things worth paying attention to
Read free. The Internet Archive’s collection of 1.7 million unsorted manuals, to read online or download in various formats, for free. Access the collection at archive.org/details/manuals_contributions. Here are direct links to a few examples.
Read free. A history of the EcoVillage at Ithaca, by one of its founders. “Rather than pull apart in destructive conflict, the human community could choose to pull together in cooperation and work collaboratively to create a sustainable future. I am heartened by research that indicates public attitudes and behaviors seem to be shifting in favor of more sustainable ways of living.”
Read free. “A residential or land-based intentional community is a group of people who have chosen to live with or near enough to each other to carry out their shared lifestyle or common purpose together. Families living in a cohousing communities in the city, students living in student housing cooperatives near universities, and sustainability advocates living in rural back-to-the-land homesteads are all members of intentional communities. Community is not just about living together, but about the reasons for doing so. ‘A group of people who have chosen to live together with a common purpose, working cooperatively to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared core values,’ is one way the non-profit Fellowship for Intentional Community describes it.”
Read free. Four Maker Projects books for kids by Megan Kopp. “A maker is someone who questions. Makers are creative. Makers are builders. They look for ways to improve existing things or develop totally new things. A makerspace is a place where makers can come together to share ideas, learn, and create. Many communities have makerspaces in libraries, schools, and museums.”
Read free. “‘Passive’ solar heating and cooling does not depend on pumps or fans or any other devices. Instead, it relies on the natural ebb and flow of the energy of the sun through a house. With a few facts from this book and a little common sense, you can combine passive solar design with energy conservation and reduce the heating and cooling bills for a new house to less than 15% of those for conventional houses. And many of the ideas can be adapted to existing houses as well.”
Read free. “The significance of this book … lies in its ability to explain complex issues as simply as possible, so that everybody who uses money may understand what is at stake. Another significant difference from other books which have dealt with this issue in the past is that it shows how, at this particular point in time, the change to the proposed new monetary system could create a win-win situation for everyone. It could help to develop, finally, a sustainable economy.”
Read free. “As for the book’s title, ‘Soft Tech’ is a term we’ve used and defended since the late sixties. It first emerged in Great Britain but then dropped out of fashion to be replaced by Alternative Technology (AT) and Appropriate Technology (AT)…. ‘Soft’ signifies that something is alive, resilient, adaptive, maybe even lovable….”
Read free. “…[T]hemes got early notice in CQ before becoming prominent elsewhere. The Gaia hypothesis. Voluntary simplicity. Arguments against metric conversion. Personal computers. The resurgence of the antiwar movement. The flat tax. Critical evaluation of magazines. The effects of chemicals on the human gene pool. Most importantly, COEVOLUTION published a lot of material—essays, reporting, and story-telling—that will endure as “news that stays news,” to quote Ezra Pound’s definition of literature. Hence this book—a collection, in one place, of what we think is the most lasting work COEVOLUTION published.”
Read free. “In the following chapters the reader will discover a unique perspective of the philosophy of the late Alan Watts, one of the foremost Western interpreters of Eastern thought. The selections included herein are of dual origin in that the first two chapters are essays by Watts, and the following chapters are based upon his spoken word. Starting with ‘Trickster Guru’ and ‘Speaking Personally’ (the essays), this book begins with an autobiographical flavor and continues on to reveal Watts’ insights in their final and most concise form.”
Read free. “We are as gods and might as well get used to it. So far, remotely done power and glory-as via government, big business, formal education, church has succeeded to the point where gross obscure actual gains. In response to this dilemma and to these gains a realm of intimate, personal power is developing-power of the individual to conduct his own education, find his own inspiration, shape his own environment, and share his adventure with whoever is interested. Tools that aid this process are sought and promoted by the WHOLE EARTH CATALOG.”
Read free. “Sound is created as the vibratory motion of particles and objects. The vibrations that produce sound represent an energy that is found throughout nature, not only within ourselves and our world, but far beyond, into the realms of moons, stars, and the Universe. Due to the limitations of human physiology, our own ears can detect only a tiny fraction of this vast vibratory spectrum. On the cosmic scale, sound is a universal, unseen power, able to bring about profound changes on many levels-physical, emotional, and spiritual. This book explains how you can harness and direct the power of sound-as the vibratory energies of your own voice, and as sounds from the world around, making them resonate through your body and mind, to heal and cure.”
Read free. “Self-sufficiency does not mean “going back” to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food which is fresh and organically-grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings, for the health of body and peace of mind which come with hard varied work in the open air, and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully.”
Read free. “Today, many people dream of community, beautiful surroundings, and meaningful jobs. These people have an inner craving for a more balanced and spiritual life, a loving place for their children to grow up, and a lifestyle which does not force them to leave their children all day as a price for being full members of society. A place full of life, joy and sharing, of living close to nature with plants and animals around them, where love is more possible. All the necessary wisdom, knowledge and technology are available to help this dream come true for everybody on this planet. Ecovillages are emerging attempts at realizing it, or at the very least parts of it. They are paintings in progress, of an envisioned Paradise on Earth.”
Read free. “This book is designed to enable the amateur plant hunter to make accurate and certain identifications of edible plants. The 85 plants that are covered were selected because they can be easily recognized, can supply a wide range of food products throughout the year (although the pickings are necessarily somewhat leaner in the winter months), and can be found over broad sections of the U.S. and southern Canada. These 85 plants alone provide 28 different salad greens, 18 cooked vegetables, 8 substitutes for potatoes, 18 sources of flour, 5 cooking oils and butters, 21 cold beverages, 23 substitutes for coffee and tea, and 7 sources of sugar as well as numerous potherbs, fruits, confections, jams and jellies, pies, vinegars, and even salt.”
Read free. “What do the facts of precognition mean? Do they point to any particular view regarding the nature of the universe? How can the Future exist Now? In the light of these facts, how must we regard the law of cause and effect? What significance has precognition for living? Are our lives predestined or free? These and many other questions crowd upon the mind, for it is clear that we are face to face with data of crucial importance. I have tried not to shirk the issues, and have drawn certain conclusions regarding the nature of Reality and what they involve for our personal daily living.”
