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This small book explores people’s sense of self within the community, including their various identities revealed in their religion, ethnic groups, gender, and politics. By examining multiple environmental problems with so-called solutions promoted by businesses and politicians, the thrust of the narrative is instead the need to focus on using less rather than more, including stopping population growth and reducing fossil fuel use. Martin's work takes into consideration the history of the United States, how it has led to current problems, and the changes needed to have sustainable communities. It looks at the value of farming, the necessity of railroads, and the issues with the nation’s information and communication systems. The author’s book utilizes information from various sources, mostly from the twentieth century and especially from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Martin’s thought-provoking work examines science, religion, and politics as part of humanity’s cultural story, one in which people must change their ways of thinking and “doing.” In listing the four lessons of truth—the universe is sacred; change causes change; language is necessary but problematic; you can change your situation—the book adds to the positive focus on how to cope with the chaos, strife, and horror of what is happening in the world today. Interestingly, the teaching concentrates on returning to a way of life last seen in the 1880s, sparking the intriguing question as to whether nineteenth-century actions could effectively be used to alleviate twenty-first-century problems. Overall, the focus on community and the thought process of examining change stand out positively in this unique book.