Rating: 
Summary: A Dose of Sanity
Review: Do you ever feel as though something is profoundly wrong with the world today? Ever feel tired, thwarted, disconnected or overworked? Ever feel as though you don't belong? These are some of the vague notions that often plague many of the so-called normal who are succeeding in life. Perhaps you are one of them. Or perhaps you have come closer to the pathology and directly experienced the violence, exploitation and abuse of life in the modern world. In response to the crises we all know by now, Glendinning's thesis - hailed as both obvious and brilliant - is that, behind the sparkles and glitter, we all suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, induced from life inside Western Civilization. A doctor of psychology, with years of work in the field under her belt - as well as personal taste of abuse our civilization deals out - Glendinning's diagnosis for our collective madness is illuminating and profound, constituting nothing less than a critique of Western Civilization, progress, normality and rationality. After providing example after example of the folly, abuse and suffering we continually inflict upon ourselves, our loved ones and the earth who created and sustains us, her thesis quickly passes from specious to plausible, from doubtful to obvious. Perhaps more enthralling than the pathology is the cure, though. Not only a message of suffering and pain, Glendinning offers us hope, beauty and joy. Aside from critique, Glendinning provides concrete examples of cultures that - in contrast to our culture - offer full political and social participation, genuine democracy, equality of the sexes, leisure, good food and nutrition, stability, ecological sustainability, and most importantly a sense of a connection and belonging. In a word, she reconnects us with the traditions, cultures and communities abundant with all the things we have lost in the Faustian bargain for that evanescent more we call progress. Should not be overlooked.
Rating:
Summary: This book has greatly influenced my day-to-day thinking.
Review: I was assigned in my Intro. to Religious Studies class to find a book on which to do a final project. A friend suggested I read "My Name is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization". I did, and I have been profoundly effected. This book is full of brilliant theories of correlation between the ecological crisis (which it really is) and human mental health problems that are so abundant. Glendinning has put great effort into researching her material, and has also filled this work with astounding personal passion. For me, she has changed my entire perspective of life. Before reading this book, I suggest that you have a completely open mind. Glendinning covers issues that will indeed disrupt an average sense of reality. In the words of another of my favorite artists, Bjork, "It takes courage to enjoy it," ("Big Time Sensuality"). Also excellent books by Glendinning: When Technology Wounds, and Waking Up in the Nuclear Age.
Rating:
Summary: This book has greatly influenced my day-to-day thinking.
Review: I was assigned in my Intro. to Religious Studies class to find a book on which to do a final project. A friend suggested I read "My Name is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization". I did, and I have been profoundly effected. This book is full of brilliant theories of correlation between the ecological crisis (which it really is) and human mental health problems that are so abundant. Glendinning has put great effort into researching her material, and has also filled this work with astounding personal passion. For me, she has changed my entire perspective of life. Before reading this book, I suggest that you have a completely open mind. Glendinning covers issues that will indeed disrupt an average sense of reality. In the words of another of my favorite artists, Bjork, "It takes courage to enjoy it," ("Big Time Sensuality"). Also excellent books by Glendinning: When Technology Wounds, and Waking Up in the Nuclear Age.
Rating: 
Summary: Sloppy thinking and language mar an interesting thesis.
Review: I'm very disappointed in this book. Judging from the title and from recommendations I had heard from others, I was looking forward to a thoughtful, insightful critique of the problems of our society, of which I agree there are many. Unfortunately, this book is not that critique. All too often, Glendinning's thinking is sloppy and her language over-the-top. The sloppy thinking is exemplified by her failure to distinguish between "Western civilization," which is excoriated at every turn, and domestication of animals, which turns out to be the root of all evil and which took place long before Western civilization was launched. Another example: Glendinning cites statistics to the effect that in 1900 in the U.S., only one person in 33 died of cancer, whereas today the number is one in three. This is true as far as it goes, but it omits the rather well-known response--a higher percentage of people die from cancer today because medicine has dramatically reduced fatalities from other diseases such as smallpox and diphtheria. According to Glendinning's thesis, virtually every negative human behavior--including rape, child abuse, war, ethnic cleansing, violence on TV, the manufacturing of toxic chemicals, and many more--stems from the building of the first fence. If you like extremely simple answers and guilt-tripping, this book is for you. If you're looking for a carefully thought-out discussion of the problems our society faces and ideas on how they might be addressed, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Sloppy thinking and language mar an interesting thesis.
