Compulsory Reading

Alison (Fun Home) Bechdel shows why compulsory lists kill the love of reading.

Life, Money & Illusion

On Thursday, July 3rd, Northtown Books hosts an appearance by Mike Nickerson, author of Life, Money & Illusion: Living On Earth As If We Want to Stay.

Nickerson has spent 35 years studying cultural evolution and communicating a sustainability message. His writings include: Bakavi: Change the World I Want to Stay On (1977), Let's Talk About Sustainability (1987), and Planning for Seven Generations (1993)

From Life, Money & Illusion:

Money is the life blood of civilization. Without money it would be very difficult for any but small communities to work together in mutual provision. By enabling millions of people to cooperate, money provides a great service. With this service, however, comes danger. Money gathers and flows in economic streams. The greater these flows, the greater the temptation to tap in and drink deeply.

Nickerson's latest book tracks how economic patterns change as the communities they serve grow from extended families, through local populations and nations, to global civilization. While there are advantages to large-scale production, the potential for participants to be alienated from each other and from the natural environment grows with the size of the system. With alienation come opportunities for unfortunate advantages to be taken.

Please join us July 3rd at 5 pm for an enlightening discussion.

For more information, visit http://www.flora.org/sustain//