Thank you for sharing your introduction! This feels both really (...exponentially) necessary right now, and also gorgeously written. I'm looking forward to the book.
Thank you. I am feeling really great about it, as the inspiration and execution have been oddly quick and effortless. Rare for me. I've never written a book. Wish me luck.
Thank you. There are so many great books out there. What felt compelling about this idea was to give people an entry point where it is all laid out. And a decent bibliography where people can dive deeper into the various components. I hope it lands well.
sorry, only got as far as the second paragraph of your introduction when you wrote about smells and such….which caused me to reminisce and pull out botany books and online resources
I suppose I should end it there….as it also included entanglements and tripping events involving Smilex species/ greenbriers; orange stainings-Chelidonium majus( celadine) ;rashes-Ostrya virginiana (eastern hop hornbeam .then plants recalled with notable scents
one example would be blackberry leaves-(Rubus fruiticosus sp.agg)-species complexes.Intro: Jens Clausen (Stages in the Evolution of Plant Species;1951; Anthony Bradshaw ; Darwin revisited:an ecological study of grasses; Pop. Biology of Grasses;Cheplick ed;1998) online checks: Flora of North America (FNA) website for taxonomic revisions:go botany website for north eastern plants….
It’s easy to go down those rabbit holes and a joy. Sadly most kids are more familiar with brand logos and slogans than could identify bird songs or plants. One of the consequences of the same system that brought us these wonderful resources.
hi.i hope i can return and read your article later .i am still down this rabbit hole trying to recollect all the types of burrs,(associated plants ) i use to accumulate ,the scents of hayfields- grass species….
(Grasses of the Northeast ;Dennis Magee(2014) is a good regional book.but several others are helpful .(i e Chapman;Gould and Shaw)….
great! I’ve been writing too, towards a book or collection. Excited to read your way to untangling the puzzle. Onward, and well on your way! My daughter is 13, how about your daughter’s age?
Perfect chapter titles. Engaging with reality is personal for me as well. The first paragraph of your introduction describes exactly how I played. I have been telling this story out loud in a myriad of ways for decades, sometimes feeling like I might be wrong since so few understood what I was on about. For now, at least, one can find like-minded individuals on platforms where we are enabled to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. How much better would it be if we spoke about such things during a water break at a barn raising? It would be a miracle if 1% of the population embodied this understanding and adopted an operational mindset, getting busy remaking our way of life. Life is short, and people often do things for reasons beyond their control. What better way to live than with purpose and agency in the bosom of reality, with reverence for Great Nature and a will to defend life? AllNature, of which I am part and parcel,_________...
I am thrilled you are writing this with such clear and compelling narrative. This is the story in my bones too but my soul has lost the taste for long-form writing. I am so grateful you are naming these things so I can share it with others and say, if I was writing a book about the Truth I know deep down, this would be it.
I was worried at first. People throw around the word "civilization" pretty often without any thought of what it means, and they use it as a synonym for "humanity" or "culture," when it's anything but. You set my concern to rest though, and I appreciate it.
Ishmael first, then Story of B. The third, My Ishmael, is pretty good too, but it's mostly just tying up the loose ends of Quinn's thoughts. Highly recommend.
Thanks for asking. I am publishing one chapter a week here. I have a draft but I’m sort of open publishing here (note it is for paid subscribers). Once finished it will then be available in print as well. I’ll update all subscribers along the way.
First of all, beautiful writing. I'm looking forward to reading the book and passing it on to others.
Second, it makes me think of _The Year of the Flood_ by Margaret Atwood. The book is about people finding a new way of life to live in harmony with nature after ecological collapse, in part by creating new religious myths.
Your book might be the beginning of that process in real life.
It's been at least 10 years since I read it, but I remember enjoying it and the book that comes before it in the series, _Oryx and Crake_. Margaret Atwood is an internationally awarded writer. If you're not familiar with her other work, she's the one who wrote the _The Handmaid's Tale_ novels.
Thank you for sharing your introduction! This feels both really (...exponentially) necessary right now, and also gorgeously written. I'm looking forward to the book.
Thank you. I am feeling really great about it, as the inspiration and execution have been oddly quick and effortless. Rare for me. I've never written a book. Wish me luck.
This sounds like an excellent book, Justin. These myths need to be busted, and I'm glad you're doing that.
Thank you. There are so many great books out there. What felt compelling about this idea was to give people an entry point where it is all laid out. And a decent bibliography where people can dive deeper into the various components. I hope it lands well.
