Chelsea Green Publishing Co – serie

The classic book on systems thinking, with more than half a million copies sold worldwide!This is a fabulous book. This book opened my mind and reshaped the way I think about investing. ForbesPerfect for fans of Kate Raworth, Rutger Bregman and Daniel Kahneman!The co-author of the international best-selling book Limits to Growth, Donella Meadows is widely regarded as a pioneer in the environmental movement and one of the world's foremost systems analysts . Her posthumously published Thinking in Systems, is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. This essential primer brings systems thinking out of the realm of computers and equations and into the tangible world, showing readers how to develop the systems-thinking skills critical for 21st-century life.Some of the biggest problems facing the world―war, hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation―are essentially system failures. They cannot be solved by fixing one piece in isolation from the others, because even seemingly minor details have enormous impact.While readers will learn the conceptual tools and methods of systems thinking, the heart of the book is grander than methodology. Donella Meadows reminds readers to pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable, to stay humble, and to stay a learner.No matter what industry or career you’re in, Thinking In Systems will bring clarity to the complicated, crowded and interdependent networks that make up the world today. Thinking in Systems helps readers avoid confusion and helplessness, the first step toward finding proactive and effective solutions.

'One of the most perceptive and thought-provoking books …Essential reading for these turbulent times.' Amitav Ghosh, author of The Great Derangement'Dougald Hine’s brilliant book demands we stare into that abyss and rethink our securest certainties about what is actually going on in the climate crisis. It’s lucidly unsettling and yet in the end empowering. There is something we can do, and it starts with where we look, how we see and what we choose to change.’ Brian Eno, Musician‘[A] rich book, which like a poetic or religious text deserves multiple readings’ Richard Smith, British Medical Journal‘I consider this book a must-read for all those activists feeling lost, desperate and perhaps subject to ‘press-on-itis'.’ Gail Bradbrook, cofounder, Extinction RebellionDougald Hine, world-renowned environmental thinker, has spent most of his life talking to people about climate change. And then one afternoon in the second year of the pandemic, he found he had nothing left to say. Why would someone who cares so deeply about ecological destruction want to stop talking about climate change now? At Work in the Ruins explores that question.‘Climate change asks us questions that climate science cannot answer,’ Dougald says. Questions like, how did we end up in this mess? Is it just a piece of bad luck with atmospheric chemistry – or is it the result of a way of approaching the world that would always have brought us to such a pass? How we answer such questions also has consequences.Through our over-reliance on the single lens of science, Dougald writes that we are blinded to the nature of the crises around and ahead of us, leading to ‘solutions’ that can only make things worse. At Work in the Ruins is his reckoning with the strange years we have been living through and our long history of asking too much of science.  He offers guidance by standing firmly forward and facing the depth of the trouble we are in, to ultimately, helps us find the work that is worth doing, even in the ruins.

Named One of the 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years by The New York Times‘…The high priest of fermentation theory’ the Guardian‘Sandor Katz’s teachings and writings on fermentation have changed lives around the world.’ Dan Saladino, The Food Programme BBCThe bible for the D.I.Y set: detailed instructions for how to make your own sauerkraut, beer, yogurt and pretty much everything involving microorganisms. The New York TimesInternational New York Times bestseller, translated into 10 languages and over a quarter of a million copies sold worldwideNew York Times bestseller The Art of Fermentation is the only fermentation guide you’ll ever need! In this book, fermentation revivalist Katz contextualises fermentation in terms of biological and cultural evolution, gut health, immunity, nutrition and even economics. Here, you will find the A to Z of everything you need to know about fermentation. From the novice fermentationist to the experienced practitioner, this book has something in it for everyone.With beautiful illustrations and extended references you will find details on making: fermenting vegetablessugars into alcohol (meads, wines, and ciders)sour tonic beveragesMilkGrains and starchy tubers beers (and other grain-based alcoholic beverages) beans; seeds; nuts fish; meat; and eggs growing mold culturesKimchi, krautkombucha, kefirSandor Katz’s award-winning writing and in-depth knowledge as a fermentation revivalist guarantees that this book will remain a classic in food writing and the first guide of its kind. Perfect for cooks, food lovers, fermentation enthusiasts, farmers and foragers alike!

Lakoff researches how framing influences reasoning, or how the way we say something often matters much more than what we say. the GuardianOver a quarter of a million copies sold worldwide!Ten years after writing the definitive, international bestselling book on political debate and messaging, George Lakoff returns with new strategies about how to frame today’s essential issues.Called the “father of framing” by The New York Times, Lakoff explains how framing is about ideas – ideas that come before policy, ideas that make sense of facts, ideas that are proactive not reactive, positive not negative, ideas that need to be communicated out loud every day in public. The revised edition picks up where the original book left off – delving deeper into how framing works, how framing has evolved in the past decade, how to speak to people who harbor elements of both progressive and conservative worldviews, how to counter propaganda and slogans, and more.The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant! will make you reconsider everything you think you know about framing:Do you think facts alone can win a debate? Do you know what makes a Tea Party follower tick? Do you understand how to communicate on key issues that can improve people's lives? Whether you answer yes or no, the insights in The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant! will not only surprise you, but also give you the tools you need to develop frames that work, and eradicate frames that backfire.

