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Summary: Vital thinking for a truly sustainable future
Review: Allan Savory and Jody Butterfield have produced a vital book for the future. This updated version incorporates the incredible learning of thousands of people world wide-- all engaged in a serious effort to learn how humans can live in sync with the natural world, how we can learn to not only diminish our harmful impacts but indeed restore biodiversity and health to many ecologically damaged areas. It helps build deeper understanding of the human/Earth relationship as a whole, while providing very practical guidelines for steering one's personal life, one's family, business, community and indeed our larger collective and governmental policies towards the values and way of life that make common sense and sustain life at the same time. I can only hope that this book and its message will reach far and wide and provide its insights and "navigational aids" to people who are committed to a healthier future with the Earth and one another. But beware, it will change your thinking and there is no going back!
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Summary: Use it in non-rural enterprises, too!
Review: Having used the framework within this book in my city-based business in Australia, I am at last clear on what I have to do to achieve the quality of life my family and I want - based on our relatively meagre small-business returns. At last, the kids and my wife and I have a shared clearly expressed view about our future together - and we now have the thinking+doing tools to work towards enhancing and achieving our shared future. Her writing style is caring/sharing and he backs it up with the science. Together, they've created a blessing (in disguise) for small and medium sized city-based enterprises. I hope they write another one just for us! And, what about some audio tapes?
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Summary: Very interesting, although not all I expected
Review: I began reading Savory's book for a research project into ecological cattle management. Once I began reading it, I couldn't put it down, and I'm glad I didn't. Not only did the book teach me everything I could possibly want to know about Savory's cattle management methodology, but it gave a great perspective for managing life. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially people interested in any type of management (business or ecological) or anyone interested in environmental studies.
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Summary: Manage Cattle, Manage Your Life
Review: I began reading Savory's book for a research project into ecological cattle management. Once I began reading it, I couldn't put it down, and I'm glad I didn't. Not only did the book teach me everything I could possibly want to know about Savory's cattle management methodology, but it gave a great perspective for managing life. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially people interested in any type of management (business or ecological) or anyone interested in environmental studies.
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Summary: Very interesting, although not all I expected
Review: I found the entire book very interesting, in that it talked in great detail about low-rainfall, brittle environments. These environments are hardly covered in most science books. Nevertheless, I expected to read more about the details of running livestock succesfully on these brittle environments. I am looking forward to further, more specific publications from Mr. Savory. Don't missunderstand me. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would highly reccomend it to anyone who lives off the land and who is in close contact with nature. AW
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Summary: Real sustainability is about decision making
Review: Sustainability has become the central drama of our time, yet within the sustainability movement there is a huge conflict. It isn't the environmentalists against the dam builders this time--it is between those who see nature mainly as a domain, reserve, or area, and those who see nature as a process. Both sides largely agree that there is a serious ecological crisis, we are on the brink, and that humanity needs to change its ways. But there is an enormous disagreement on the problem, and on the prescription. For the majority of writers on sustainability, the causes of our crisis are greed, overpopulation, consumption, development, and multinational corporations. For them, sustainability is a modern, industrial-era problem. The solutions are political: shift power from the wrong people and organizations to the right people and organizations, or quit logging, grazing, or using chemicals. Savory's book shows, in convincing and elegant detail, that those who concentrate on shifting ideology or politics to move toward sustainability are just rearranging the deck chairs. The backlash and the revenge of unintended consequences will continue. If we are serious about this, we must change our decision framework. The way we make decisions, which is usually unconscious and habitual, is the key factor. Savory and Butterfield show us how this works, from start to finish.
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Summary: more than cows and grass
Review: This book is about making decisions that consider the whole enchillada -- human values, activities that are consistent with the values, and restoring, preserving, and acquiring the resources to make it all come together. It's good for individuals, families, organizations or governments to manage effectively. It is similar to other decision processes, yet different. It's truly holistic!
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Summary: More for less
Review: Two ranches of the same size each have 1000 cows. One ranch is overgrazed, but the other is able to add another 500 cows and still have grass. A decade later, the last ranch buys the first one and can carry 3400 cows on both places combined. How does this work? What makes the difference? This book goes into details. Allan Savory writes on a vast subject, yet clearly conveys the important ideas behind creating and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. By training a Zoologist, the former tracker, wildlife manager, rancher, legislator, and now educator - Savory draws from his experiences as both a doer and a teacher to illuminate his points. One key item Savory covers that is not covered in many other similar books is how and when to monitor and what to look for once a course of action is decided upon. The section on monitoring is worth the price of the book. Ranchers, wildlife biologists, members of boards of trustees, as well as those concerned about DOING something about environmental degradation will find Savory engaging, challenging, and informative. People who have never been exposed to the ideas behind the central role of hoofed animals in ecological health will be the most suprised.
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