Reviews (2)

In comparison, our cultural thinking is dead.
The perspective I have come to is that for most of my life I lived in a human world which has not been able to offer in any comprehensive way, what really matters.
Thomas Berry is a true genius
Every politician should read this book and then look into their hearts.I must say that Mary Tucker's Editorial Preface says everything about Thomas Berry and his desire to enhance human beings' relationship to Earth.His writing is accessible and undaunting.The gift of his genius, still going strong at 90 years of age is expressed again in this book and the message will bring you into the fold of his views with keen insight and compassion. I am so grateful for his gifts and just want you to read it and give it to everyone else you know. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Geology    2. Environmental degradation    3. Essays    4. General    5. Human ecology    6. Moral and ethical aspects    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Philosophy    10. Philosophy of nature    11. Nature / General    12. Spirituality   

Reviews (18)

Soulcraft is just what i was looking for
This book is well written and easy to understand. it addresses specific issues which confront people in modern society who feel the need to reconnect with their inmost self, as well as offering methods for doing so. i highly recommend it.

Moving Forward
This is an excellent book for moving forward in your life and finding your true self.I have felt stuck and confused for many years about the direction my life should take and this book has helped me to change that.The activities the author recommends open your everyday mind to your subconscious or soul as the author calls it.This has been a life changing book for me and is helping me to finally understand what it really means to grow up.If you feel stuck and as though your story has gooten too small for you then it is time to read this book.

Immense
I was drawn to Bill Plotkin's book the week it was released.Over time I have gone back to this profound message and taken more to use in my life as I work toward life purpose, life intention.The 'coincidences' of his story are nothing less than the spiritual power of life itself that we all experience every day, if we only take time to decide to be open for them.Powerful truths for heart and soul in these trying years of an old and tortured world.There is peace and hope. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Applied Psychology    2. Inspiration & Personal Growth    3. Metaphysics    4. Mysticism    5. New Age    6. New Age (Self Help)    7. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    8. Psychological aspects    9. Psychology    10. Self-actualization (Psychology    11. Self-actualization (Psychology)    12. Soul    13. Spiritual    14. Vision quests    15. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness    16. Self-Help / Spiritual    17. Spirituality   

Editorial Review

The future can exist only if humans understand how to commune with the natural world rather than exploit it, explains author and renowned ecologist Thomas Berry (Read more

Reviews (10)

Spelling Out A Dire Need For Change
This review is long, and my apologies, but this book is potent and spells-out what is one of the most important subjects of the 21st century- our drifting from physical reality and responsibilities and the need to wake-up and realize this dilemma and how we can accomplish that possible , but daunting task. Thomas Berry does this with eloquence and wisdom here and this is truly, a "Great Work"! Thank you, Mr. Berry!
Entering the Ecozoic Era
With the wealth of works statistically portraying the growing threats of climate change, it's almost refreshing to encounter someone seeking a "soft" approach.Berry recognises the obstructions in transforming a polluting and morally corrupting economy to a less harmful path.He points to a change in attitude we must all make to prevent catastrophe.Yet, it's not difficult, he argues, to reassert a more direct tie with Nature such as we enjoyed in our ancient past.What was once there, but lost, can be recovered.It merely takes some will.
One of the Great Prophetic Minds of our age!
Tom Berry has been called the "Bard of the New Cosmology" and so he is! His thoughts challenge those rooted in authoritarian structures and flatland awareness. His views challenge those who find extreme security in their myths and dogmatic positions. These people have made a career of striking back with an authoritarian thunder when challenged with a more comprehensive unfolding of the Cosmos. Berry's explication brings science and religion together without authoritative fiat rooted in dogma--what Ken Wilbur calls "Deep Religion." Deep religion honors the developmental spirial of conciousness and the EXPERIENTIAL awareness that mystics are privy to and speak of so eloquently and forcefully. Berry's book brings the enviornmental crisis in focus and calls for human transformation of every aspect of human unfolding: political, educational, corporate, sociological, and religious. It is no wonder those who remain rooted in the systems of the Earth's demise so forcefully attack this Great and surely Prophetic Man. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Environmental Studies    4. Future Studies    5. History    6. History: World    7. Philosophy & Social Aspects    8. History / Civilization    9. History of ideas, intellectual history    10. History of religion   

Reviews (8)