‘The most important book of 2022.’ Dr. Robert MaloneDesmet’s work on mass formation theory was brought to the world’s attention on The Joe Rogan Experience and in major alternative news outlets around the globe. Read this book to get beyond the sound bites!In The Psychology of Totalitarianism, world-renowned Professor of Clinical Psychology Mattias Desmet deconstructs the societal conditions that allow collective hypnosis to take hold. By analysing the global pandemic, he identifies the phenomenon of ‘mass formation’ and illustrates how humanity is being forcibly,unconsciously led into a reality of technocratic totalitarianism, which aggressively excludes alternative views and relies on destructive groupthink, vilifying non-conformist thought as ‘dissident.’Building on Hannah Arendt’s essential work on totalitarianism, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Desmet offers a sharp critique of the cultural ‘groupthink’ that existed pre-pandemic but has steadily and inexorably advanced during the Covid crisis. He cautions against the dangers of our current societal landscape, media consumption, and reliance on manipulative technologies, offering simple solutions – both individual and collective – to prevent the willing sacrifice of our ability to think critically. The Psychology of Totalitarianism serves as an indispensable and fundamental guide to understanding this key moment in history.‘Mattias Desmet's [theory of mass formation hypnosis] is great. . . . Once I kind of started to look for it, I saw it everywhere.’ Eric Clapton

"David Stroh has produced an elegant and cogent guide to what works. Research with early learners is showing that children are natural systems thinkers. This book will help to resuscitate these intuitive capabilities and strengthen them in the fire of facing our toughest problems."—Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline Concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning—for everyone!Donors, leaders of nonprofits, and public policy makers usually have the best of intentions to serve society and improve social conditions. But often their solutions fall far short of what they want to accomplish and what is truly needed. Moreover, the answers they propose and fund often produce the opposite of what they want over time. We end up with temporary shelters that increase homelessness, drug busts that increase drug-related crime, or food aid that increases starvation.How do these unintended consequences come about and how can we avoid them? By applying conventional thinking to complex social problems, we often perpetuate the very problems we try so hard to solve, but it is possible to think differently, and get different results.Systems Thinking for Social Change enables readers to contribute more effectively to society by helping them understand what systems thinking is and why it is so important in their work. It also gives concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning without becoming a technical expert.Systems thinking leader David Stroh walks readers through techniques he has used to help people improve their efforts on complex problems like:ending homelessnessimproving public healthstrengthening educationdesigning a system for early childhood developmentprotecting child welfaredeveloping rural economiesfacilitating the reentry of formerly incarcerated people into societyresolving identity-based conflictsand more!  The result is a highly readable, effective guide to understanding systems and using that knowledge to get the results you want.

Groundbreaking call to action by Donella Meadows, the bestselling author of Thinking in Systems!Limits to Growth was right. New research shows we're nearing collapse the GuardianThe updated edition of the groundbreaking classic that kickstarted the movement for environmental and ecological reform!Perfect for fans of The Uninhabitable Earth and There is No Planet BIt is no unknown fact that at the present rate of climate change, population growth and capitalistic expansion, we are over-exceeding our planet’s resources. We’re stretched pretty thin and if we continue at the present rate we’ll soon be headed towards irreversible consequences as a result of unchecked growth on a finite planet.Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers and Dennis Meadows, three imminent environmental leaders, foresaw the early signs of wear and tear on our planet. They come together in Limits to Growth to offer an analysis of present and future trends in resource use and assess a variety of possible outcomes. Citing climate change as the most tangible example of our current overshoot, the scientists now provide us with a plan to reduce our needs to meet the carrying capacity of the planet.In many ways, the message contained in Limits to Growth is a warning. Rampant resource exhaustion cannot be sustained without collapse. But as the authors are careful to point out, there is reason to believe that humanity can still reverse some of the damage to Earth if we reduce inefficiency and waste. Limits to Growth is a work of stunning intelligence that has exposed the critical line between human growth and human development.

Big ideas that just might save the world. the GuardianA serious book on an important subject. Without imagination, where are we? Sir Quentin BlakeWhat if we took play seriously? What if we considered imagination vital to our health? What if we followed nature’s lead? What if school nurtured young imaginations?What if things turned out okay?Rob Hopkins asks the most important question that society has somehow forgotten – What If? Hopkins explores what we must do to revive and replenish our collective imagination. If we can rekindle that precious creative spark, whole societies and cultures can change – rapidly, dramatically and unexpectedly – for the better. There really is no end to what we might accomplish.From What Is to What If is the most inspiring, courageous and necessary book you will read this year; a call to action to reclaim and unleash the power of our imaginations and to solve the problems of our time. Meet the individuals and communities around the world who are doing it now – and creating brighter futures for us all. At last, we have a design for our dreams. I believe we have a debt of honour to take action. Please read this book and defy the herd. Are we golden or are we debris? Mark Stewart, musician, The Pop Group and Mark Stewart & The Maffia

‘This seminal book...will transform your understanding ...of the environmental and health effects of electricity and radio frequencies’ Paradigm Explorer‘Firstenberg is a pioneer in the sense that Rachel Carson was a pioneer.’ Chellis Glendinning, PhD, author of When Technology Wounds75,000 copies sold! Cell towers, Wi-fi, 5G: Electricity has shaped the modern world. But how has it affected our health and environment?Over the last 220 years, society has evolved a universal belief that electricity is ‘safe’ for humanity and the planet. Scientist and journalist Arthur Firstenberg disrupts this conviction by telling the story of electricity in a way it has never been told before – from an environmental point of view – by detailing the effects that this fundamental societal building block has had on our health and our planet.In The Invisible Rainbow, Firstenberg traces the history of electricity from the early eighteenth century to the present, making a compelling case that many environmental problems, as well as the major diseases of industrialised civilisation—heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—are related to electrical pollution.

