Healing Our World is an important book. It is one of the better explanations of the concept of ecology that can be applied not only to the natural world but to our communications environment as well. I recommend the book enthusiastically.

Neil Postman, Ed.D., Chair, Department of Culture and Communications at New York University
and author of 17 books including Amusing Ourselves to Death, Technopoly, The Disappearance of Childhood, and The End of Education

With revolutionary sensitivity, Jackie has put together an overview of the state of our lives and our planet with the rare quality of being rooted in daily experience.

Chellis Glendinning, Ph.D.,
from the Introduction; Author of My Name is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization, Off the Map, and others.

As we settle into the 21st century, it is time to clean house and rid ourselves of many of the false assumptions upon which we have based our lives. Healing Our World: A Journey from the Darkness into the Light, explores how we have been lulled into complacency about the illnesses in our culture. We have been taught to believe that we get sick because of the luck of the draw or because we have the flu rather than because of reckless consumption and the production of life threatening toxic substances. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that government environmental standards are designed to protect the free-flow of commerce, not our health.

Healing Our World provides a wonderful opportunity to examine our values and what we have placed value on. It can be a joyous time of house cleaning and soul cleaning, a time when we embrace nature’s limits and see value in unexpected places.

Each chapter will take you on a journey of eye-opening revelations of the environmental and social injustices at work in our world. The effects of the greed and self interest of political, corporate and industrial leaders will shock you, depress you, infuriate you, and maybe, move you to action and profound personal examination. But you won't have to go it alone. You will also be presented with many ideas about how to get personally involved in healing these wounds.

In February of 1997, Jackie was asked to write a story about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for the Environment News Service and the response to the piece was so great that they asked him to write a weekly column of opinion. Since that time, he has written over 160 articles with over 1200 Internet links.

Healing Our World's ten chapters take the reader on a journey into the maladies of our time and the results of our consumer based lifestyle. The consequences of treating the Earth as an endless resource store become painfully obvious. But along the way, pathways toward healing are presented that give the reader solid ideas about how to break the endless cycle of consumerism and start the journey toward considering all life on Earth as sacred.

Readers of Jackie's weekly commentary will find familiar articles updated and revised, with much new material. Each chapter is introduced with connecting thoughts and the Conclusion brings it all together. Many questions will remain, but the reader will walk away with lots of ideas. The book includes a comprehensive bibliography and extensive index.

Jackie maintains a comprehensive website of his teachings and a complete archive of over 160 of his weekly commentaries. Healing Our World will have its own website at www.healingourworld.com where readers will find updated Internet links and updates on the issues presented in the book.

Jackie lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Bonnie, their black Labrador Ozzie, and their newborn son, Justin Forrest. He can be contacted at jackie@healingourworld.com.

Reader Comments on Jackie's weekly commentaries:

Cindy in Bellingham, Washington wrote:
Thank you so much for your thought-provoking musings on taking action on behalf of the earth...and our selves. I, too, believe there are simple actions we can take that have incredibly powerful benefits - for me personally, for those with whom I have daily contact, and ultimately for positive change on a global scale. Thank you for the reminder about what is truly important and meaningful during this time on earth. And thank you for doing what you are doing - I am inspired and thankful that I am not doing this work alone.

Ann in Washington State wrote this heart-rending comment:
Jackie, Your information and advice is just what I was looking for. I recently underwent cervical spine surgery when the doctors halted the surgery due to a lump in my throat. I was born in Ephrata Washington in 1960 and then lived in Yakima in 1989. My father was also in the Navy and was exposed to the testing of hydrogen bombs and is now monitored by the wonderful government we have. I am so upset. Do you think (I think I know the answer) me living in these areas contributed to my medical condition now? I plan to takes steps now that you have recommended. I hope you will answer my mail, and thank goodness we have people like you (and now me) to make people aware and to take action. God Bless you.

Joyce wrote:
I very much appreciated the piece you wrote about Earth Day which appeared on a Quaker environmental newsgroup digest. I spent part of the day speaking and singing to 5 kindergarten classes about the Earth and our responsibility. I realized at the end of the program that even my presentations to lower elementary kids are now focusing on consumption habits, because even at their age, they are little consumers and have great power there. Thanks for the Kick in the Butt article.

Lynn from East Texas wrote:
CONGRATULATIONS on your accomplishment as well as your obvious ability to think critically and express enlightened ideas. I call myself a recovering Southern Baptist. It's been an "interesting" path but I am very grateful to have broken through my early programming to a broader perspective. It's only been recently that I have attended to our Mother Earth; the ecological tragedies that lay at our doorstep…This is not at attempt at profound expression... only a word from a "co-traveler" saying "Good work! Keep it up! Your writings and website are very meaningful to me.

Sonia wrote:
Just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring about our companion animals and for the well researched article called Food Even a Dog Shouldn't Eat. I'm sorry about your beloved dog Banshee's battle with cancer. Again thank you very much for caring.

 

Healing Our World is an excellent primary or supplementary textbook for a variety of environmental science, environmental studies, political science and other classes.


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