I think the time is ripe for a book like this.
sorry, only got as far as the second paragraph of your introduction when you wrote about smells and such….which caused me to reminisce and pull out botany books and online resources
I suppose I should end it there….as it also included entanglements and tripping events involving Smilex species/ greenbriers; orange stainings-Chelidonium majus( celadine) ;rashes-Ostrya virginiana (eastern hop hornbeam .then plants recalled with notable scents
one example would be blackberry leaves-(Rubus fruiticosus sp.agg)-species complexes.Intro: Jens Clausen (Stages in the Evolution of Plant Species;1951; Anthony Bradshaw ; Darwin revisited:an ecological study of grasses; Pop. Biology of Grasses;Cheplick ed;1998) online checks: Flora of North America (FNA) website for taxonomic revisions:go botany website for north eastern plants….
🤣
It’s easy to go down those rabbit holes and a joy. Sadly most kids are more familiar with brand logos and slogans than could identify bird songs or plants. One of the consequences of the same system that brought us these wonderful resources.
hi.i hope i can return and read your article later .i am still down this rabbit hole trying to recollect all the types of burrs,(associated plants ) i use to accumulate ,the scents of hayfields- grass species….
(Grasses of the Northeast ;Dennis Magee(2014) is a good regional book.but several others are helpful .(i e Chapman;Gould and Shaw)….
I'm in.
great! I’ve been writing too, towards a book or collection. Excited to read your way to untangling the puzzle. Onward, and well on your way! My daughter is 13, how about your daughter’s age?
She’s 19 next month. Studying anthropology. I’m very proud of her. :-)
This strokes my Neanderthal roots so hard. It is so much civilization…
Perfect chapter titles. Engaging with reality is personal for me as well. The first paragraph of your introduction describes exactly how I played. I have been telling this story out loud in a myriad of ways for decades, sometimes feeling like I might be wrong since so few understood what I was on about. For now, at least, one can find like-minded individuals on platforms where we are enabled to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. How much better would it be if we spoke about such things during a water break at a barn raising? It would be a miracle if 1% of the population embodied this understanding and adopted an operational mindset, getting busy remaking our way of life. Life is short, and people often do things for reasons beyond their control. What better way to live than with purpose and agency in the bosom of reality, with reverence for Great Nature and a will to defend life? AllNature, of which I am part and parcel,_________...
Can I add William Catton via Michael Dowd on "Overshoot"?
https://soundcloud.com/michael-dowd-grace-limits/catton-overshoot-1
Oh yeah… that cornucopian myth… all over it!
I am thrilled you are writing this with such clear and compelling narrative. This is the story in my bones too but my soul has lost the taste for long-form writing. I am so grateful you are naming these things so I can share it with others and say, if I was writing a book about the Truth I know deep down, this would be it.
I cannot wait to read this Justin!
Yes, excellent. Great choice of myths, I think regularly about these and they need articulating
I was worried at first. People throw around the word "civilization" pretty often without any thought of what it means, and they use it as a synonym for "humanity" or "culture," when it's anything but. You set my concern to rest though, and I appreciate it.
Yes… that tendency to associate civilization with humanity is part of the overall myth of progress.
I sincerely hope you'll cite Daniel Quinn. His Ishmael series, and particularly Story of B, is what really got me thinking about these anti-civ ideas.
Oddly I’ve never read that. But so many people I talk to say it radically changed how they view the world. I’ll pick up a copy.
Ishmael first, then Story of B. The third, My Ishmael, is pretty good too, but it's mostly just tying up the loose ends of Quinn's thoughts. Highly recommend.
hello where can I read the rest of the book?
Thanks for asking. I am publishing one chapter a week here. I have a draft but I’m sort of open publishing here (note it is for paid subscribers). Once finished it will then be available in print as well. I’ll update all subscribers along the way.
First of all, beautiful writing. I'm looking forward to reading the book and passing it on to others.
Second, it makes me think of _The Year of the Flood_ by Margaret Atwood. The book is about people finding a new way of life to live in harmony with nature after ecological collapse, in part by creating new religious myths.
Your book might be the beginning of that process in real life.
Thank you. Do you recommend Atwood’s book? Others have also recommended Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.
It's been at least 10 years since I read it, but I remember enjoying it and the book that comes before it in the series, _Oryx and Crake_. Margaret Atwood is an internationally awarded writer. If you're not familiar with her other work, she's the one who wrote the _The Handmaid's Tale_ novels.
Yes, I knew of her work on Handmaid’s Tail. I may have to hunt down a copy!