Perfect for readers of James Rebanks, Wendell Berry and Thomas Piketty, A Small Farm Future is a refreshingly new outlook on the way forward for society. A vital resource for activists, students, policy makers and anyone looking to enact change. In a time of UNCERTAINTY, what would a truly RESILIENT SOCIETY look like?The recent pandemic has brought to light the fragility of a globalised food system. We have seen firsthand how important farmers are and how scary it can be when supply chains break down. This is precisely the type of crisis farmer and former social scientist Chris Smaje delves into in his ground-breaking debut A Small Farm Future. Destined to become a modern classic, A Small Farm Future plants a flag at the intersection between economics, agriculture and society during a time of immense crisis. Smaje makes the case for organising human societies around small-scale, local and ecological farming in order to meet the environmental and political challenges of our times.

In this indispensable new resource both for the home apothecary and clinical practitioners, a celebrated herbalist brings alive the elemental relationships among traditional healing practices, ecological stewardship and essential plant medicines.By honouring ancient wisdom and presenting it in an innovative way, Energetic Herbalism is a profound and practical guide to family and community care for those seeking to move beyond symptom relief and into a truly holistic framework of health. Throughout, author Kat Maier invites readers to explore their personal relationships with plants and their environs as they discover diverse models of healing.Inside Energetic Herbalism, you’ll find:The elements and patterns of Ayurvedic doshas for greater self-awareness as well as positive lifestyle choicesThe relationship of well-being to the seasons through the brilliant lens of Chinese Five Element Theory and how our emotional health is beautifully expressed through the ElementsThe roots and evolution of Vitalism, the traditional Western system of energetic medicineHow to assess imbalances in the body using the elegant and intuitive vocabulary of the six tissue states, an emerging tool in Western herbalismThe senses as the main tools for navigating through energetic herbalismA deep appreciation of the wisdom of indigenous peoples, which is the foundation of sacred plant traditionsThrough the rich herbal tradition of storytelling, Maier seamlessly blends theory and practice with her experience-tested herbal remedies and healing protocols. Maier stresses the critical message of how to address the challenge of threatened medicinal plant populations, offering practical and inspiriting methods for ensuring their survival. Many herbals boast a materia medica of more than 100 herbs, but in keeping with an emphasis on sustainable practice, Maier instead focuses in depth on 25 essential medicinal herbs that can be grown in most temperate climates and soils, including:DandelionAshwagandha (Indian Ginseng)GoldensealBurdockCalendulaEchinaceaGoldenrodWhether you are a seasoned clinical herbalist, an herbalist-in-training or simply someone seeking to provide the best natural health care for your family, this book is a source of inspiration, insight and answers you will return to again and again.

[Pascal]’s methods are effective, and his creativity is infectious. With gorgeous photos and clear technical details, this book will be a source of great inspiration. Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of FermentationThe perfect guide for DIY homebrewers, fermentation fans and foraging enthusiasts!Fermentation fans and homebrewers are invited to discover a galaxy of wild and cultivated plants, fruits, berries and other natural ingredients traditionally used to make a whole spectrum of fizzy fermented drinks!Wild-plant expert and forager Pascal Baudar’s first book, The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, opened up a whole new world of possibilities for readers wishing to explore and capture the flavours of their local terroir. Next in Pascal’s Wildcrafted series, The Wildcrafting Brewer does the same for fermented drinks. Baudar reveals both the underlying philosophy and the practical techniques for making your own delicious concoctions. Illustrated with full-colour photographs and step-by-step techniques on how to make a variety of drinks, including: Sugar, molasses & syrup-based beers such as ginger beer, mountain beer, nettle beer, wild Belgian beerCountry wines & meads including: elderberry wine, honey wine, herbal meadTraditional drinks & medicinal brews such as tepache, fruit kvass, chaga beerNaturally fermented drinks including: pinecone soda, mountain raspberry soda, elderflower soda, lacto-fermented drinks and much more!Baudar is quick to point out that these recipes serve mainly as a touchstone for readers, who can then use the information and techniques he provides to create their own brews using local ingredients.The Wildcrafting Brewer will attract foodies, herbalists, foragers and chefs alike with the author’s playful and relaxed philosophy. Readers will find themselves surprised by how easy making your own natural drinks can be and will be inspired, again, by the abundance of nature all around them. Those interested in the wonders of foraging and fermenting can also check out his next book in the wildcrafted series, Wildcrafted Fermentation!

