This is by far, one of the most common-sense, enlightening books I've read in a long time. I truly have a new found love and respect for our planet and the beautiful natural environment every one of us so often takes for granted. Most of us live each day without a thought for how every single action we just made has an effect on our world and each other. I believe the author is right when he predicts that humanity cannot continue its destruction of the environment without having the environment react accordingly. If you've ever felt that you need to play a better role in protecting mother Earth, here is the handbook you've been looking for. If I had the funds to do so, I would buy as many copies of this book as I could just to give them away and spread this message and save the planet - save ourselves.
WORK FOR GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE!

Here's a review from Amazon.com:
Ecology and spirituality are deftly intertwined in this well-written discussion of how we can save and preserve life on earth. Vermont author Thom Hartman offers a highly persuasive argument for adopting the spiritual values of our ancient ancestors, which means living with a strong connection to the earth as well as the sun that nourishes us all. Nowadays, humans often perceive themselves as separate from nature and born to dominate it, says Hartman who lays out some frightening, albeit thorough, research on the destruction of the planet. But as the book progresses, he guides readers into a convincing and intelligent vision for reversing our destructive ways.

Mostly, we could all use an attitude adjustment. For example, he explains how native and tribal cultures often considered all forms of life to be as sacred as human life--an attitude that may be one of our best shots at planetary longevity. Hartman devotes his final section to "What the Average Person Can Do," including chapters titled, "Turn Off the TV," "The Modern-Day Tribe: Intentional Community," and "Reinventing Our Daily Lives and Rituals." --Gail Hudson

8/10/03 UPDATE: BOOOK RING STARTED FOR THIS ONE. PLEASE SEND ME A PRIVATE MESSAGE TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT IN!
peace

Released on Thursday, August 14, 2003 at Mailed to another Bookcrosser in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.

This book is being sent out on a bookring. I believe the topic to be of an extremely important nature and think that it may help provide some insight as to the challenges we face on our planet at this time. I want to thank everyone who has expressed an interest in this book and hope that if you find this work as important as I do, I would ask that you please consider recommending it to others. I feel that this message is too important not to be shared.

Bookring members (in order) are as follows:
jmg49 (Ontario, Canada)
Jazmin (West New York, New Jersey)
Guinneth (Manchester, New Hampshire)
fly46 (Kingsville, Ohio)

Again, thanks book ringers - please be sure to record a journal entry with your valuable opinions once you have read it. I look forward to reading them all.

may the peace of our creator be with you all!

This book was just delivered today. I will start reading it on the weekend and make another journal entry when I have finished.
Thanks pulpmode, for including me in your ring:-)

I am about halfway through this book and I find what the author has to say is disturbing. It is a well researched book and easy to read. I have been aware of a lot of the problems he addresses but have never thought of the "Ancient Sunlight" concept. It really does make a lot of sense. I am looking forward to finishing the book and passing it on. It's a shame that the corporations run the world's news media and are able to keep the average Joe in the dark in order to keep their products and all the environmental drawbacks of producing them from public scutiny.
I will add more when I have finished the book!

I finished this book this morning. What the author is saying makes perfect sense. Our resources can't last forever if we continue to destroy them at a faster rate than we replenish them. People need to wake up and smell the garbage.

Released on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at Postal release to other Bookcrosser. in Woodstock, Ontario Canada.

Mailing today to Jazmin in New Jersey.
Enjoy!

Received the book yesterday safe and sound. I will begin reading it by the end of this week. Thanks for including me in your bookring;)

Very good book. It all makes sense. I have often thought about what kind of future our children will have when we keep destroying our planet.
There are a couple of parts in the book that the author talks about his firsthand experiences. I think he interprets these in his own way. I know, for a fact, at least one of his observations can be interpreted in another way. I guess what bothered me is that he writes as if these are factual when in reality there can be other explanations. I don't know if what I wrote makes any sense to anybody...but anyway, the book is really informative.
Thank you for sharing with me;)

On friday, I mailed this book to fellow Bookcrosser Guinneth in New Hampshire.

