Beyond the Human Species
The Life of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Georges Van Vrekhem

“Beyond the Human Species contains many pages that send one’s heart soaring with inspiration. It provided me with one of the richest reading experiences I have ever had on divine transformation of the species in general, and the work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in particular. Those who want to embark on and participate in the greatest spiritual adventure of all time will find a lot that rewards in this solidly researched and inspiringly written work.”–Attunement, A Journal of Sound, Vibration, and Divine Transformation, Jan/Feb. 1999

“...I have been reading the book, and have been struck by the readability of this occult account. By the time the reader has read the first half of Van Vrekhem’s book...he or she will be getting into the even more fascinating, at times incredible denouement, its gathering momentum, its climax, and the sequel that shows us humanity as if poised on the crest of a giant wave.... A top quality of Georges Van Vrekhems’ book is truly its clarity. The story it tells is so easy to follow it flows without any block to the reader’s understanding.”–Claire Walker, Ph.D., The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research

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Blessed Unrest
How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
by Paul Hawken (Author)

From Booklist
*Starred Review* The profusion of good causes and the nonprofit groups that advance them can seem laughably overwhelming, but without altruistic grass-roots efforts, the world would be a far less merciful place. Environmentalist Hawken believes that we are in the midst of a world-changing rise of activist groups, all "working toward ecological sustainability and social justice." Rather than an ideological or centralized movement, this coalescence is a spontaneous and organic response to the recognition that environmental problems are social-justice problems. Writing with zest, clarity, and a touch of wonder, Hawken compares this gathering of forces to the human immune system. Just as antibodies rally when the body is under threat, people are joining together to defend life on Earth. Hawken offers a fascinating history of our perception of nature and human rights and assesses the role indigenous cultures are playing in the quest for ecological responsibility and economic fairness. Hawken also presents an unprecedented map to this new "social landscape" that includes a classification system defining astonishingly diverse concerns, ranging from farming to child welfare, ocean preservation, and beyond. Fresh and informative, Hawken's inspired overview charts much that is right in the world. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
 

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Copernicus Complex, The
Our Significance In A Universe Of Planets And Probabilities
by Caleb Scharf

In The Copernicus Complex, the renowned astrophysicist Caleb Scharf takes us on a scientific adventure, from tiny microbes within the Earth to distant exoplanets, probability theory, and beyond, arguing that there is a solution to this contradiction, a third way of viewing our place in the cosmos, if we weigh the evidence properly. As Scharf explains, we do occupy an unusual time in a 14-billion-year-old universe, in a somewhat unusual type of solar system surrounded by an ocean of unimaginable planetary diversity: hot Jupiters with orbits of less than a day, planet-size rocks spinning around dead stars, and a wealth of alien super-Earths. Yet life here is built from the most common chemistry in the universe, and we are a snapshot taken from billions of years of biological evolution. Bringing us to the cutting edge of scientific discovery, Scharf shows how the answers to fundamental questions of existence will come from embracing the peculiarity of our circumstance without denying the Copernican vision.

 With characteristic verve, Scharf uses the latest scientific findings to reconsider where we stand in the balance between cosmic significance and mediocrity, order and chaos. Presenting a compelling and bold view of our true status, The Copernicus Complex proposes a way forward in the ultimate quest: determining life’s abundance, not just across this universe but across all realities.
 

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Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor
by Leonardo Boff (Author)

From Booklist

In his latest work, the noted Latin American theologian Leonardo Boff extends the intuitions of liberation theology, showing how they contribute to answering urgent questions of poverty and ecological degradation. If faith fails to appreciate the ecological paradigm, Boff argues, it only adds to the crisis and begs for reform. Focusing on the threatened Amazon of his native Brazil, Boff traces the economic and metaphysical ties that bind the fate of the rain forests with the fate of the Indians and poor of the land. He shows how liberation theology must join with ecology in reclaiming the dignity of the earth and our sense of a common community. To illustrate to possibilities, Boff turns to resources in Christian spirituality, ancient and modern, including cosmic Christology and the vision of St. Francis of Assisi.