There’s magic afoot! Edible green growing things we’d mistaken for weeds; everyday vegetables capable of far more than we’d give them credit for; and a most companionable, knowledgeable, and encouraging guide to help us see, cook, taste, and delight in it all. Lori De Mori, coauthor of TowpathThe book will serve the professional chef and home cook in equal measure. It is mind expanding, experimental and utilizes a magnificent diversity of plants. Ben MacKinnon, founder and co-director, E5 BakehouseFrom root to flower – and featuring 180 recipes and over 230 of the author’s own beautiful photographs – explore the edible plants we find all around us with the Forager Chef Alan Bergo as he breaks new culinary ground!In The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora you’ll find the exotic to the familiar—from Stinging Nettle Soup to Spruce Tip Panna Cotta to Heirloom Tomato and Purslane Panzanella – with Chef Bergo’s unique blend of easy-to-follow instruction and out-of-this-world inspiration.Over the past fifteen years, chef Alan Bergo has become one of the most exciting and resourceful culinary voices, with millions seeking his guidance through his wildly popular website and video tutorials. Bergo’s inventive culinary style is defined by his encyclopedic curiosity and his abiding, root-to-flower passion for both wild and cultivated plants. The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora demonstrates how understanding the different properties and growing phases of roots, stems, leaves and seeds can inform your preparation of something like the head of an immature sunflower – as well as the lesser-used parts of common vegetables, like broccoli or aubergine. As a society, we’ve forgotten this type of old-school knowledge, including many brilliant culinary techniques that were born of thrift and necessity. For our own sake and that of our planet, it’s time we remembered. And in the process, we can unlock new flavors from the abundant landscape around us.The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora invites wild food to the table with creative, low-stress recipes using plants that can be found outside one’s front door. Foreword Reviews

"The best wine book I read this year was not about wine. It was about cider"--Eric Asimov, New York Times, on UncultivatedToday, food is being reconsidered. It’s a front-and-center topic in everything from politics to art, from science to economics. We know now that leaving food to government and industry specialists was one of the twentieth century’s greatest mistakes. The question is where do we go from here.  Author Andy Brennan describes uncultivation as a process: It involves exploring the wild; recognizing that much of nature is omitted from our conventional ways of seeing and doing things (our cultivations); and realizing the advantages to embracing what we’ve somehow forgotten or ignored. For most of us this process can be difficult, like swimming against the strong current of our modern culture. The hero of this book is the wild apple. Uncultivated follows Brennan’s twenty-four-year history with naturalized trees and shows how they have guided him toward successes in agriculture, in the art of cider making, and in creating a small-farm business. The book contains useful information relevant to those particular fields, but is designed to connect the wild to a far greater audience, skillfully blending cultural criticism with a food activist’s agenda. Apples rank among the most manipulated crops in the world, because not only do farmers want perfect fruit, they also assume the health of the tree depends on human intervention. Yet wild trees live all around us, and left to their own devices, they achieve different forms of success that modernity fails to apprehend. Andy Brennan learned of the health and taste advantages of such trees, and by emulating nature in his orchard (and in his cider) he has also enjoyed environmental and financial benefits. None of this would be possible by following today’s prevailing winds of apple cultivation.  In all fields, our cultural perspective is limited by a parallel proclivity. It’s not just agriculture: we all must fight tendencies toward specialization, efficiency, linear thought, and predetermined growth. We have cultivated those tendencies at the exclusion of nature’s full range. If Uncultivated is about faith in nature, and the power it has to deliver us from our own mistakes, then wild apple trees have already shown us the way.

I don’t often share a resource in this way but when a gem of a resource like this crosses my path I have to let you all know about it. Huw Richards, author of Grow Food for FreePalmer’s book is full of recipes using locally sourced material to create mineral and biological extracts to feed plants. the GuardianPerfect for fans of Charles Dowding and Huw Richards!In The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments, experimental gardener and author Nigel Palmer provides practical, detailed instructions that are accessible to every grower who wants to achieve a truly sustainable garden ecosystem – all while enjoying better results at a fraction of the cost of commercial fertilisers. These recipes go beyond compost by allowing you to make your own biologically diverse inoculants and mineral-rich amendments using leaf mould, weeds, eggshells, bones and other common materials available for little or no cost.Recipes include:Extracting nutrients from plant residues using simple rainwater techniquesExtracting minerals from bones and shells using vinegarFermenting plant juices and fishCulturing indigenous microorganisms (IMO)Inspired by the work of many innovative traditional agricultural pioneers, especially Cho Ju-Young (founder of the Korean Natural Farming method), The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments also includes a primer on plant-soil interaction, instructions for conducting a soil test, and guidance on compost, mulching and so much more!