Got this yesterday - thanks! Will start in immediately.

Just wanted to give you an update: I'm taking longer than usual with this one, as I have to stop every several chapters and read something else. The first part of the book is extremely disturbing to me...the chapter about the death of the trees, for example, was particularly distressing. But it's a NECESSARY read, and reading I am - have no fear!

I will write more when I am finished.

"...it is often the smallest, most anonymous acts which create the loudest thunder in the spiritual world."

I finally finished this - sorry it took me so long, but I really wanted to take my time. Thinking about the overwhelming obstacles we've created, I've wondered how we can possibly make changes on a global level to halt the cycle of destruction to the Earth. Hartmann actually has some very feasible ideas...starting, of course, with changing ourselves. I love his philosophy that if we create new stories, we can affect lasting change.

This book is not a gloom and doom, end-of-the-world rant but rather a hopeful call to arms for each and every person on this planet. We do have the power to step back from the brink. Everything we do really *does* resonate much further than we think, and everything is connected.

I'm really grateful that I had the opportunity to read this - thank you, pulpmode. This is one of those books that I will look for and buy copies of whenever I come across it, so that I can send it out into the world.

I am sending this home to pulpmode (fly46 wishes to be skipped).

Release planned for Saturday, February 28, 2004 at mailed to fellow bookcrosser in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.

This book will be mailed off to one of four bookcrossers who've agreed to participate in the book's second official bookring. They are in order:
1) EMA375
2) LEAPPINGLIZZARDS
3) MEGANH
4) PHILMOM
I didn't even really have to do much to get the ring going thanX to CHARBONO...just talking about the book encouraged it on it's way...proof to me that the message here has more than a life of it's own! Is this not what bookcrossing was designed to do? I'm honored to be a part of it!

PEACE to all...and read this book if you see this posting...it just may save all our lives!
-pulpmode

Wow! What a book! Thom Hartmann's book was very informative and has influenced me. I'm now interested in reading some of Hartmann's other books.

Sending off to LeapingLizzards on 3/8.

Received this on Thursday (? I think it was Thursday) anyway THANK-YOU! I am half way through and will journal it as soon as I am finished.

It's interesting, I am also reading Dude, Where's my country and Whale Rider, who would have thought they all touch on similar subjects from different points a view.

Thomas Hartmann's observations gave me a lot to think about.

Five years ago my husband and I decided to rent our house and move onto a boat (something we have always wanted to do) It was quite an experience placing the entire contents of our house on the front lawn and selling it. We really had to choose what was important to us.
It was really a freeing experience.

OK, it has come to my attention that this book is MIA. (The last person to have it being me) So, I purchased another one and will send it out to meganh in australia tomorrow. I did mail out the other one, so who knows where it is, but the ring is now moving again.

Received from LeapingLizzards in the mail yesterday 1st Sept Aussie time. Thank you so much for replacing the missing book, first time I have experienced problems with receiving books. It looks like a very worthwhile book and I will start it asap.

Firstly, my apologies to all as I did not realise I have had this book so long. It is more a reference book that I have been dabbling with between other bookrings. Lots of the information is familiar, stuff I have heard about over the years - and now it is being brought together in one book.
So many of our problems stem from near sighted views of our actions - even as long ago as the Sumerians who reduced their forests from 90% to 7% over a period of 1500 years.
I will continue to read and send off late next week (if that's OK with you pulpmode?)
Well I have reached the end of this book. I basically agree with all that Thom Hartmann espouses, but find his limited statistics frustrating eg he mentions that Australian aboriginal children were still being removed from their families in the last decade. As an Australian, I am very ashamed of this part of our history but this did cease in the 1950's - 30 years earlier than he states.
No record of PHILMOM so I am returning the book to pulpmode - thank you for the opportunity to read it.
I hope we can save our world before it is all too late - by "driving a bicycle instead of a car; saving and reusing food packages; recycling table scraps into a compost pile; buying second-hand clothes and repairing the old ones we've kept; super-insulating the house so it uses less fuel; maintaining the car so it can reach the 200,000 miles and still run well".
Mailed to pulpmode on 3rd November by sea mail.

