Book Study Group

Sierra Book Discussion Group, which is open to all, will start up again this Fall. We will meet 7 p.m., Monday, September 8th and October 13, at Spot Coffee, 200 East Avenue, Rochester NY. There are plenty of comfortable chairs.

At the end of our lively September meeting, we decided on the books we want to read and discuss for the next 3 months.

* Nov. 10: With Speed and Violence by Fred Pearce (about the weather effects of global warming)

* Dec. 8: Buckminster Fuller: anthology for the new millennium edited by Thomas T. K. Zung & We will compare the previous books we have read, look for the new ideas they have generated and plan the books to read for the winter and spring, so bring your ideas, books and suggestions.

All three titles are available in the Monroe County Library system, although only 2 copies each of the first and third. In October we will again meet at Spot Coffee, 200 East Avenue, downtown. We are seeking a quieter location for subsequent meetings, and will appreciate suggestions. Janet Laird Co-coordinator

Join us even if you have not had a chance to read the entire book. Questions, call Nancy at 244-2634

The Great Turning From Empire to Earth Community by David C. Korten published jointly by Kumarian Press and Berrett-Koehler Publishers was the book we discussed in October. This book begins by giving an overly long history of the ancient and modern empires, how they developed and are in practice today through the dominance of the financial markets of the world. The author then states that corporations (empire) are now seen by the business world as living entities, having rights, in some cases, above human beings and the natural world. This point stunned me. Korten proposes that we must alter this attitude, by using our creative potential to liberate and change our story to one that values community, family, and cooperation above excessive possessions and the will to dominate. He gives many specific paths to earth community such as “Human-scale enterprises and markets that foster face-to-face economic relationships of mutual trust and accountability”. I recommend this book for a better understanding of the situations we currently face, as he offers choices about how to go forward into a more humane, sustainable future.

The Great Turning From Empire to Earth Community by David C. Korten, published jointly by Kumarian Press and Berrett-Koehler Publishers was the book we discussed in October. This book begins by giving an overly long history of the ancient and modern empires, how they developed and are in practice today through the dominance of the financial markets of the world.

The author then states that corporations (empire) are now seen by the business world as living entities, having rights, in some cases, above human beings and the natural world.

This point stunned me. Korten proposes that we must alter this attitude, by using our creative potential to liberate and change our story to one that values community, family, and cooperation above excessive possessions and the will to dominate. He gives many specific paths to earth community such as “Human-scale enterprises and markets that foster face-to-face economic relationships of mutual trust and accountability.” I recommend this book for a better understanding of the situations we currently face, as he offers choices about how to go forward into a more humane, sustainable future.

*** Sierra Club Study Group: Once and Future Reading by Dave Ruekberg

Beginning last June 0f 2006, we introduced a study group to help acquaint members and others in the community at large with details about current environmental problems. David, Nancy, and Sara wanted both to increase our understanding of these issues, and to enable us to develop responsible solutions. Below are reviews of some of our readings, which we have found provocative, disturbing, and certainly engaging. We hope more members will join us in our quest for knowledge and its transformation into action.

The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. This book is raising many questions among us, which leads to an interesting discussion. We decided to "map" parts of the book to better understand the text. We have each chosen chapters to illuminate with whatever visuals or extra text we choose to share.

Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. We began with Lester Brown’s comprehensive and very readable exposé of issues confronting the planet. Considering the amount of technical data Brown shares, the book is very readable. You will know just from reading the Preface whether or not this book is for you. Right off the bat he presents distressing forecasts about the effect China’s burgeoning economy may have on the environment if things continue as they have. By the same token, projections such as “using cheap wind-generated electricity to recharge [automobile] batteries during off-peak hours costs the equivalent of 50¢-a-gallon gasoline!” offers reasons for hope. Two of our most faithful members gave copies of this book as presents to friends, families, and colleagues in an effort to spread the word!

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, takes a comprehensive view of civilizations from Easter Islanders to our own in an effort to suggest what makes the difference between a civilization in which “the rich are merely the last to die” to one in which society makes sacrifices that benefit everyone, such as in 16th Century Japan. On the long side, this book is organized in a way that allows for “dipping” into it at any point to find vital perspectives that offer us the long view on our current dilemma. (Owing to its length, we read this in two months.)

The Meaning of the Twenty-First Century. We found James Martin’s analyses and projections of the ability of technology to rescue our civilization from its current dangers both provocative and, at times, simplistic – or even frightening! Martin is the “information age guru” who wrote The Wired Generation. Perhaps riding on his laurels, Martin makes a wide range of predictions about the coming “canyon” in 2050, and how we can hope to survive it, if we can.

For February, we decided that we wanted some good news, so we have chosen Bill McKibben’s Hope, Human and Wild. McKibben is the author of The End of Nature, which was surely sobering (and fairly ignored) news about global warming back in 1990. Among his books about the realities of harm done to the environment, this one is “about healing the land as well as our souls” (Terry Tempest Williams). Although this book is out of print, copies are available in the public library, and from your favorite used bookseller (including Amazon and Abebooks).

* Hosted by Debbie Muratore and Nancy Chalker-Tennant. Future readings will be decided by the group. Members and non-members alike are invited.