Featured in The Independent’s 7 best fermentation books 2020This book is remarkable. David Zilber, co-author of The Noma Guide to FermentationKoji: the next fermentation game changerKoji Alchemy is the first book devoted to processes, concepts, and recipes for fermenting foods with koji, the microbe behind the delicious umami flavors of soy sauce, miso, mirin, and so many of the ingredients that underpin Japanese cuisine. Chefs Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih leaders on the culinary power of this unique ingredient deliver a comprehensive look at modern koji use around the world. Using it to rapidly age charcuterie, cheese, and other ferments, they take the magic of koji to the next level, revolutionising the creation of fermented foods and flavour profiles for both professional and home cooks.Koji Alchemy includes: A foreword by best-selling author Sandor Katz (The Art of Fermentation)Cutting-edge techniques on koji growing and curingExtensive information on equipment and setting up your kitchenMore than 35 recipes for sauces, pastes, ferments, and alcohol

A practical, systems-based approach for a more sustainable farming operation"Ben Hartman has revolutionized his methods, cut down his work hours dramatically, and shrunk the size of his farm, all while making a better income."—Civil EatsTo many people today, using the words “factory” and “farm” in the same sentence is nothing short of sacrilege. In many cases, though, the same sound business practices apply whether you are producing cars or carrots. Author Ben Hartman and other young farmers are increasingly finding that incorporating the best new ideas from business into their farming can drastically cut their wastes and increase their profits, making their farms more environmentally and economically sustainable. By explaining the lean system for identifying and eliminating waste and introducing efficiency in every aspect of the farm operation, The Lean Farm makes the case that small-scale farming can be an attractive career option for young people who are interested in growing food for their community.Working smarter, not harder, also prevents the kind of burnout that start-up farmers often encounter in the face of long, hard, backbreaking labor. Lean principles grew out of the Japanese automotive industry, but they are now being followed on progressive farms around the world. Using examples from his own family’s one-acre community-supported farm in Indiana, Hartman clearly instructs other small farmers in how to incorporate lean practices in each step of their production chain, from starting a farm and harvesting crops to training employees and selling goods.Inside The Lean Farm you'll discover how to apply lean practices like:Every Tool In Its PlaceTen Types of Farm WasteEstablish Pull, Don't PushLimits of LeanLean for More Profitand much more! While the intended audience for this book is small-scale farmers who are part of the growing local food movement, Hartman’s prescriptions for high-value, low-cost production apply to farms and businesses of almost any size or scale that hope to harness the power of lean in their production processes.Ben Hartman was named a "Grist 50! Fixer""The Lean Farm should be dissected, digested, and discussed—then applied—on every single farm: big or small, wholesale or retail, livestock or produce. It would make all farms more profitable, productive, and pleasurable.”—Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm

'One of the most perceptive and thought-provoking books …Essential reading for these turbulent times.' Amitav Ghosh, author of The Great Derangement'Dougald Hine’s brilliant book demands we stare into that abyss and rethink our securest certainties about what is actually going on in the climate crisis. It’s lucidly unsettling and yet in the end empowering. There is something we can do, and it starts with where we look, how we see and what we choose to change.’ Brian Eno, Musician‘[A] rich book, which like a poetic or religious text deserves multiple readings’ Richard Smith, British Medical Journal‘I consider this book a must-read for all those activists feeling lost, desperate and perhaps subject to ‘press-on-itis'.’ Gail Bradbrook, cofounder, Extinction RebellionDougald Hine, world-renowned environmental thinker, has spent most of his life talking to people about climate change. And then one afternoon in the second year of the pandemic, he found he had nothing left to say. Why would someone who cares so deeply about ecological destruction want to stop talking about climate change now? At Work in the Ruins explores that question.‘Climate change asks us questions that climate science cannot answer,’ Dougald says. Questions like, how did we end up in this mess? Is it just a piece of bad luck with atmospheric chemistry – or is it the result of a way of approaching the world that would always have brought us to such a pass? How we answer such questions also has consequences.Through our over-reliance on the single lens of science, Dougald writes that we are blinded to the nature of the crises around and ahead of us, leading to ‘solutions’ that can only make things worse. At Work in the Ruins is his reckoning with the strange years we have been living through and our long history of asking too much of science.  He offers guidance by standing firmly forward and facing the depth of the trouble we are in, to ultimately, helps us find the work that is worth doing, even in the ruins.

‘There may be no single climate solution that has a greater breadth of benefits than mini-forests…[and] can be done by everyone everywhere.’ Paul Hawken, from the forewordAre you ready to join the movement to restore biodiversity in our cities and towns by transforming degraded and underused urban land into forests that can help heal the planet?In Mini-Forest Revolution, Hannah Lewis presents the Miyawaki Method, a unique approach to reforestation devised by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. Lewis explains how tiny forests, as small as six parking spaces, can grow quickly and offer rich biodiversity and environmental benefits – much more so than forests planted by conventional methods.Today, the Miyawaki Method is witnessing a worldwide surge in popularity. Lewis shares stories of mini-forests that have sprung up across the globe and the people who are planting them – from a ‘Forest of Thanks’ in East London, to a mini-forest along the concrete alley of the Beirut River in Lebanon, to a backyard project planted by tiny-forest champion Shubhendu Sharma in India.Mini-Forest Revolution offers a revolutionary approach to planting trees and a truly accessible solution to the climate crisis that can be implemented by communities, classrooms, cities, companies, clubs, and families everywhere.