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Developing Ecological Consciousness
Path to a Sustainable World
by Christopher Uhl

Addressing the question, What do students need to know to become more environmentally literate and ecologically conscious?, Christopher Uhl offers an ecological, wonder-filled initiation to the universe and the planet Earth. He examines the ways in which people are damaging the earth and, in the process, their own bodies and spirits, then presents the essential tools necessary for both planetary and personal transformation.

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Divine Milieu, The
by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Author), Sion Cowell (Author)

The essential companion to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's The Phenomenom of Man, The Divine Milieu expands on the spiritual message so basic to his thought. He shows how man's spiritual life can become a participation in the destiny of the universe.

Teilhard de Chardin -- geologist, priest, and major voice in twentieth-century Christianity -- probes the ultimate meaning of all physical exploration and the fruit of his own inner life. The Divine Milieu is a spiritual treasure for every religion bookshelf.

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Dream of the Earth, The
by Thomas Berry
 
From Publishers Weekly
This first volume in a new series, the Sierra Club Nature and Natural Philosophy Library, explores human-earth relations and seeks a new, non-anthropocentric approach to the natural world. According to cultural historian Berry, our immediate danger is not nuclear war but industrial plundering; our entire society, he argues, is trapped in a closed cycle of production and consumption. Berry points out that our perception of the earth is the product of cultural conditioning, and that most of us fail to think of ourselves as a species but rather as national, ethnic, religious or economic groups. Describing education as "a process of cultural coding somewhat parallel to genetic coding," he proposes a curriculum based on awareness of the earth. He discusses "patriarchy" as a new interpretation of Western historical development, naming four patriachies that have controlled Western history, becoming progressively destructive: the classical empires, the ecclesiastical establishment, the nation-state and the modern corporation. We must reject partial solutions and embrace profound changes toward a "biocracy" that will heal the earth, urges the author who defines problems and causes with eloquence.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

h Florida at St. Petersburg Lib. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information
 

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Earth Charter, The
A Study Book Of Reflection For Action
by Elisabeth M. Ferrero (Author) Joe Holland (Author)

From Booklist
This book first explains the historical context that gave rise to the Earth Charter. It then sketches the role of the United Nations in calling for the Earth Charter, and reviews the creation of the Earth Charter document itself, as well as the movement behind it. Finally it offers a detailed commentary on the entire document, a copy of the Earth Charter text, a grass-roots study guide, and an annotated bibliography.
 

ELISABETH FERRERO is Professor of Philosophy & Literature at Saint Thomas University in Miami, Florida. She holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

JOE HOLLAND is Professor of Philosophy & Religion at Saint Thomas University in Miami, Florida. He holds M.A.and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago.

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Earth Dance
Living Systems in Evolution
by Elisabet Sahtouris

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Earth Light
Spiritual Wisdom for an Ecological Age
Edited by Cindy Spring and Anthony Manousos

During its fifteen years of publication, EarthLight Magazine celebrated the living Earth and our thirteen billion year story of the Universe. Founded and inspired by Quakers, EarthLight featured articles by many of the world's seminal figures in secular and religious thought about the place and participation of humankind in creation. This anthology embodies what we feel is the best of EarthLight and of Quaker writers on spirituality and ecology during the past twenty years, a period that some see as the beginning of a new era, an "Ecological Age."

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Ecological Healing
A Christian Vision
By Nancy G. Wright, Donald Kill

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Ecological Literacy
Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World
By David Orr

"David Orr's Ecological Literacy outlines brillianly and succinctly the changes that must occur in our educational systems if we are to avoid ecological disasters."

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Grand Design, The
By Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow

The first major work in nearly a decade by one of the world's great thinkers—a marvelously concise book with new answers to the ultimate questions of life:
 
When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the nature of reality? Why are the laws of nature so finely tuned as to allow for the existence of beings like ourselves? And, finally, is the apparent “grand design” of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motion—or does science offer another explanation?

