Pleased to Have an English Professor Endorse "Blinded by Progress;" Thanks, Lisa

Lisa SpauldingWhen she discovered I was writing a book, Lisa said, “I’m a voracious reader. Could I read it?” “Well, sure!” I responded, taken aback by her request. I figured it was all to the good to have an English professor give it a read. Over a year and a couple of rewrites later, when I began thinking of people who’d be willing to give the book an endorsement, I thought Lisa might. She didn’t hesitate when I checked if she would. “Sure, send it over.”

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Be Sure to Find Out What Paul Hawken Is Doing; and Here's What He Says about "Blinded by Progress"

Paul HawkenDo yourself a big favor! Take a free eco-trip to Paul Hawken’s website. (Read this whole blog and I’ll take you right to it.) And when you go there, you’ll have embarked on an inspiring adventure that evokes all your positive energies, filling your consciousness with what’s best in you. When I contacted Paul about my book, I was met with graciousness about my request and gratitude for it.

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Thanks, Marco, for Your Endorsement

Marco TavantiDelighted to receive this endorsement from Marco Tavanti, Ph.D., International Sustainable Development Professor (DePaul University, Chicago) and President of World Engagement Institute (WEI). Marco and I came into friendship through his work with Mayans in Chiapas, Mexico, at the time when the Zapatistas rose in protest to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), around 1993-1994, and other forms of neoliberal, MultiEarth economics that have been so aggressive and genocidal toward them. Marco continues to expose students at DePaul to the Chiapan experience.

Some years ago, Marco said to me emphatically, “Lee, write a book!” I express my gratitude to you, Marco, in this public forum. His encouragement continues now with this endorsement. 

“El mundo que queremos es uno donde quepan muchos mundos” - “We want a world where many worlds can coexist.” These words spoken by the Maya indigenous people in resistance add color and meaning to the important and timely message of this book. Lee Van Ham is a visionary leader who works for a world that places ‘humanity’ and ‘care’ at its core. This book highlights his vision along the contrasting MultiEarth and OneEarth worldviews. Can these two worldviews coexist? Ray Anderson, who is highlighted in this book, is also one of my heroes. He has been able to integrate economic development with sustainable practices. This effort requires personal, corporate and systemic paradigm shifts moving away from a blinded progress-rush into a more sustainable, inclusive, and humane development. This is not just a book about self-reflections. It is a guide to collectively raise our consciousness and create concrete steps toward becoming responsible citizens of one earth. This is a must read for people and communities who recognize their global responsibility toward Mother Nature, world poverty, and moral integrity.” 

Here's the Book Cover to Look For

Does the art catch your eye? We hope so. Does it give clues to the content of the book? It does.

Hats off to artist Marcelo Radulovich for creating this cover for the book that will be available in a few more weeks. Marcelo listened carefully as Michael Johnson and I talked with him in several phone conversations. Check Marcelo’s website to see both his musical and visual artistic talents. Santiago, Chile, is his birthplace.

Leave your interpretations of the art in the “Comments” below. We can let each other know what we see and feel as we let this cluster of images have their say.

For me, I see the blue planet in the dark glasses, but it’s shaded out. The consumerist images dominate, getting into our heads and muddling our worldview. Doing what we think of as Progress can so subtily separate us from our humanness. The image here is of a person, but the humanness has been displaced and covered over. What seems to improve our lives has illusion mingled in. If the blue planet in the center of the eyes can come into clear vision, will the illusion separate from reality for me?

Now it’s your turn. What do you see?

Ever Been Blinded by Progress?

It’s time to fire up this blog! I talked with David Wogahn today at Sellbox. David is “typesetting” my book now. We’re in the final stages. An indexer will go to work soon. A “Foreward” is being written. I’m eager for you to see the cover art. I’m guessing you’ll be able to get a copy by Thanksgiving.The title of the book is “Blinded by Progress.” A subtitle adds this: “Breaking Out of the Illusion That Holds Us.”

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Backstage at the One Earth Project

Phew! It’s been three weeks since any new entries have appeared here. Travel, illness, and family visitors filled those weeks. Let me take you backstage at the One Earth Project for a moment as I take up some blogging again. 

Judging from this website so far, the One Earth Project is primarily a blog. Hints appear from time to time that a book is somewhere in a publishing process.

But backstage, Michael Johnson and I talk almost weekly about this project which is close to our hearts because, among other reasons, we’re egging each other on in how to get our own lives to fit inside of our one planet. Those conversations have continued as one long manuscript has been recast, with the help of various readers, into a trilogy. Book I of the trilogy benefited from having nearly 50 people, including some readers of this blog, help create our current working title: Blinded by Progress. The subtitle will appear in smaller font and lower on the page: Lenses to See Five Earth Destroyers We Can Change.

Book I has been turned down by both Berrett-Koehler and Beacon Press. Both offered affirmative words about the manuscript and both encouraged us to submit it to other publishers.

Michael and I have decided that our next step is to self-publish 50 copies and invite readers who may be willing to give us endorsements. We’re zeroing in on a copy editor now that we have to do that ourselves instead of relying on a publisher to do it. She’s asked for an outline of Books I, II, and III so she can get the full overview of our concept. I’ve now submitted the outline to her. Book II is coming along well. It focuses on the greater consciousness we need to keep up with where Earth is evolving given her own evolutionary path plus the influences of our dominating human species. The working title is Epoch Change. 

In case you’ve forgotten, Michael is an Emmy award winning filmmaker. He and I are planning a short promotional film for Book I. Long term, Michael would love to produce a documentary as part of the One Earth Project.

All of this takes money, of course, and we began with zero revenue sources. So far we’re grateful beyond words for a memorial gift of $1K and a Mennonite family foundation gift of $3K. Michael and I have also invested some of our personal finances. Perhaps you know of other sources. Donations are all tax deductible through our fiscal sponsor, Jubilee Economics Ministries.

So that’s a peek backstage at the One Earth Project. Hope you enjoyed it.