Just got the book back in the mail today. THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING in this important book ring. I hope you all enjoyed the read and consider recommending the book to others as we hear more about our planet's ongoing deterioration.
peace

As America's fuel prices continue to rise I find myself constantly reminded of how important it is for all of us, no matter where we live, to start really putting into practice ANYTHING that we possibly can to save our Mother Earth.

I just re-read all your journal entries and I have to try again to get this important word out to others. I would ask that if any of you who have read this book, and found it's message worthy, valid and urgent would recommmend it to others and have them PM me. I hope to be able to buy a few copies and just get them moving. If you can assist in any way I am certain the positive karma shall come back to you tenfold.

Please help me enlighten the masses, one reader at a time.
([email protected])

******UPDATE TO SPRING 2005 BOOKRING (5/24/05):
please add GARNETFAIRY to the ring, Thanks!
****ANOTHER ADDITION TO THE BOOKRING LIST (6/17/05*****
Please add GATOR-MAINE to the ring, Thanks!
****ANOTHER ADDITION TO THE BOOKRING LIST (8/11/05)*****
Please add REULTE to the bookring, Thanks!

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed this important book out to 3 fellow bookcrossers: GATOR-MAINE, REULTE and GARNET FAIRY. I KNOW you will all get some vital information from this book.
peace

Just received today from pulpmode--thank you so much!! I will be sending it to the next in line as soon as I'm done. I'm really looking forward to this experience.

This is a powerful and important book and I read it through in less than 2 days. The first half where Hartmann outlines the decline of planet Earth is disturbing and his underlying philosophy calling for new cultural "stories" and spiritual transformation on the personal level in order to reverse or survive the ecological disaster upon us is deeply believable. I have problems with some of the sweeping generalizations he makes along the way and some conclusions drawn on very questionable data--with no documentation. There are even a few blatant discrepancies in some of his basic assertions. As a scholar and researcher, these flaws weakened the overall experience for me and caused me to slow down a bit and begin to question the totality. And although I do believe the ultimate plan he lays out has great merit, I wish he would edit this work and strengthen his argument so that the force of his vision could be rendered all the more effective. It's still a message everyone on planet Earth needs to hear. It is one I will do my part to transmit.

Will mail Monday to GarnetFairy, sending positive energy for transforming change along with it! [Correction--not mailed until 12:00 noon EDT Tuesday. Delayed by lingering virus.]

Received in the mail. Thank you for sharing your book with me. Will read and pass on to Reulte. Will post again when I finish the book and mail it.

Very interesting book. Unfortunately there was an accident. There was some chocolate crumbles on my shirt and they adhered to the end pages of the book. When I tried to delicately remove them, they became absorbed into the paper. So now, there are nice, dark chocolate stains on the edge of the book pages. It was Cadburys' dark chocolate. I have sincerely apologized to the book's owner and she has graciously accepted my offer of The Five People You Meet In Heaven as pennance.

Now to the book itself, well the writing in it. I liked it, it was very informative. I learned things I did not know. I am a firm believer in the fact that we are speeding toward an economic catastrophe and are already in an ecological one. My opinion, in that regard has not changed.

My one critique of the book was the heavy use of the bible and christian dogma. I thought in many ways that it took away from the overall message of the book. After all, what group did and has consistently evangelicized and destroyed tribal units throughout the world??? Take a big guess.

Thank you for sharing your book with me, it will be mailed out to Reulte in the morning.

I didn't know I wanted to read this until I read Pulpmode's profile. Now, I am eagerly looking forward to it.

later - definately an excellent book detailing the interconnections of life and spirituality.

I'm concerned because I sent this book back in Aug 2006.