The most fundamental questions about the origins of the universe and of life itself, once the province of philosophy, now occupy the territory where scientists, philosophers, and theologians meet—if only to disagree. In their new book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about the mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by both brilliance and simplicity.

 

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Great Work, The
Our Way into the Future
By Thomas Berry

The future can exist only if humans understand how to commune with the natural world rather than exploit it, explains author and renowned ecologist Thomas Berry (The Dream of the Earth, The Universe Story). "Already the planet is so damaged and the future is so challenged by its rising human population that the terms of survival will be severe beyond anything we have known in the past."

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The Greening of Faith
God, The Environment, And The Good Life
by John E. Carroll, Paul Brockelman, and Mary Westfall

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The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy
Skills for a changing world
Edited by Arran Stibbe

Responding to the threats of climate change, peak oil, resource depletion, economic uncertainty and energy insecurity demands the utmost in creativity, ingenuity, and new ways of thinking in order to reinvent self and society. In The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy, leading sustainability educators are joined by permaculturists, literary critics, ecologists, artists, journalists, engineers, mathematicians, and philosophers in examining the skills needed in the twenty-first century. Among the many skills, attributes, and values described in this volume are values reflection, coping with complexity, permaculture design, transition skills, advertising awareness, effortless action, and ecological intelligence, each accompanied by ideas for active-learning exercises to help develop the skill. Far from being a rigid or definitive statement of the "one right way," however, the handbook is exploratory, aiming to open up new, unthought-of paths, possibilities, and choices. It is intended primarily for educators across the spectrum from higher education to informal education, but is also suitable for learners themselves and anyone interested in the literally "vital" issue of the skills we need to survive and thrive in the twenty-first century and build a more sustainable future. Contributors include John Naish, Satish Kumar, Patrick Whitefield, John Blewitt, Stephan Harding, and Stephen Sterling.

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The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos
by Brian Swimme

From the Publisher
What does it mean to be human, to live on planet Earth, in the universe as it is now understood? In The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos best-selling author and mathematical cosmologist Brian Swimme takes us on a journey through the cosmos in search of the "new story" that is developing in answer to this age-old question. The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos opens up not only the exhilarating truths that science reveals of the birth of the universe, but how these truths can transform our lives. In such a view the cosmos appears as awesome and meaningful, its dynamics revelatory, and in this revelation can be found the wisdom humanity needs to face and overcome its present crises, particularly the soul-numbing consumerism that threatens to overwhelm not only individuals, families or societies, but the Earth itself. The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos helps us to grasp the larger significance of the human enterprise in this evolving university. Upon meeting that challenge rests much of the vitality of Earth community, and the future quality of life, for ourselves and our children.
 

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The Home Planet
by Kevin W. Kelley (Editor)

From Library Journal
This is an oversized browsing book filled with magnificent pictures taken from space. As can be guessed from its title, most of the photographs are of portions of the earth's surface. The concise text consists of short quotations from astronauts and cosmonauts describing the emotional impact of being in space. Naturally, the comments are predominantly from Americans and Soviets, but among the 18 nations represented are France, Germany, Syria, and India. Each commentary is given in the speaker's native language with an English translation. A truly beautiful book. Harold D. Shane. Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Humanity's Environmental Future
Making Sense in a Troubled World
by William Ross McCluney

“We Are Taking Apart the Life-support System of Planet Earth!” So writes Dr. Ross McCluney in his new book published this year, Humanity’s Environmental Future. “Without a major change in direction, we may be the first species to extinguish itself,” he says.

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The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight
Waking Up To Personal And Global Transformation
by Thom Hartmann

While everything appears to be collapsing around us -- ecodamage, genetic engineering, virulent diseases, the end of cheap oil, water shortages, global famine, wars -- we can still do something about it and create a world that will work for us and for our children’s children. The inspiration for Leonardo DiCaprio’s web movie Global Warning, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight details what is happening to our planet, the reasons for our culture’s blind behavior, and how we can fix the problem. Thom Hartmann’s comprehensive book, originally published in 1998, has become one of the fundamental handbooks of the environmental activist movement. Now, with fresh, updated material and a focus on political activism and its effect on corporate behavior, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight helps us understand--and heal--our relationship to the world, to each other, and to our natural resources.

