Beyond Civilisation: Humanity’s Next Great Adventure by Daniel Quinn
This is a great book to read after Daniel Quinns ‘My Ishmael’.
I love the way that Daniel writes, with just a simple point made on each page, making it really easy to read and absorb.
In this book he presents his theory that in order for us to survive on Earth we need to find a new way of living. This way is to draw on what our species, and earlier versions of our species have drawn on for 3 million years. Tribalism.
He is not suggesting that we disappear into the forest and live a hunter gatherer lifestyle that was enjoyed by our far distant ancestors. This isn’t possible, as the forest is no longer there.
Instead what he is saying is that we use the principle of tribalism, as this works. He presents the statement that
“there is no one way right way of living on Earth”.
What we do know is that the principle of tribalism is successful in finding a good way of living on Earth, as it has worked for millions of years. So we need to drawn on this right now.
He gives a few examples of what this might look like, but emphasises that it’s for groups of people to form together and to find out for themselves, to create a new way of being. With this he doesn’t mean going off into a remote part of the world and living in a commune. He means applying it to your work in the current system.
It is a really refreshing and enlightening view, and one that Jason and I have already started to embrace through The Way of the Buzzard.
I read this book a few years ago and loved it, and have just read it again to bring the ideas more fully into our work.
It’s definitely one to read if you are looking for a new way of thinking about your work in the world.
Review written by Nicola Smalley