Food for Thought on the Insect-Human Connection
Joanne Lauck's book "The Voice of the Infinite in the Small," starts with the very intriguing premise that we humans tend to demonize the smaller six, eight and multi-legged creatures around us, while these have their place in nature and are often important in our own survival (where would we be without pollination!)As a professional biologist who has specialized in arthropods, I could not agree more on this point.Indeed, Lauck has brought together some most intriguing imagery and fascinating myths and metaphors into a discussion that I think was long overdue.As a professional I constantly hear complaints from people about some harmless or nearly harmless arthropod, such as any spider, certain innocuous true bugs and beetles, or house centipedes that they think should be immediately wiped off the face of the earth.
Ms Lauck Gives A Beautiful Voice To The Insect World
The prevailing attitudes towards insects are mostly antagonistic or ambivalent, and certainly, uninformed. In the concrete covered human world that has distanced itself from Nature and realitiy, we are daily subjected to the perverse messages delivered through commercials by profit greedy pesticide companies about the nasty, stinging, dirty, disease carryings bugs. By now, though, we should all be able to see through that snake-oil facade, but how about the "bad bug" disinformation passed along by good intentioned, but uninformed teachers, parents, et al?
A wonderful and much-needed new perspective
Thomas Berry, the famed theologian and cultural historian who wrote the introduction to this book, makes a perfect statement: "The time has come for humans and insects to turn toward each other. Such is our way to wisdom, the source of our healing, our guidance into the twenty-first century." Joanne Lauck has made a wonderful contribution to those of us seeking to transform ourselves as we travel our spiritual pathways. This book (herein referred to as The Voice) is not a study of insects, it's not a scientific book and it doesn't pretend to be. It's more than that. The Voice offers a new perspective to life, to all that is beautiful and wonderful on this planet; it opens the doorway for us to consider insects in all their splendor and beauty and as necessary beings for the balance of all life. The many stories and myths, woven into facts about insects, make for fascinating reading. For me, reading The Voice brought to my attention the dusty corners of my mind, those places that held prejudices I didn't even know existed. Not just against certain insects--I was forced to look beyond them. Reading The Voice proved to be exciting, educational, rewarding, eye-opening and, finally, a critical step on my spiritual journey. Since then, I've gifted others with the book. An acquaintance named Robert, who reads The Voice while sitting with the insects, tells me time and time again that he looks at the world differently now; his vision is much larger than it was before he began establishing a relationship with insects. The insects welcome him. The bees especially have been offering their friendship--they walk back and forth along the top of his glasses in greeting, then explore the gentleness of Robert's hands. Robert is in the healing profession, and he admits that as he is changing, so also is his work changing. Such is the impact of Ms. Lauck's book. I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Human-animal relationships    3. Insects    4. Life Sciences - Zoology - Entomology    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Psychological aspects    8. Religious aspects    9. Insects & spiders    10. Nature / Essays   

Reviews (3)

Become One With the Creative Mystery
Kathleen Deignan, a professor of religious studies at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, really outdid herself here in compiling and editing some THREE HUNDRED works by Thomas Merton in this text. It's not a particularly long book, surprisingly, with only 190 some odd pages in it. With that being said, not much is left out here, either. It's by all means complete. There are chapters on the four seasons - on the mountains and the forests. Nature herself. say nothing is everything that matters
Kathleen Deignan's When the Trees Say Nothing Spiritually rewarding for readers of all faiths
Compiled and edited by Kathleen Deignan ( Sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame), enhanced with drawings by John Giuliani (Founder and Overseer of The Benedictine Grang, a spiritual center in West Redding, Connecticut), and featuring an informative foreword by Thomas Berry, When The Trees Say Nothing: Writings On Nature is an impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking collection of commentaries by the late Thomas Merton (1915-1968), an influential Catholic monk, poet, spiritual writer, and social activist. The commentaries, observations, and writings are superbly organized into eight chapters: Seasons; Elements; Firmament; Creatures; Festivals; Presences; and Sanctuary. These, along with the postscript "Sophia," a section of notes, a list of abbreviations, and a bibliography, combine in a movingly written, enthusiastically recommended volume of readings that are appropriate and spiritually rewarding for readers of all faiths who seek to experience the sacred and the sacramental in God's handiworks. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Nature    3. Religion    4. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    5. Religious aspects    6. Spirituality - General    7. Christian social thought & activity    8. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS   

Reviews (9)

Healing the Earth
Our planet, Gaia, is sorely in need of healing. Her earth, waters, and air are polluted. Natural resources are being depleted. Thousands of plant and animal species are becoming extinct.
AFine Guide To Earth/Universe Connectivity
Thomas Berry has put together in this one book what a thousand other writers have attempted and that is: a complete format for human perception of reality that should and can pervade through all our earthly activities, esp. religion, politics and economy. Let Earth and it's biolgical processes teach and guide us to a rational, sustainable, regenerative, healthy existence.
A Global Story, A Saving Story
In one of his Dialogues, Plato says that the most serious difficulty one faces when attempting to philosophize is in "finding a suitable story for what one wants to say."But it's a difficulty worth facing at this time in history because a suitable story may serve to energize and advance current efforts to develop a globally responsible spirituality.Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Environmental Studies    3. Europe - France    4. General    5. Human ecology    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Philosophy    9. Religious aspects    10. Environmentalist thought & ideology    11. Philosophy / General    12. Theology   

Reviews (1)