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Mindfully Green
A Personal and Spiritual Guide to Whole Earth Thinking
by Stephanie Kaza

From Publishers Weekly
Kaza, a biologist and professor of Environmental Studies at University of Vermont, combines Zen Buddhist practices and teachings with her 40 years as an environmentalist for this guide to enlightened environmentalism, proposing a belief in the interdependence of people and nature as the genuine way to "go green": "When we come to see ourselves as part of the green web of life... we are naturally drawn to respond with compassion." In three parts, she guides readers through the principles of Buddhism as they apply to taking responsible action toward the earth: reducing harm, understanding suffering, seeing the big picture, letting go of desire and being in the moment. In parts two and three, she advises practical steps for joining in and taking action in everyday life and community. Kaza's measured, focused text and clear command of Buddhism and ecology should shore up convictions and commitment in the newly green, and help secular environmentalists connect with their spiritual side.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
 

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My Name is Chellis
and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization
by Chellis Glendinning

From Booklist
This brilliant, offbeat, and ultimately provocative book is nothing short of revolutionary. Its title, of course, is off-putting; indeed, the concept of recovering from Western civilization sounds rather arrogant. But Glendinning hits the nail on the head, making the connection between the recovery movement and the environmental movement so well that their concurrent emergence makes sense. She digs into the aspects of Western civilization we desperately need to recover from--our technological addictions, fast pace, daily and lifelong traumas, dissociation from the natural world and ourselves--and ably shows why the way of life they constitute is so unhealthy. She uses examples from nature-based cultures to show how to reconnect with the world, and by probing into her own as well as our collective psyche, she courageously takes the leap toward emotional, spiritual, and physical health that she invites the rest of us to follow. Mary Ellen Sullivan --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
 

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Nature of Design
Ecology, Culture, and Human Intention
By David W. Orr

From the Publisher
The environmental movement has often been accused of being overly negative-trying to stop "progress". The Nature of Design, on the other hand, is about starting things, specifically an ecological design revolution that changes how we provide food, shelter, energy, materials, livelihood, and deal with waste. Ecological design is an emerging field aiming to recalibrate what humans do in the world with how the world works as a biophysical system. Design in this sense is a large concept having to do as much with politics and ethics as with buildings and technology. This is a book that combines theory, practicality, and action.

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Phenomenon of Man, The
by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Author)

Bernard Towers, Blackfriars
"Marks the most significant achievement in synthetic thinking since that of Aquinas."

Abraham J. Heschel
"A most extraordinary book, of far-reaching significance for the understanding of man's place in the universe."

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Precautionary Tools For Reshaping Environmental Policy
Edited by Nacy J. Myers and Carolyn Raffensperger

Product Description

The precautionary principle calls for taking action against threatened harm to people and ecosystems even in the absence of full scientific certainty. The rationale is that modern technologies and human activities can inflict long-term, global-scale environmental damage and that conclusive scientific evidence of such damage may be available too late to avert it. The precautionary principle asks whether harm can be prevented instead of assessing degrees of "acceptable" risk. This book provides a toolkit for applying precautionary concepts to reshape environmental policies at all levels. Its compendium of regulatory options, detailed examples, wide-ranging case studies, and theoretical background provides both citizens and policymakers with the basis for acting on any issue in any situation—whether it's pesticide use at local schools or a new international regulatory system for chemicals.

Precautionary Tools for Reshaping Environmental Policy describes the analytical and ethical bases of the precautionary principle as well as practical options for implementing it. It provides a "precautionary checklist" that can serve as a springboard for discussion and decisions. And it offers a variety of case studies that show the precautionary principle in action—from elk and cattle farming to marine fisheries, from the protection of indigenous cultures against bioprospecting to the restoration of the federal court system as a safety net for people harmed by products and chemicals. A hands-on interdisciplinary guide, the book demonstrates the advantages of a precautionary approach and addresses criticisms that have been leveled against it.
 

