the
ants captured a fungus, incorporated it into the superorganism, and so
gained
the
power to digest leaves. Or perhaps the relationship is the other way
around.
Perhaps
the fungus captured the ants and employed them as a mobile extension
to take
leaves
into the moist underground chambers. In any case, the two now own
each other
and
will never pull apart. The ant-fungus combination is one of evolutions
master
clockworks, tireless, repetitive and precise, more complicated than
any human
invention and unimaginably old.
6. It is this sort of model of symbiosis that infuses the work of the
bioneers.
Their solution mimic natural forms and systems with biomorphic
(imitating
biological
forms) technologies based on nature and containing live intelligence.
They
embody
complex dynamic systems characterized by constant change. Bioneer
systems have a
pulse. They are alive and sovereign.
Customer Comments : A reader from Houston TX , October 27, 1998 A
resource book
that inspires This book gave me a positive pre-view of the future I
always
hoped
could be. For example, In the references for one of the chapters on
finances I
found
several mutual funds operated by environmental friendly companies.
These
eco-mutual
funds have made me money and a percentage of the profits the funds
earn go to
very
respectable environmental 'charities' etc. Read this book if you want
to find a
way
to feel good about what you investments are doing! A reader from
Vancouver ,
October 5, 1998 Exceptional, truly visionary! The solutions to local
and
global
challenges are the PEOPLE featured here. >From architecture to
medicine to
agriculture, this book offers leading-edge problem-solvers who will
knock your
socks
offhand teach you much in the process. Get ready to re-vision the
world I find
inspiration in every chapter, and can't wait for the world to feast
here as I
have.
The author shows a deep understanding of a number of disciplines that,
together,
present a systemic view of how we might move forward. A must read for
teachers,
college students, and parents concerned about the world their children
will
inherit.
eliz AT sgi.com from Palo Alto, CA , November 22, 1997 Don't miss this
book!
Ausubel's Restoring the Earth is vital, inspiring, and unique. In
reading it,
you
will see the future of agriculture, design, medicine, and much more.
For once, a
book that fluidly merges and illuminates both social and environmental
realities.
For once, instead of simply depressing you or just screaming "somebody
do
something!"--it addresses these urgent realities with exciting
solutions that
are
*already* tried and true. This is more than a lucid, intelligent
outline of our
planet's most pressing circumstances, it is a series of well-written
stories
about
today's visionaries: innovative, real people that have come up with
almost
magical
solutions to save biodiversity and money at the same time. Reading
Ausubel's
book is
a great way to be educated and uplifted at the same time.
Lawrence F. London, Jr. Venaura Farm
intergarden.com InterGarden
metalab.unc.edu/intergarden InterGarden
metalab.unc.edu/permaculture PermaSphere
metalab.unc.edu/intergarden/orgfarm AGINFO
lflondon AT mindspring.com london AT metalab.unc.edu



  • Agriculture bibliography Part 27, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 03/04/2000

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