The evergreen classic on ecological gardening, whatever size your garden!Over a quarter of a million copies sold worldwide!Working with Nature, not against her, results in more beautiful, abundant and resilient gardens. In the revised, second edition of Gaia’s Garden, Toby Hemenway extends his expert knowledge of permaculture to urban and suburban landscapes. A perfect beginner’s guide to ecological gardening, Gaia’s Garden dispels the notion that meaningful gardening can only take place on a large piece of land with lots of space to grow. Readers can expect step-by-step instructions on:Building and maintaining soil fertility and structure Catching and conserving water in the landscape Providing habitat for beneficial insects, birds and animals Growing an edible forest that yields seasonal fruits, nuts and other foods Whatever size garden you have to work with, you can apply basic permaculture principles to make it more diverse, more natural, more productive and more beautiful. Rewild your garden today with the ecological tools/principles for a better tomorrow!

“Ben Hartman is a true innovator for the small farm.”—Curtis Stone, author of The Urban FarmerIt’s time to think big about small farms. Award-winning author and “green leader” (Grist) Ben Hartman shares practical how-to tips, personal stories, and surprising examples of cutting-edge farmers and innovators around the world to show us how.In the early 1970s, US Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz infamously commanded farmers to “get big or get out.” In The Lean Micro Farm, author Ben Hartman rejects that disastrous suggestion and instead takes up the charge of the late agrarian thinker Gene Logsdon: “Get small and stay in.”Taking inspiration from the groundbreaking ideas of E. F. Schumacher and Mahatma Gandhi, The Lean Micro Farm shows how small, hyperlocal farms can be both ecologically and economically superior to industrial-scale operations geared toward export and commodity markets.The Lean Micro Farm details the author’s remarkable journey to downsize his farm from one acre to a third of an acre in an effort to prioritize family and community over work, all without taking a pay cut. In addition, Hartman profiles six innovative farmers from across the globe who embody this “get small” mindset. These pioneering farmers show all of us a path toward resilience in the face of supply chain disruption, globalization, and climate change. They model a gentler, more ecological approach to farming that produces less waste and uses less plastic, petroleum, and fertilizer.Like his previous two books, The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables, Hartman’s The Lean Micro Farm doesn’t just explain why smaller is better, it shows readers exactly how it can be done with step-by-step guides on how to turn a profit from a tiny, but productive, parcel of farmland. Readers will find not just philosophical justifications for a minimalist approach to agriculture but also actionable information for starting your own profitable micro farm, including:A description of the “deep mulch” method for building fertilityInstructions on two-step bed flipping to increase production on a small footprintA guide for choosing essential tools and technologies “with a human face”An easy-to-follow process for making your micro farm lean and efficientA detailed plan for selling $20,000 worth of produce from your backyard It’s time, Hartman makes clear, to pivot to a new kind of farming—one that builds upon ancestral knowledge, nourishes communities, and puts human joy, not technology, at its center.“Hartman has revolutionized his methods, cut down his work hours dramatically, and shrunk the size of his farm, all while making a better income.”—Civil Eats

With clarity, conscience, and courage, global-systems pioneer Jorgen Randers and his distinguished contributors map the forces that will shape the next four decades.Forty years ago, The Limits to Growth study addressed the grand question of how humans would adapt to the physical limitations of planet Earth. It predicted that during the first half of the 21st century the ongoing growth in the human ecological footprint would stop-either through catastrophic "overshoot and collapse"-or through well-managed "peak and decline."So, where are we now? And what does our future look like?  In the book 2052, Jorgen Randers, one of the coauthors of Limits to Growth, issues a progress report and makes a forecast for the next forty years. To do this, he asked dozens of experts to weigh in with their best predictions on how our economies, energy supplies, natural resources, climate, food, fisheries, militaries, political divisions, cities, psyches, and more will take shape in the coming decades. He then synthesized those scenarios into a global forecast of life as we will most likely know it in the years ahead.The good news: we will see impressive advances in resource efficiency, and an increasing focus on human well-being rather than on per capita income growth. But this change might not come as we expect. Future growth in population and GDP, for instance, will be constrained in surprising ways-by rapid fertility decline as result of increased urbanization, productivity decline as a result of social unrest, and continuing poverty among the poorest 2 billion world citizens. Runaway global warming, too, is likely.So, how do we prepare for the years ahead? With heart, fact, and wisdom, Randers guides us along a realistic path into the future and discusses what readers can do to ensure a better life for themselves and their children during the increasing turmoil of the next forty years.