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The Rebirth of Nature
The Greening of Science and God
by Rupert Sheldrake

Publishers Weekly
This frontal assault on conventional science embodies a radical rethinking of humanity's place in the scheme of things.

Book Description
Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's preeminent biologists, has revolutionized scientific thinking with his vision of a living, developing universe. In The Rebirth of Nature Sheldrake transports us to the threshold of a new paradigm in which traditional wisdom, intuitive experience, and scientific insight can co-exist and be mutually enriching.
 

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Sacred Balance, The
Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
by David Suzuki

From the Publisher
This powerful, deeply felt book gives concrete suggestions for how we can meet our basic needs and create a way of life that is ecologically sustainable, fulfilling and just. It offers the seeds of a new direction for us all, one in which we can rediscover our place in nature and live in balance with our surroundings.

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Sacred Depths of Nature, The
by Ursula Goodenough

From Publishers Weekly
In eloquent prose, Goodenough, a noted molecular biologist, offers a scientist's insight into the dialogue between science and religion. The book's structure is similar to the Daily Devotionals found in some Protestant denominations, but with a decidedly broader approach to the vast ontological questions being pursued. Beginning with an autobiographical sketch, Goodenough moves resolutely through the major questions of being. Her inquiries cut across the boundaries of cosmology, astrophysics, cell biology, evolutionary theory, sexuality and death, moving into the realms of philosophy and theology. The author, while no theist, recognizes the eternal human quest for meaning engendered by the essentially non-quantifiable mystery of consciousness. Displaying open-mindedness to non-scientific approaches in her search for ultimate understanding, she writes with equal respect of Taoism's enigmatic, ironical credo and of 19th-century Transcendentalists' humanistic vision. This spiritual diversity, accompanied by scientific observations drawn from such authorities as Stephen Hawking and Edward O. Wilson, makes for a stirring, enlightening read. In part a reverential memoir by a dedicated scientist, this book provides a meeting place for the revelations of advanced science and technology and the universal, unanswerable questions of humanity. 18 line drawings.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to the Hardcover edition

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Small Wonder
by Barbara Kingsolver (Author)

In this collection of essays, the author of High Tide in Tucson brings to us (out of one of history's darker moments) an extended love song to the world we still have. From its opening parable gleaned from recent news about a lost child saved in an astonishing way, the book moves on to consider a world of surprising and hopeful prospects ranging from an inventive conservation scheme in a remote jungle to the backyard flock of chickens tended by the author's small daughter.

Whether she is contemplating the Grand Canyon, her vegetable garden, motherhood, adolescence, genetic engineering, TV-watching, the history of civil rights, or the future of a nation founded on the best of all human impulses, these essays are grounded in the author's belief that our largest problems have grown from the earth's remotest corners as well as our own backyards, and that answers may lie in those places, too. In the voice Kingsolver's readers have come to rely on - sometimes grave, occasionally hilarious, and ultimately persuasive - Small Wonder is a hopeful examination of the people we seem to be, and what we might yet make of ourselves.

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Spirit of the Shuar
Wisdom from the Last Unconquered People of the Amazon
by John Perkins

John Perkins (Author) Shakaim Mariano Shakai Ijisam Chumpi (Author), Ehud C. Sperling (Author), Mariano Shakai Ijisam Chumpi (Author)

Review
After you have read it, you will know why Spirit of the Shuar has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. -- June Rouse, The Monthly Aspectarian, December 2001

Anyone interested in indigenous wisdom, different ways of living, or shapeshifting will definitely be fascinated by this excellent. -- Cynthia Larson, RealityShifters News, September 2001

We have much to learn from the Shuar; reading this book could change your world. -- Susan Dobra, Magical Blend, Winter 2002
 

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State of the World 2002
World Summit Edition
By Worldwatch Institute

 

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State of the World 2003

By Worldwatch Institute

In State of the World 2003, the Worldwatch Institute's award-winning research team provides concerned citizens and national leaders with comprehensive analysis of the global environmental problems we face, together with detailed descriptions of practical, innovative solutions, like charting the most environmentally sound path to a hydrogen-fueled economy, or accelerating the rapidly growing conversion of farmers worldwide to organic farming and sustainable agriculture. Written in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.
 

