The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature - Softcover

Suzuki, David T.; McConnell, Amanda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1550549634 ISBN 13: 9781550549638

Publisher: Greystone Books, 2008

Synopsis

The economy and global competitiveness are the bottom line for society and governments, or so says conventional wisdom. But what are the real needs that must be satisfied to live rich, fulfilling lives? This is the question David Suzuki explores in this wide-ranging study. Suzuki begins by presenting the concept of people as creatures of the Earth who depend on its gifts of air, water, soil, and sun energy. He shows how people are genetically programmed for the company of other species, and suffer enormously when we fail to live in harmony with them. And he analyzes those deep spiritual needs, rooted in nature, that are also a crucial component of a loving world. Drawing on his own experiences and those of others who have put their beliefs into action, The Sacred Balance is a powerful, passionate book with concrete suggestions for creating an ecologically sustainable, satisfying, and fair future by rediscovering and addressing humanity’s basic needs.

About this title

Review

Sat somewhere on that uneasy continuum between commonplace book and New Scientist magazine article, David Suzuki's The Sacred Balance disguises its serious intent behind the tricksiness of its presentation. But the aggregate effect of its box- outs, pull-quotes and sub-headings is undeniably powerful: a many-pronged effort to stake out some common ethical ground between the increasingly polarised worlds of environmentalism and big business. Suzuki's diagnosis of the late Capitalist condition is one in which our adaptive behaviours have become dangerously divorced from the environmental conditions in which they evolved. "The definitions of 'cost' and 'benefit' have changed", Suzuki writes. "Whereas in the past the most important factor was the long-term survival or well-being of the family or group, today decisions are made based on the implications for a company, job, market share or profit. So we assess costs and benefits within a very different framework of values, ignoring, for example, the health of the community or ecosystem. We have gotten out of the habit of thinking about things that really matter to us ...

The Sacred Balance is an eloquent expression of the general yearning for a closer connection to our planet--the kind of ill-understood urge that makes more people visit zoos than attend all major sports events combined. "Through us [the world] becomes conscious", writes Suzuki's co-author Amanda McConnell. This book is a timely reminder of that simple and revolutionary fact. --Simon Ings

From the Back Cover

In The Sacred Balance, David Suzuki, the acclaimed geneticist, presents his vision of how we can meet our basic needs on this earth and create a way of life that is ecologically sustainable, fulfilling and just. Here, as he explores crucial issues, such as the importance of love and spirituality in our lives and the interdependence of all living creatures on this planet, he shows us how we can rediscover our place in nature and live in true balance and harmony with our surroundings.

Timely and thought-provoking, The Sacred Balance confronts these crucial issues and, with wisdom and compassion, offers an inspiring new direction for us all.

Edition details

• Publisher: Greystone Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1550549634
• ISBN 13: 9781550549638
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 272