Phenomenal Integration of Ideas–Superb “Once Over”
February 10, 2010 [final review 21 February 2010]
Edmund J. Bourne
I have sent INTELLIGENCE for EARTH: Clarity, Diversity, Integrity, & Sustainaabilty to the printer and it is on that foundation that I highly recommend this book for a simple easy to understand overview of the fifteen converging forces that the author lists and then discusses in superbly-crafted very easy to read overviews. He covers:
01 A conscious universe
02 Multidimensional reality
03 Interconnection of all minds
04 Complementarity of science and spirituality
05 Radical empiricism [revalidation of intuition and visioning]
06 Consciousness has a causal influence
07 Natural ethics [I really like this, hugely beneficial for all]
08 Reverence for nature and earth [in my book, diversity rocks]
09 A sense of inclusiveness toward all humanity [diversity again]
10 Compassion
11 Integration of the feminine
12 Valuing intuition
13 Volutnary simplicity [some like Naomi Klein and Jim Turner would call this buy-cotting]
14 Respect for being present
15 The primacy of unconditional love
As I went through this book late last night I kept thinking of all the books the author does not mention but did not seriously consider a one-star reduction. A great deal of thought and effort went into making this book as simple as possible. Despite the authors over-dependence on the World Watch Institute, on the publisher (Institute of Noetic Sciences) and on really crummy science such as Al Gore likes to flog so he can continueto propser from the phantom wealth of carbon credit, on balance this book is a triumph of elegant intellect.
A few special observations by the author that came forward for retention:
01 Descontruction of science, spirituality, feelings, and philosophy is being reversed.
02 Nano-conscioousness, transpersonal psychology, paranormal, and cosmic consciousness are now cool not nutty
03 Indigenous knowledge of the ages is now back in vogue–as the author of Voltaire's Bastards and others like him would say, we are reversing the dehumanization of both science and commerce–governance is still a challenge
04 I study water, and I give the author high marks for a huge eye-opener for me personally on the contrast between what it takes in water to grow a vegetarian diet versus and animal diet–23 gallons for a pound of lettuce, 815 gallons for a pound of chicken, 5,214 gallons for a pound of beef, no extra charge for the animal feces and ecoli poisoning in your spinach.
This book is the best possible book for someone who wants to both understand vast literatures quickly and at low cost, *and* apply that understanding to their personal lives. The last half of the book is a personal transformation program, some it mundane but all of it sensible: simplify your life; build peace in all relationships, care for your body, practice meditation, think larger, take action.
The author's “bottom line” is discussed just prior to the personal transformation section, and the headlines are listed here because this author and those who helped him really has done an *extraordinary* job of capturing the essence of the convergent focres for good:
01 Development of a Respectful and Cooperative Relationship with Nature
02 Increased Sense of Connection and Communion for All Peoples
03 Greater Compassion for All Beings
04 Decline of Consumerism
05 The Valuing of Intuitive Knowledge [the author intends to include feminine here]
06 A Natural Ethics
07 Emergence of a Global Consciousness
Althoguh this book and this author are far removed from the pathos as well as the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid, this book is assuredly important for the one billion rich, and the single best primer I have found for anyone who lacks the time or money to read very broadly, and is looking for a “one best book” with which to re-energize their humanity. This is that book.
Other books I recommend to reinforce this one:
The Bhagavad Gita : A Walkthrough for Westerners
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents (Hardcover))
Mapping the Moral Domain: A Contribution of Women's Thinking to Psychological Theory and Education
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
Reflections on Evolutionary Activism: Essays, poems and prayers from an emerging field of sacred social change
The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis
Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace
Philosophy and the Social Problem: The Annotated Edition
See also all books lists at Phi Beta Iota, the Public Intelligence Blog, where among the 98 non-fiction categories the following are especially relevant: Change & Innovation (113); Complexity & Catastrophe (59); Complexity & Resilience (82); Consciousness & Social IQ (135); Cosmos & Destiny (16); Culture, Research (122); Environment (Problems) (60); Environment (Solutions) (81); Intelligence (Collective & Quantum) (79); Intelligence (Public) (154); Intelligence (Wealth of Networks) (42); Nature, Diet, Memetics, Design (69); Peace, Poverty, & Middle Class (111); Philosophy (59); Priorities (32); Religion & Politics of Religion (76); Strategy (85); Survival & Sustainment (53); Technology (Bio-Mimicry, Clean) (10); True Cost & Toxicity (32); Truth & Reconciliation (48); Values, Ethics, Sustainable Evolution (150); Voices Lost (Indigenous, Gender, Poor, Marginalized) (56); Water, Energy, Oil, Scarcity (42).
See also all books lists at Phi Beta Iota, the Public Intelligence Blog, where among the 98 non-fiction categories the following are especially relevant:
Change & Innovation (113); Complexity & Catastrophe (59) ; Complexity & Resilience (82); Consciousness & Social IQ (135); Cosmos & Destiny (16); Culture, Research (122); Environment (Problems) (60) ; Environment (Solutions) (81); Intelligence (Collective & Quantum) (79); Intelligence (Public) (154) ; Intelligence (Wealth of Networks) (42); Nature, Diet, Memetics, Design (69) ; Peace, Poverty, & Middle Class (111) ; Philosophy (59); Priorities (32); Religion & Politics of Religion (76); Strategy (85) ; Survival & Sustainment (53) ; Technology (Bio-Mimicry, Clean) (10); True Cost & Toxicity (32) ; Truth & Reconciliation (48); Values, Ethics, Sustainable Evolution (150) ; Voices Lost (Indigenous, Gender, Poor, Marginalized) (56); Water, Energy, Oil, Scarcity (42).