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State of the World 2004
Saving the Everglades from its Friends, Foes and Florida
By Worldwatch Institute

In State of the World 2004, the Worldwatch Institute's award-winning research team focuses on consumption, pointing to the many ways in which our consumption habits drive ecological and social deterioration, as well as how these habits can be redirected to reinforce environmental and social goals. As always, State of the World 2004 provides government officials, journalists, professors, students, and concerned citizens with a comprehensive analysis of the global environmental problems we face along with detailed descriptions of practical, innovative solutions—like charting the most environmentally sound path to a hydrogen-fueled economy, or accelerating the rapidly growing conversion of farmers worldwide to organic farming and sustainable agriculture.

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Stephen Hawking's Universe
The Mysteries of the Cosmos Explained
By David Filkin. Foreword by Stephen Hawking

 

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Teilhard in the 21st Century
The Emerging Spirit of Earth
by Arthur Fabel (Editor), Donald P. St. John (Editor)

Almost fifty years after his death the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French Jesuit mystic and scientist continues to shape contemporary work in spirituality, theology, and the interaction of science and religion. These essays, drawn from the best of the first twenty-five years of Teilhard Studies, journal of the American Teilhard Association, show how this giant of the twentieth century sheds light on the most urgent spiritual challenges of our time.

The writers represented are a who’s who of scholars: Thomas Berry offers reflections on Teilhard and ecology. Brian Swimme explores unsuspected depths of natural selection and its meaning for our age. Articles by Ursula King, Donald Gray, and Thomas King offer insights into Teilhard’s friendships with women, the way in which he strove to articulate the unity of knowledge, and his ever-deepening creation spirituality. A brief biography by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker explores the key moments of Teilhard’s development and offers new readers a superb entrée into his life and thought. Other authors include William Rees, Arthur Fabel, John Haught, Eulalio Balthasar, Eleanor Rae, and Joseph Grau.

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This Sacred Earth
Religion, Nature, Environment
by Roger S. Gottlieb (Editor)

Book Description
This Sacred Earth begins with spiritual reflections by naturalists. Surveying traditional religious myths, creation stories, and conceptions of nature--with extensive selections from Jewish, Christian, Native American, Indian, African, Chinese, and indigenous texts and commentators, the contributors focus on religion in the age of environmental crisis. We see how individuals and institutions are reinterpreting and transforming old traditions, and eco-feminists are challenging patriarchal perspectives.

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Turning to Earth
Stories of Ecological Conversion
by F. Marina Schauffler

From Book News, Inc.
Schauffler, who holds a PhD in ethics from the U. of New Hampshire, has written a thought-provoking work on a new understanding of humans' place in nature, which, she believes, could lead society to achieve a way of living that no longer hurts the environment. Following a description of this spiritual state--the attainment of which she calls "ecological conversion"--Schauffler discusses, in positive terms, the relationship with nature evinced by the writers Edward Abbey, Rachel Carson, N. Scott Momaday, Scott Russell Sanders, Alice Walker, and Terry Tempest Williams. Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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Universe in a Single Atom, The
The Convergence of Science and Spirituality
by Dalai Lama

From Booklist
Fascinated by science since boyhood, the Dalai Lama, unlike fundamentalists who resist scientific realities, has become convinced that a dialogue between religion and science will advance the wisdom of both disciplines and greatly benefit humankind. He explains why in illuminating explications of how Buddhism and science are both predicated on focused observation, reasoning, and the ability to abandon outmoded ideas in the ongoing search for reality. He compares quantum physics with Buddhist philosophy and reveals how the theory of evolution echoes the Buddhist understanding that all of life is interconnected and in flux, and he writes with deep feeling about the pressing ethical questions raised by advancements in biotechnology. For all the provocative and detailed reasoning found in this soulful and mind-expanding book, what emerges most powerfully is the Dalai Lama's belief that science must embrace Buddhism's mission and work toward increasing compassion and alleviating suffering. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
 

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Universe Is a Green Dragon, The
A Cosmic Creation Story
by Brian Swimme

Book Description
A dialogue between a youth and wise elder becomes a fascinating exploration, into the creative force in all matter. This explication of physical forces is both mystical and ecstatic.
 

