Farmbrarian

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Bill McKibben, self-proclaimed author, educator and environmentalist, encourages a new way of conceptualizing community in his book Deep Economy: the Wealth of Communities and Durable Future (2007). Aside from being truly inspirational, the book is pragmatic, logical and well written. He encourages us to reintroduce ourselves “to each other and to the possibility that we need to think about something other than More” (173).

The word more, as used by McKibben, refers simply to our seemingly insatiable thirst for things. Few would disagree that our culture is fixated on things—cheap, abundant and attention-grabbing things. But the affect those desires have on our communities is often overlooked.

In today’s global economy, the only concern seems to be the growth of companies and economies. The point of this of course is to grow our bank accounts, so that, surprise, we can acquire more things! Companies are working harder than ever to produce more for less, “and in the process making everyone’s lives…as efficiently miserable as possible” (210). In the long run, what good is owning another flat screen television if your neighbor’s job at Samsung is sent to India in an effort to produce that TV as cheaply as possible?

For McKibben however, along with an ever-growing number of concerned individuals, the happiness of your neighbor does matter. This book attempts to show us how we can work together to make the world a better place just one neighborhood at a time.

Those interested in supporting local food systems will enjoy the chapter on his year of eating locally, as well as the larger scope of this book. For further reading, pick up Slow Money by Woody Tasch, which applies the principles of the Slow Food movement to our local communities and our overall economy.

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Woody Tasch’s Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in sustainability. While he does present some fresh ideas, the intent of the book is largely to summarize the current status of social investing, small food enterprises, local food systems, sustainable soil quality, and other topics. The author provides history, presents current research and developments, quotes others extensively and gives his own analysis of what some of this means.

Tasch shows a clear concern for the direction of our society and hopes that by bringing together pieces of the slow money puzzle he will advance the cause. Hopefully this new idea of slow money will encourage discussion and ultimately lead to new ideas, businesses and responsibility among consumers.

I have long been asking myself the question “What can I do?” in regards to sustainable agriculture and personal responsibility as a consumer. Tasch succeeds in answering this question. Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money will help you understand the problems, so you can find solutions, sooner.

Read this book if:

• You want to know how you can help
• You wonder what’s happening with our current economic mess and the direction it’s going
• You’d like to learn about the concepts of Slow Money/Slow Food

Want more information? The Wall Street Journal recently discussed this title in their article “Forget Conventional 401(k)s; Think Goat Cheese and Fennel.” The Huffington Post also featured a review of the book; and Civil Eats writer Jerusha Klemperer interviews the author here.