| For immediate Release… | staff@bigideaspress.com |
A Return to the Long View
| Terrorism, war, and the economy have taken our attention away from humanity’s looming challenges |
Ever since the twin towers fell, the stock bubble burst, and a preemptive war was launched in Iraq, attention has been drawn away from issues like sustainability and economic equity—critical issues that will determine the quality of life later this century.
Copthorne Macdonald's latest book, Matters of Consequence: Creating a Meaningful Life and a World That Works, presents an illuminating tapestry of ideas that gives us key insights into our own lives and the human situation—insights that encourage us to widen our focus, extend our view, and embrace these issues.
The book's underlying assumption is this: If we come to understand the human situation—deeply, comprehensively, clearly—then what needs to be done, both in our personal lives and the world around us, becomes clear. Toward this end, Matters of Consequence presents essential knowledge concerning our cosmic, global, and psychological realities—things we need to know in order to live as effectively as possible. The resulting clarity allows us to envision—as a realistic option—the transformation of today's world into a year-2050 world characterized by physical sustainability, economic equity, vibrant local cultures, an electronically facilitated world culture, and sufficient time in people's lives to pursue a full, rich, life. The book concludes with strategies and techniques for getting from here to there, and introduces the reader to a variety of print, Internet, and organizational resources.
Advance reaction to Matters of Consequence has been highly positive. In his foreword to the book, Paul H. Ray (coauthor of The Cultural Creatives) said, “As a college student I kept asking these big questions, going to whole libraries of books in search of the answers…. Now, finally, after four decades, here’s the book I was looking for as a student.” Allan Combs (author of The Radiance of Being) said of it, “Never has a single book brought together such a rich trove of facts, resources, and wisdom.” Vicki Robin (coauthor of Your Money or Your Life) remarked, “This book is brilliant yet accessible, terse yet so deeply considered that each paragraph opens worlds.” Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard (author of Conscious Evolution) called Matters of Consequence “a master work in applying evolutionary understanding to the critical problems of our time.”
Scheduled for February 2004 publication in both hardcover and paperback, Matters of Consequence will be available through bookstores in the US, Canada and the UK, as well as from online booksellers.
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Matters of Consequence: Creating a Meaningful Life and a World That Works by Copthorne Macdonald. First edition, 6x9, 412 pages. Publication: February 1, 2004. Hardcover: ISBN 0-9689618-6-X, US$39.95. Paperback: ISBN 0-9689618-7-8, US $24.95, UK £17.99. Category: Wisdom / Human Ecology / Current Events. Illustrations: 3. Back Matter: Appendices, Bibliography, Index. North American distribution: Ingram, Baker & Taylor, BN.com, Amazon.com. UK distribution: Bertrams, Gardners, Cypher, Amazon.co.uk.
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