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"The Sacred Balance has a beautiful spirit."-E.O. Wilson With a new foreword from Robin Wall Kimmerer, New York Times-bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass-and an afterword from Bill McKibben-this special 25th anniversary edition of a beloved bestseller invites readers to see ourselves as part of nature, not separate. The world is changing at a relentless pace. How can we slow down and act from a place of respect for all living things? The Sacred Balance shows us how. In this extensively updated new edition, David Suzuki reflects on the increasingly radical changes in science and nature-from the climate crisis to peak oil and the rise in clean energy-and examines what they mean for humankind. He also reflects on what we have learned by listening to Indigenous leaders, whose knowledge of the natural world is profound, and whose peoples are on the frontlines of protecting land and water around the world. Drawing on his own experiences and those of others who have put their beliefs into action, The Sacred Balance combines science, philosophy, spirituality, and Indigenous knowledge to offer concrete suggestions for creating an ecologically sustainable future by rediscovering and addressing humanity's basic needs. Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.… (more)
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A walk in the garden, for example, may be utterly subjective, but it is through total engagement with the relationships of plants, soil, sun, water, insects, and other garden features, perceived by eye, ear, and physical touch, that we gain an experience that "puts spirit back into the fingertips." Such direct experience in nature allows us to feel that we are whole beings, not merely minds trapped in some sort of bio-mechanical body, allowing us to engage in a true conversation with the Earth.
For the author this is only the beginning, however. He advocates achieving an ecological vision, understanding that a simple tree, for example, is far more than trunk, leaves, and roots, but includes the water that moves through it, the sunlight that sustains it, the earth and air that support it, the insects that fertilize it, the fungi that help it obtain nutrients, and so on.