Flashpoint Press – serie

An engaging collection of interviews in which Derrick Jensen, the renowned poet, philosopher and ecological activist, discusses the destructive nature of the dominant cultural norms, with 10 people who have devoted their work and lives to undermining it. Whether it is Carolyn Raffensperger and her radical approach to public health, or Thomas Berry on perceiving the sacred or Vine Deloria asserting that dreams convey more about the world than science ever can, these thinkers bravely present the many ways resistance can take place.

A non-stop thriller which deftly blends the paranormal, sci-fi and an engaging political voice. A serial killer stalks the streets of Spokane, acting out a misogynist script. Across town, a writer named Derrick has spent his life tracking the reasons, be they political, psychological or spiritual, for the sadism of the modern world. And through the grim nights, Nika, a trafficked woman, tries to survive the grinding violence of prostitution. Their lives, and the forces propelling them, are about to collide.

A city is in despair, rivers are dying, children have cancer. Vexcorp counts these lives an another expense on a balance sheet. But that is about to change. Malia is an activist who fiercely fights these atrocities. She's lost faith in the possibility of systematic reform. Dennis is a lawyer who believes that if enough people are informed, they will do the right thing. Eddie is a young street thug torn by grief over his sister's death. Larry Gordon is Vexcorp's CEO. Their lives converge in a tale of morality, survival, agency and despair.

A scathing indictment of US domestic and foreign policy, this collection of interviews gathers incendiary insights from 10 of today's most experienced and knowledgeable activists. Whether it's Ramsey Clark describing the long history of military invasion, Alfred McCoy detailing the relationship between CIA activities and the increase in the global heroin trade, Stephen Schwartz reporting the obscene costs of nuclear armaments, or Katharine Albrecht tracing the horrors of the modern surveillance state, this investigation informs and incites.

The vegetarian diet is praised for being sustainable and animal-friendly, but after 20 years of being a vegan, Lierre Keith has changed her opinion. Contravening popular opinion, she bravely argues that agriculture is a relentless assault against the planet. In service to annual grains, humans have devastated prairies and forests, driven countless species extinct, altered the climate, and destroyed the topsoil - the basis of growth and life itself.

Old Mrs. Johnson lives alone in the forest and loves to knit sweaters and mittens for her grandchildren in the city. One day, when returning from a visit to the city, her solitude comes to an end when her mischievous forest neighbours reveal themselves in a delightfully colourful fashion. Who took her yarn, and what have they done with it? The colourful mystery is solved when the birds, rabbits, snakes, trees and other dwellers of Mrs. Johnson's forest neighbourhood are seen playing with the yarn. Suddenly, the forest doesn't seem so lonely anymore!

Following How Shall I Live My Life? (PM Press, 2010) and Resistance Against Empire (PM Press, 2010), Jensen's third collection of interviews reinforces a simple premise with which he has long challenged his readers: if people can learn to shut their ears and eyes to the cacophony of consumption-oriented distractions and pause to listen to the wisdom of their own hearts, the truth will eventually reveal itself. Among those who share their wisdom are acclaimed sociologist Stanley Aronowitz, poet and peacemaker Luis Rodriguez, Judith Herman and Paul Stamets.

The lives of three very different women born on the same day converge with startling resonance. As a radical feminist, Antonia has never believed in quick fix solutions. After years of planning, she and her lover, the charismatic and bipolar Josephine, found an independent nation for women. Dr Katherine North is not a sentimental woman, but after she reads that an old lover has died, she's driven to make peace with the woman who still haunts her. Kitty Trevelyan never considered abortion when she got pregnant at 18. Three women, all 41, what is their connection?

The planet is under serious threat from industrial civilisation, yet until now environmentalists have not considered strategies that might actually prevent the looming biotic collapse the Earth is facing. Earth at Risk is a vital and timely discussion of the world's environmental issues, featuring thinkers and activists who are willing to ask the hardest questions about the seriousness of the current global crisis. Each contributor in the volume presents an impassioned critique of the dominant culture and aims to change the way people think about saving our planet.