Small Revolutions: Voluntary Simplicity in Devon

Free Book Download: Plan B 2.0 - Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble

Every now and then you come across a book and you want to buy everyone you know a copy of it. This is one of those books.

We know what the problems are for the planet. Now it's time to get behind a solution.

Written by the president of the Earth Policy Institute, Lester Brown, it's an examination of the problems we face right now and how we can make the transition to a new economy which is sustainable - without overshoot, without collapse - and solving third world poverty at the same time.

I haven't read it all yet, and I will review it when I have finished it, but so far this book does what no other book I've read so far has done: it's putting together all the solutions we know we already have, and envisioning them on a planetary scale.

It is big picture stuff. It's about solutions and not problems.

More than ever, we need a shared vision which we can buy into collectively - at all levels - because too many of us just feel like 'individuals doing our bit' which can be lonely sometimes, and frustrating when we see the prevalence of the problems.

More than ever we need the hope and the optimism that we can really bring about change in a cogent and structured way. This book shows how it could all knit together in a plan for a new economy - Plan B.

Whether you buy a copy of Plan B 2.0 - Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble or you download chapters for free it's a book I think will be very important.

I'll try and review it in the next two weeks, but you can dip in and out of it and judge for yourself by visiting the Plan B 2.0 minisite at the Earth Policy Institute.

The Lilypad List

Last night I was browsing Marian's site and came across a free download of chapter one of her book, The Lilypad List.

I found it so engaging and interesting that I bought the book immediately. Even though I have a book on the go already and had vowed (via the It's Not Easy Being Green Forums) to not buy anything new except food, clothes, essentials.

Once I have read the whole book, I will write up a proper review.

Can't wait till it comes...

The Miracle of Mindfulness

I don't tend to read books cover to cover nowadays. Instead, I graze.

I find nuggets of information, and chew them over. Because I like thinking, and the books I buy make me think.

This week I have been mostly reading Thich Nhat Hanh's, The Miracle of Mindfulness.

As I progress I am seeing more how consciousness and mindfulness contribute to voluntary simplicity.

I was running a workshop today and of 14 people registering at least 3 didn't turn up. A further person didn't come back after one of the breaks.

I saw one of them later on in the office walking in my direction. Something inside of me let go. And I made eye contact and smiled - genuinely. That was it. No bad feeling inside, no wanting an explanation. No brooding upon rudeness. I actually felt a bit (just a bit) compassionate towards them.

Perhaps it has been the (sort of) meditation (in bed, on the bus) on the interdependence of things that has led to this change of heart.

Holding a grudge requires energy and effort.
Because you have to hold the grudge and not the other person.

But also I think it is the idea of letting go, of non-attachment to the fruits of one's labour.

You do your best, and then you step back.
Which saves so much agonising and energy spent on being upset.

It reminds me of a comment Marian Van Eyk McCain made on Jessica's blog which struck me very much. Whether the world can be saved or not from ecological breakdown, (I prefer to think it can by the way)  in both cases we'll need  compassion, caring and detachment. So that's what we have to do.

I'll be setting aside more time for mindfulness and loving kindness meditation. Because both, through very little effort in the past couple of days have improved my world.

It's not that the world has changed, but the way I look at it.

And I have felt lighter and freer for it.

The Woodland Way by Ben Law

I'm reading this for the coppicing course. It is a marvellous, engaging book, packed with practical information, but moreover, written in an accessible style that inclusive even for beginners.

Ben Law is most well known for his success getting planning permission to build a timber framed straw bale house in his wood, which was featured on Grand Designs a few years ago.

While I'm at it, I can also recommend his other book - The Woodland House which details how he built the house.

His writing is disarming, gentle and if you could characterise it, like woodland itself. I know that sounds daft, but read it and then prove me wrong...

Serendipity strikes

beThere was a charity book sale at work today and I managed to get two books I've been wanting to read for ages but haven't had the chance:

In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

All for the bargain price of £2.

I'm still reading through The Fat of the Land (John Seymour) which brings out the dry, witty character I grew to love in the New Complete Self Sufficiency.

Sadly this book is all too short, but I will review it properly once I have finished it.