This past year, the Human Venture Institute has been exploring the rise of Donald Trump as the President of the United States. There have been a variety of opinions and there are many resources out there that attempt to explain how and why he became President. Few resources dig deep enough to understand the causal architectures, or the reasons that … Read More
Learning to Die in the Anthropocene
Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization by Roy Scranton stirs one’s soul to the core. Concise and powerful, this book articulates our human situation and is a must read for those concerned with where we are headed. We grapple with death as individuals and with our communities, often poorly, but rarely do we … Read More
Witness to the Revolution
The anti-war movement of the late sixties and early seventies was a short, intense period of social transformation. At the same time it was a continuation of a transgenerational process of striving to bring out the best of humanity. Building on collective actions that came before, the anti-war movement drew on lessons learned from movements like the civil rights movement … Read More
Stephane Hessel, The French Resistance, and the Human Venture
Born in France in 1917, Stephane Hessel experienced a time of great sorrow and great hope for humanity. When Marshal Phillippe Petain rose to power in 1940, many progressive policies were reversed, collusion with Nazi Germany became the norm, and an authoritarian state was created, causing outrage among those who believed in the revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. … Read More
The Challenge of Truth in Reporting
A Book Review of Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus by Matt Taibbi, and Liberty and the News by Walter Lippmann. “There is everywhere an increasingly angry disillusionment about the press, a growing sense of being baffled and misled; and wise publishers will not pooh-pooh these omens.” Walter Lippmann, 1920 It is totally cliché to take a quote … Read More
Change the Story, Change the Future
Reflections on the book Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth by David Korten Earlier in January, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture and a small group discussion at the University of Alberta with David Korten, the cofounder of Yes! Magazine and author of many books on the Human Venture reading list … Read More
Sy Montgomery
A review of Sy Montgomery’s books, The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness; Birdology: Adventures with Hip Hop Parrots, Cantankerous Cassowaries, Crabby Crows, Peripatetic Pigeons, Hens, Hawks, and Hummingbirds; and Walking with the Great Apes: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas. The Soul of an Octopus and Birdology bring you close to the … Read More
The Hidden Life of Trees
A Book Review of The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How they Communicate – Discoveries from A Secret World by Peter Wohlleben As we come to terms with human caused climate change and our ecological impact, we are re-awakening to an understanding of ourselves as part of nature’s unfolding processes. As we think about what lies ahead for … Read More
Reading for Life Learning
The winter brings us darker and colder days and nights. I love this time of year because it gives me the opportunity to read more, reflect on my learning and plan the year ahead. Reading is a critical part of our learning process. Reading for knowledge and understanding versus ‘simple reading’ takes practice and persistence. Think of reading as ‘empowerment’, … Read More