A fun and easy read about a wealthy man’s wager to tour around the world in eighty days through Asia, America and Europe. Verne brilliantly captured the excitement, the drama, the determination and resourcefulness required to complete a tour around the world, although he painted a negative picture of Asian and native American cultures. “Truly, would you not for less than that make the tour around the world?” You bet […]
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“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne
An Eye-opening, Jaw-dropping Book I remember watching a movie production (1954) of the book as a child. I loved it so much that I wished the movie would not end. Listening to the audiobook years later brings back all the wonders and much more. Imagine you can explore the width and depth of all the oceans at will, all the marine species, all the natural wonders that have never been […]
Read more“From the Earth to the Moon” by Jules Verne
Verne’s humor shines brightly all the way through this book. He makes good-humored fun of almost everybody and every nation under the sun. For a while, I thought I was reading a political satire. So funny and yet so true. But of course, it’s no laughing matter to send men to the moon. Verne again impresses me with his detailed scientific knowledge, his prophetic and poetic vision of men’s relation […]
Read more“Blessed Unrest” by Paul Hawken
In this book Paul Hawken not only provides a comprehensive overview of the environmental movement, but also reveals the connection between the environmental movement, the civil rights and indigenous movements. They are all defending the rights of life. When people all over the world are threatened by forces that destroy their livelihoods, such as poverty, corruption, pollution and injustice, they rise up and organize themselves to defend their rights. Man […]
Read more“Cradle to Cradle” by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Eco-Efficiency vs. Eco-Effectiveness The authors pointed out the ineffectiveness of the “eco-efficiency” movement, as characterized by the Four R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Regulate). Eco-efficiency does not halt depletion and destruction, it simply slows them down. They propose a new system in which designs are modeled on nature, specifically, the cycles of materials in nature and services provided by the self-sustaining, self-generating ecosystems. “Imagine a building like a tree, a […]
Read more“The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need” by Chris Turner
A comprehensive overview of the environment movement, both the ideology and practice, technologies and techniques, peoples and policies. It goes way beyond recycle bins, solar panels and hybrid cars, and introduces the readers to a whole new way of defining economic growth, our relationship with and responsibility for the environment. It is not only sustainable energy, but sustainable communities and lifestyle. The author travels around the world to interview pioneers […]
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