"[This book] deserves to be in everyone’s library. . . . It’s loaded with great information, and it can save your life or the life of someone you love."—Dr. Joseph Mercola"This book is life-changing for those trying to understand their own bodies, or those of loved ones, and it’s truly transformative in the hands of medical professionals, especially young doctors."—Foreword ReviewsThomas Cowan was a 20-year-old Duke grad—bright, skeptical, and already disillusioned with industrial capitalism—when he joined the Peace Corps in the mid-1970s for a two-year tour in Swaziland. There, he encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner and Weston A. Price—two men whose ideas would fascinate and challenge him for decades to come.Both drawn to the art of healing and repelled by the way medicine was—and continues to be—practiced in the United States, Cowan returned from Swaziland, went to medical school, and established a practice in New Hampshire and, later, San Francisco. For years, as he raised his three children, suffered the setback of divorce, and struggled with a heart condition, he remained intrigued by the work of Price and Steiner and, in particular, with Steiner’s provocative claim that the heart is not a pump. Determined to practice medicine in a way that promoted healing rather than compounded ailments, Cowan dedicated himself to understanding whether Steiner’s claim could possibly be true. And if Steiner was correct, what, then, is the heart? What is its true role in the human body?In this deeply personal, rigorous, and riveting account, Dr. Cowan offers up a daring claim: Not only was Steiner correct that the heart is not a pump, but our understanding of heart disease—with its origins in the blood vessels—is completely wrong. And this gross misunderstanding, with its attendant medications and risky surgeries, is the reason heart disease remains the most common cause of death worldwide.In Human Heart, Cosmic Heart, Dr. Thomas Cowan presents a new way of understanding the body’s most central organ. He offers a new look at what it means to be human and how we can best care for ourselves—and one another.

'Seasoned and novice growers alike will find a mother lode of information and wisdom packed into this gem of a book!' Nancy Phillips, author of The Herbalist’s Way*Updated with new information about herb dryers and construction, soil fertility, growing cannabis, and moreIn the first edition of The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer, authors Jeff and Melanie Carpenter presented a comprehensive seed-to-bottle guide for aspiring and experienced growers alike, from basic business considerations to planting and propagation to creating value-added products. Now they’re back with a revised and updated edition, sharing the lessons they’ve learned throughout their twenty-five years of operating a medicinal herb farm that prizes quality over quantity.The Carpenters offer their insights and tips on every aspect of herb farming, including:Size and scale considerationsData management for profit maximizationThe herbal marketplace and choosing which herbs to growField and bed preparation and planting, including building soil fertilityPlant-positive weed, pest, and disease controlHarvest and post-harvest processing, including scalable dryer constructionValue-added products and marketingA new chapter on growing cannabisAnd much more!The Carpenters make the case that growing organic medicinal herbs is not only viable and profitable, but also an important step for improving the ecological health of farmland, taking pressure off of wild medicinal plant populations, and increasing biodiversity. While local foodways are more often the focus of attention, local medicine ways are equally critical and in need of restoration.The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer is a one-of-a-kind resource, complete with detailed profiles of 50 medicinal herbs and over 200 colour photographs. Whether you’re looking to grow an herb farm from the ground up, incorporate medicinal plants on an existing farm, or add tools to your belt as a seasoned grower, you’ll find the information you need in this volume.'[A] beautiful and informative book . . . A dirt-smudged copy should be within easy reach of every home gardener or farmer who grows—or wants to grow—medicinal plants.' Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association

Why does knowing more mean believing—and doing—less? A prescription for changeThe more facts that pile up about global warming, the greater the resistance to them grows, making it harder to enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for the inevitable change ahead.It is a catch-22 that starts, says psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes, from an inadequate understanding of the way most humans think, act, and live in the world around them. With dozens of examples—from the private sector to government agencies—Stoknes shows how to retell the story of climate change and, at the same time, create positive, meaningful actions that can be supported even by deniers.In What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming, Stoknes not only masterfully identifies the five main psychological barriers to climate action, but addresses them with five strategies for how to talk about global warming in a way that creates action and solutions, not further inaction and despair.These strategies work with, rather than against, human nature. They are social, positive, and simple—making climate-friendly behaviors easy and convenient. They are also story-based, to help add meaning and create community, and include the use of signals, or indicators, to gauge feedback and be constantly responsive.Whether you are working on the front lines of the climate issue, immersed in the science, trying to make policy or educate the public, or just an average person trying to make sense of the cognitive dissonance or grapple with frustration over this looming issue, What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming moves beyond the psychological barriers that block progress and opens new doorways to social and personal transformation.

"Read this important book to learn how cancer is an environmental, metabolic disease with many small causes that stack up—and what you can do to prevent or even reverse it."—Dave Asprey, New York Times bestselling author of The Bulletproof DietThe Optimal Terrain Ten Protocol to Reboot Cellular Health!The Metabolic Approach to Cancer offers an innovative, metabolic-focused nutrition protocol that works. Naturopathic, integrative oncologist and cancer survivor Dr. Nasha Winters and nutrition therapist Jess Higgins Kelley have identified the ten key elements of a person’s “terrain” (think of it as a topographical map of our body) that are crucial to preventing and managing cancer. Each of the terrain ten elements—including epigenetics, the microbiome, the immune system, toxin exposures, and blood sugar balance—is illuminated as it relates to the cancer process, then given a heavily researched and tested, non-toxic and metabolic, focused nutrition prescription.The ketogenic diet—which relies on the body’s production of ketones as fuel—is the centerpiece of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer. Further, Winters and Kelley explain how to harness the anticancer potential of phytonutrients abundant in low-glycemic plant and animal foods to address the 10 hallmarks of cancer—an approach Western medicine does with drug-based therapies.The optimized, genetically-tuned diet shuns:GrainsLegumesSugarGenetically modified foodsPesticidesSynthetic ingredientsThe optimized, genetically-tuned diet emphasizes:Whole, wild foodsLocalOrganicFermentsHeirloomLow-glycemicOther components of their approach include harm-reductive herbal therapies like mistletoe (considered the original immunotherapy and common in European cancer care centers) and cannabinoids (which shrink tumors and increase quality of life, yet are illegal in more than half of the United States). Through addressing the ten root causes of cancer and approaching the disease from a nutrition-focused standpoint, we can slow cancer’s endemic spread and live optimized lives."The Metabolic Approach to Cancer is a powerhouse of detailed information on how to prevent, manage, and treat cancer. . . . It is written in an intimate conversation style that comes from decades of deep personal experience, research, and genuine passion."—Travis Christofferson, author of Tripping over the Truth

