We Can't Handle the Truth

I'm reading this book now, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, by Bill McKibben. Actually, I'm plowing through it, given the fact it's saturated with facts and knowledge that doesn't normally attract me, since I've had it less than a week and I'm nearly through it. Came highly recommended by Pastor Don.

It's fascinating, frightening and hopeful all at the same time, which probably explains why it's so addictive. Ever feel like there's something fundamentally wrong with the way we live - eating, shopping, housing, relationships... McKibben has dug up the roots of our current society to expose where we've gone wrong. Why the religion of continuous, unrelenting (in fact, consistently speeding up) economic growth has derailed us and the planet. Fortunately, McKibben's not focused so much on blame and complaint as he is on providing solutions - experiments that are already working right here in our country. Which is sweet news.

A lot of the book is intuitive common sense. We can (or at least many of us can) see Earth is feeling the effects of our presence; we can see the rich get richer and the poor get poorer; we can (at least when asked at Christmastime) say we know that having more material possessions does not make us happier. But the strength of the book is the linking of all of these (and more) common sense observations, backed with facts, and presented with a call for change that includes examples of change already in progress.

Even though I feel more of my liberal friends would be more open to this book, there is much I wish all my friends and family would read. It basically boils down to community and thinking locally. Feel free to contact me if you want me to rant more!