Blessed Unrest

April 30, 2007
Hawken (Natural Capitalism) traces the formation of the environmental and social justice movement from the beginnings of natural science across years and continents in this rousing and "inadvertently optimistic" call to action. Though it's argued that globalization; extinction of species, languages and cultures; and economic policies advantageous to the rich have degraded quality of life worldwide and engendered large scale feelings of fear, resentment and powerlessness, Hawken remains surprisingly hopeful. Strength, he contends, lies in the many thousands (if not millions) of nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to environmental protection and social justice that collectively form a worldwide movement geared toward humanity's betterment. A combination of history, current events, motivation and vision for the future, Hawken's book does a lot of work in its relatively few pages, though his perspective comes across in some passages as naïve (the thousands of protestors at the 1999 Seattle World Trade Organization meeting merely wanted to "hold WTO accountable"). The book isn't likely to convert members of the World Bank, but readers already sympathetic to Hawken's position will find much here to chew on.

September 24, 2007
Hawken weaves together the intricate threads of what he believes is a global humanitarian movement encompassing the numerous environmental, social justice and indigenous preservation nongovernmental organizations throughout the world. Historical vignettes on major influences such as Charles Darwin, Rachel Carson and Mahatma Gandhi are included in this cumulative assessment of the movement. Hawken's words and conclusions are promising and hopeful that this amalgamated assortment of groups can produce the change needed to keep humanity prospering. While thorough in his explanation, his points and analogies sometimes fall flat for listeners not fully versed in some of the topics discussed. Garcia's narration initially works well. His emphasis and rhythm make even the most pedantic moments (such as long lists of companies and people) easy to follow. However, dozens of times throughout the book, his voice audibly shifts, particularly when pronouncing non-English words. The abruptness of these inserts is a bit shocking. Additionally, Blackstone Audio fails to make certain notes within the audiobook available (or at least easily accessible) on its Web site as the package indicates. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (reviewed online).

May 21, 2007
Hawken (Natural Capitalism) traces the formation of the environmental and social justice movement from the beginnings of natural science across years and continents in this rousing and "inadvertently optimistic" call to action. Though it's argued that globalization; extinction of species, languages and cultures; and economic policies advantageous to the rich have degraded quality of life worldwide and engendered large scale feelings of fear, resentment and powerlessness, Hawken remains surprisingly hopeful. Strength, he contends, lies in the many thousands (if not millions) of nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to environmental protection and social justice that collectively form a worldwide movement geared toward humanity's betterment. A combination of history, current events, motivation and vision for the future, Hawken's book does a lot of work in its relatively few pages, though his perspective comes across in some passages as naïve (the thousands of protestors at the 1999 Seattle World Trade Organization meeting merely wanted to "hold WTO accountable"). The book isn't likely to convert members of the World Bank, but readers already sympathetic to Hawken's position will find much here to chew on.

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