The "art of inwardness."
I arrived at this 1967 book after first reading Thomas Berry's more recent, deep-ecology books, DREAM OF THE EARTH (1990) and THE GREAT WORK (1999), both of which I highly recommend.While reading those books, Iwondered if Berry's ecological views have a Buddhist influence, althoughany such influence was not explicit in his writing.The final paragraph ofthis book, however, possibly confirms Berry's Buddhist perspective.Read more

Subjects:  1. Buddhism    2. Buddhism - General    3. Religion    4. Religion - World Religions    5. Religion / General   

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - General    3. Environmental Psychology    4. Human ecology    5. Popular Culture    6. Recovery    7. Religious aspects    8. Self-Help    9. Spirituality    10. Spirituality - General    11. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    12. Twelve-Step Programs    13. Coping with drug & alcohol abuse    14. Self-Help / Substance Abuse   

Reviews (1)

Combines ancient wisdom with unifying vision of cosmos
Heyneman's panoramic vision of a cosmic spiritual ecology is achieved through an unusual balance between practical observation, vigorous knowledge of literature and science and inspired personal insight.Sheleads her reader past explanation, through knowledge, to exceptionalopportunities for understanding of our role in the cosmos.All of thishinges on her ability to relate her practice and understanding of spiritualtraditionto our international legacies of literature and science.JWD ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. General    3. Philosophy    4. Philosophy & Social Aspects    5. Religion    6. Cosmology & the universe    7. Science: General Issues   

Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Doctrines    3. Environmental Science    4. Environmental Studies    5. Human ecology    6. Nature    7. Religion    8. Religious aspects    9. Applied ecology    10. Religion: general    11. Theology   

Reviews (1)

Though provoking discussion from the geologian
Berry may be the only "geologian" - Earth scholar.As an 11 year old he had an epiphanal experience in a meadow that gave him a new sense of reality.Later as a priest of the Passionist order, he took the name Thomas after Thomas Aquinas, and is influenced by Aquinas' rediscovery of the universe and quotes from Summa Theologica.The first two essays introduce his cosmology under the broad topics "Economics" and "The earth: a new context for religious unity".Read more

Subjects:  1. 1914-    2. Berry, Thomas Mary,    3. Bible and science    4. Christianity - Theology - General    5. Cosmology    6. Earth    7. Environmental Science    8. Environmental Studies    9. Individual Theologians And Their Works (General)    10. Berry, Thomas Mary    11. Christian theology    12. Other prose: from c 1900 -    13. Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church    14. The Environment   

Reviews (1)

"In the beginning was the dream."
Father Thomas Berry's visionary DREAM OF THE EARTH (1990) changed my life.When I read this 90-page book in observance of Earth Day today, I soon discovered that the four "essays" collected here are actually Chapters 4, 10, 15, and 16 of THE DREAM OF THE EARTH.We are living in "a bitter moment" (p. 60) for the earth, Berry writes.We have subdued the wilderness, devastated the planet in the name of "progress" (pp. 58-9), and "the day of reckoning" is now upon us (p. 68).Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays    2. Human Ecology    3. Human Geography    4. Nature    5. Nature / Field Guide Books    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Philosophy    8. Philosophy (Specific Aspects)    9. Religious aspects    10. Non-Classifiable   

Subjects:  1. Comparative Religion    2. Eastern    3. Religion    4. Religion - World Religions   

Reviews (1)

This book is a "must read"...full of hope and truth.
This book is an outgrowth of an environmental conference which was held inSeattle in the early 90s.It is both hopeful in reporting some of theactivities which are going on in the earth/human relationship and hopelessin that it tells the situation like it is...dire.The presentation of thesacred in everyday life is beautifully done.The book was a consciousnessraising session and the message is inspirational. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comparative Religion    2. Ecology    3. Environmental Science    4. Environmental Studies   

Reviews (20)

Repeated Enjoyment
Every year goes by and this simple tale becomes more treasured and heartwarming.I have given dozens of copies of this book to friends, birders and non interested alike.Everyone is grateful for the inspiration that this unusual piece of nature brings.
Purchased this book in protest against Pale Male's eviction
As a New Yorker, I hadn't really paid much attention to Pale Male before this unfortunate state of affairs. There was somethingshockingly callous and arrogant in the way the board of 927 Fifth Avenue destroyed this magnificent bird's home. I hope the hawks will eventually get their nest back.
Enchanting
As I write this at the very end of 2004, a red-tailed hawk drama has hit the press: The nest of a minor celebrity, Pale Male, the hero of the non-fictional "Red Tails in Love," had his nest summarily and probably illegally removed from the tony 5th Avenue address where he has nested for many a year.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Environmental Science    3. Environmental Studies    4. Environmental education    5. Green movement    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Philosophy    9. Applied ecology    10. Philosophy of education   

Subjects:  1. Buddhism    2. Christianity   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - General    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction   

Subjects:  1. Philosophy, Asian   

Subjects:  1. Human ecology    2. Religious aspects   

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Ecology    3. Religion    4. Research