The bible for the D.I.Y set: detailed instructions for how to make your own sauerkraut, beer, yogurt and pretty much everything involving microorganisms. The New York Times‘[Katz’s] books have become manifestos and how-to manuals for a generation of under-ground food activists.’ The New Yorker ‘…the high priest of fermentation theory’ the Guardian The book that started the fermentation revolution with recipes including kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, gundruk, kombucha, kvass, sourdough, paneer, yogurt, amazaké and so much more!Sandor Ellix Katz, winner of a James Beard Award and a New York Times bestselling author, returns to his iconic, bestselling book with a fresh perspective, renewed enthusiasm, and expanded wisdom from his travels around the world. Since its original publication, and aided by Katz’s engaging and fervent workshop presentations, Wild Fermentation has inspired people to turn their kitchens into food labs: fermenting vegetables into sauerkraut, milk into cheese or yogurt, grains into sourdough bread and much more. This updated and revised edition, now with full-colour photos throughout, is sure to introduce a whole new generation to the flavours and health benefits of fermented foods. Wild Fermentation includes step-by-step instructions on how to make:Low-salt or salt-free sauerkrautGrape Water Kefir SodaKombucha SodaDairy-free yogurtSavoury vegetable sourdough pancakesMiso-Tahini spreadApple cider vinegarHerbal mead and so much more! Updates on original recipes also reflect the author’s ever-deepening knowledge of global food traditions. For Katz, his gateway to fermentation was sauerkraut. So open this book to find yours, and start a food revolution right in your own kitchen!

This could be the most important book you will read this year. Around the office at Chelsea Green it is referred to as the "pharmaceutical Silent Spring." Well-known author, teacher, lecturer, and herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner has produced a book that is certain to generate controversy. It consists of three parts:A critique of technological medicine, and especially the dangers to the environment posed by pharmaceuticals and other synthetic substances that people use in connection with health care and personal body care.A new look at Gaia Theory, including an explanation that plants are the original chemistries of Gaia and those phytochemistries are the fundamental communications network for the Earth's ecosystems.Extensive documentation of how plants communicate their healing qualities to humans and other animals. Western culture has obliterated most people's capacity to perceive these messages, but this book also contains valuable information on how we can restore our faculties of perception.The book will affect readers on rational and emotional planes. It is grounded in both a New Age spiritual sensibility and hard science. While some of the author's claims may strike traditional thinkers as outlandish, Buhner presents his arguments with such authority and documentation that the scientific underpinnings, however unconventional, are completely credible.The overall impact is a powerful, eye-opening expos' of the threat that our allopathic Western medical system, in combination with our unquestioning faith in science and technology, poses to the primary life-support systems of the planet. At a time when we are preoccupied with the terrorist attacks and the possibility of biological warfare, perhaps it is time to listen to the planet. This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the state of the environment, the state of health care, and our cultural sanity.

In an age of climate catastrophes and extinction, world-renowned environmentalist Vandana Shiva shows why we must turn back to nature and learn, once again, how to live sustainably on planet Earth, beginning with our relationship to food.Four billion years ago, Earth was a hot, lifeless planet. Through the process of evolution, the Earth and its diversity of living organisms gradually reduced the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. About 200,000 years ago, the conditions aligned for our own species – Homo sapiens – to emerge and thrive.But what will it take to continue to survive?In The Nature of Nature, legendary activist and scientist Vandana Shiva argues that food is the currency of life, a thread woven throughout the web of all life, indivisible from Earth and its natural systems. When this interdependence is ruptured, the conditions for the ‘metabolic disorder’ of climate change and countless other ecological imbalances come into being.Proposals put forward by Big Ag and Big Tech to solve the intertwined climate and food crises will only exacerbate both. With clarity and a detailed analysis, Vandana unpacks the false promises made by technology-oriented, lab-intensive digital agriculture, revealing the threats posed by fake and ultra-processed foods – including dangers to the environment, to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, to the health of animals and to our health and food security.In The Nature of Nature, Vandana takes a powerful stand, arguing with urgency and passion for a food and climate future based not on techno-optimism and corporate delusions, but on the natural regeneration of biodiversity in partnership with the planet.Praise for Vandana Shiva:‘She’s been called the ‘Gandhi of grain,’ the ‘rock star’ of the anti-GMO movement and an ‘eco-warrior goddess.’ . . . Above all, [she] is a staunch believer that the food we eat matters. It makes us who we are, physically, culturally and spiritually.’ BBC‘All of us who care about the future of Planet Earth must be grateful to Vandana Shiva.’ Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace