Author Burrascano wishes to alert us to the massive upheavals affecting our shared human existence. He begins by pinpointing a major turning point in recent history: President Nixon’s trip to China at a time when the Viet Nam conflict had not been resolved, and new technological advances included the mobile phone, videocassette recorder, and microprocessor along with radical social changes were underway in the West. Recognizing China as a world power allowed this ancient society to make strides forward while providing a balancing effect in international politics. Since then, a rapid upsurge of technology, an emergence of powerful contending nations like India and Brazil, a sense of “spatial” interconnectedness, and a massive increase in world population have led to a new Anthropocene era. Going forward, human impact on the planet and human need for basic sustenance will necessitate serious alteration, perhaps even reversal, in our global strategies.

Burrascano has been referred to as a “Renaissance man” with a background in geography, business, and global concerns. In this latest book, he lays out a series of uncomfortable truths, articulately delineating in forceful and very readable detail the basis for his contention that we need a “concerted, world-level effort” to foster and protect our planet and all its peoples. He has composed his treatise in a highly organized way, looking at the current world situation from multiple angles: the history of its development over the past 500 years, the lessening of spiritual values with the rise of Western-style economies, and threats to cultural diversity and natural resources as technology progresses and population grows. Although his academic erudition and thorough study of the subject matter lend pessimism to his predictions, his stance offers a sense of hope. This small but fact-filled treatise examines large issues that all of us should consider.

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