Review: I'm very disappointed in this book. Judging from the title and from recommendations I had heard from others, I was looking forward to a thoughtful, insightful critique of the problems of our society, of which I agree there are many. Unfortunately, this book is not that critique. All too often, Glendinning's thinking is sloppy and her language over-the-top. The sloppy thinking is exemplified by her failure to distinguish between "Western civilization," which is excoriated at every turn, and domestication of animals, which turns out to be the root of all evil and which took place long before Western civilization was launched. Another example: Glendinning cites statistics to the effect that in 1900 in the U.S., only one person in 33 died of cancer, whereas today the number is one in three. This is true as far as it goes, but it omits the rather well-known response--a higher percentage of people die from cancer today because medicine has dramatically reduced fatalities from other diseases such as smallpox and diphtheria. According to Glendinning's thesis, virtually every negative human behavior--including rape, child abuse, war, ethnic cleansing, violence on TV, the manufacturing of toxic chemicals, and many more--stems from the building of the first fence. If you like extremely simple answers and guilt-tripping, this book is for you. If you're looking for a carefully thought-out discussion of the problems our society faces and ideas on how they might be addressed, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: good for what ails us all
Review: in the last 5 years i've surely forgotten more than i've remembered, yet the moment of epiphany i had reading this book lives on in me forever. i remember exactly where i was & how i felt when i read chellis's contrast of the "western" ideas of boundaries compared with what she was discovering... having grown up in a typical dysfunctional american family where counseling was an ongoing theme, i *really* related & felt liberated by the alternative she proposed to the artificial & rigid constructs of "you" and "i" i had always been expected to assimilate. i will admit that most of the other specifics of this book are lost to me now, but i believe that anything that can reach your core & illuminate a truth there that changes you from that moment on is worth reccomending; it's also worth keeping. i currently have a copy on my bookshelf that beckons me at times... & most likely i will dive into it again & i wouldn't be the least bit surprised if i found another example that made resonated in me with similiar force.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, Passionate and Compelling
Review: The title was a little weird, and the cover photo should be on the back, but get over it and buy this book. I don't know where she came from, butthis book is a compelling, heart-felt, angy and convincing book about how messed up we are and how we must change. I underlined page after page of it. The author does not even own a computer, so she'll probably never read these comments, but she's just great and I wanted to book her for a workshop immediately after reading the book. God bless, Chellis. Kepp writing.
Rating:
Summary: thought-provoking theory
Review: This book is an important step in understanding our dependence upon technology and our attempt to cure the ills of our society with technology, rather than with a reconnection with one another and the planet. The author makes some very astute observations regarding personal traumas and the traumas inflicted on us by our unhealthy society/culture. I consider it a "must read" for anyone interested in rebuilding our connection with nature.
Rating:
Summary: A Mind Warp if Nothing Else
Review: This book is entertaining, but somewhat disappointing given that Glendinnis is a clinical psychologist and should know better than to make such obviously emotionally motivated postulates. By the middle of the first chapter I wondered if Dr. Glendinning was partaking of the sacred herb. I was also perplexed by her assertion that those of us raised in the technological mainstream could not conceive of the altered reality of a hunter gatherer society. She is probably right, and given this, reading this book is an exercise in futility since our anima mundi has already been sullied by industrial awareness. Last, I was immediately suspicious to find that much of the Dr's research was anecdotal, based on gleanings from studied groups' oral traditions. While these tend to hold a colorful historical narrative, I think there may be an intrinsic methodological error in using them to make sweeping assumptions about the apparent superiority of a lifestyle with no written history. I was totally open to the idea of her thesis, I just don't think she proved it effectively. I will conceed that the anthropological history provided in the early chapters is fascinating. Perhaps my criticisms are par for the course as I do live in this technosociety, posting this review via the net, and trying to apply the scientific method to a book that is questionning the very existence of critical thinking. Oooo, deep.
Rating:
Summary: A Mind Warp if Nothing Else
Review: This book is entertaining, but somewhat disappointing given that Glendinnis is a clinical psychologist and should know better than to make such obviously emotionally motivated postulates. By the middle of the first chapter I wondered if Dr. Glendinning was partaking of the sacred herb. I was also perplexed by her assertion that those of us raised in the technological mainstream could not conceive of the altered reality of a hunter gatherer society. She is probably right, and given this, reading this book is an exercise in futility since our anima mundi has already been sullied by industrial awareness. Last, I was immediately suspicious to find that much of the Dr's research was anecdotal, based on gleanings from studied groups' oral traditions. While these tend to hold a colorful historical narrative, I think there may be an intrinsic methodological error in using them to make sweeping assumptions about the apparent superiority of a lifestyle with no written history. I was totally open to the idea of her thesis, I just don't think she proved it effectively. I will conceed that the anthropological history provided in the early chapters is fascinating. Perhaps my criticisms are par for the course as I do live in this technosociety, posting this review via the net, and trying to apply the scientific method to a book that is questionning the very existence of critical thinking. Oooo, deep.
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