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Universe Story, The
From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era- a Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos
by Brian Swimme

From the Publisher
Grounded in contemporary scientific understanding and inspired by the world's great wisdom traditions, cosmologist Brian Swimme and cultural historian Thomas Berry meld the findings of contemporary science - cosmology, geology, biology, and sociology - with the human search for meaning. The resulting account articulates fifteen billion years of existence with awe, delight, and vision. Swimme and Berry remind us of the importance of story - "story is the only way of providing, in our times, what the mythic stories of the universe provided for tribal peoples and for the earlier classical civilizations in their times." In a richly detailed narrative of epic sweep, they recount the unfolding of the universe, from the "primordial flaring forth" and the formation of galaxies and supernovas to the "human emergence," classical civilizations, and imminent Ecozoic era. The Universe Story compellingly explores humanity's place in the evolving cosmos and our ecological imperative. Crippling the Earth's biodiversity, "we are deciding what species will live or perish, we are determining the chemical structure of the soil and the air and the water, we are mapping out the areas of wilderness that will be allowed to function in their own natural modalities." This, Swimme and Berry remind us, "is filled with risk and presumption," for "the story of the Earth is also the story of the human." Honoring "the special capacity of the human to enable the universe and the planet Earth to reflect on and to celebrate...in our music and our art, our dance and our poetry, and in our religious rituals," Swimme and Berry urge that we honor the knowledge gained by centuries of scientific inquiry with reverence, entrancement, and a commitment to renewal. Such joyous commitment is essential, for "there is eventually only one story, the story of the universe. Every form of being is integral with this comprehensive story. Nothing is itself without everything else."
 

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Vital Signs 2002
The Trends That Are Shaping our Future
by Janet N. Abramovitz (Editor), Worldwatch Institute (Editor, Corporate Author), United Nations Environment Programme (Corporate Author)

This annual volume, written by the staff of the award-winning Worldwatch Institute, gives prominence to key trends that too often escape the attention of the news media, world leaders and economic experts. By distilling forty-five "vital signs" of our times from thousands of government, industrial, and scientific documents, this book allows readers to track key indicators that show social, economic and environmental progress, or the lack of it. This 2002 edition presents information on environmental and sustainable development topics such as global warming, population growth, transgenic crops, HIV/AIDS, international trade, and Internet use. Each trend is presented in both text and graphics, providing a thorough, well-documented and very accessible overview.
 

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What does GOD look like in an expanding universe?
By Jim Schenk

This anthology brings together exciting ideas, images and thoughts of scientists, theologians, thinkers and writers of our time, who are dealing with the questions of God, Life and Death based on our present understanding of the expanding Universe. It proposes answers that are friendlier to our planet. Joanna Macy, Thomas Berry, Edgar Mitchell, Miriam Therese MacGillis, John Seed, Brooke Medicine Eagle, Brian Swimme, Rosemary Radford Ruether and Matt Fox, among others, share their thoughts on Where Did We Come From, Why Are We Here, and What Happens After Death.

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Young people, education, and sustainable development
edited by Peter Blaze Corcoran and Philip M. Osano (Authors)

Young people have an enormous stake in the present and future state of Earth. Almost half of the human population is under the age of 25. If young people's resources of energy, time, and knowledge are misdirected towards violence, terrorism, socially-isolating technologies, and unsustainable consumption, civilization risks destabilization. Yet, there is a powerful opportunity for society if young people can participate positively in all aspects of sustainable development. In order to do so, young people need education, political support, resources, skills, and hope. This volume offers a global perspective on education initiatives by and for young people that promote a transition to sustainability. It includes 38 essays co-authored by 68 contributors from 25 nations, representing a diversity of geography, gender, and generation.

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