Rating: 
Summary: A Call to Action
Review: "Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" is the latest offering from best-selling author Thom Hartmann. It is one of the most intense and disturbing books I have ever read. Yes, the book is highly recommended and was selected from among many other worthy titles, along with "The Prophet's Way", as book of the month because of the potential for far reaching positive effects upon readers' lives. And as Thom Hartmann says in his introduction the "...book is ultimately about hope, and - once we understand how things are and how they got this way - offers concrete solutions for a brighter, and more meaningful future." It's true, the book provides, in the end, an optimistic message. I strongly urge you to read this book, but I'm not going to minimize its initial impact. The first two-thirds are tough going. There's no getting around it. Yet it is a journey of great Purpose, taking you, with your eyes and heart open, into the message of the final third of a book which may be the most important book you can read for our Now and our Future. The book begins with a striking look at the conditions of our world today. Some of this is going to be familiar reading because of the increasing frequency of published reports of impending ecological disasters and environmental collapse. Yet Thom Hartmann is not simply sounding the alarm or preaching to the choir of environmentalists. He truly gives us a fresh viewpoint of the current state of the planet, and how things got this way. "It all starts with sunlight". We, and everything else came from it, and all that sustains us is fueled by it. When we as a species were in harmony with nature and consumed our share of the sunlight without destroying and dominating the environment, our resources were renewable and our populations stable. We lived in a state of harmony and cooperation for hundreds of thousands of years. But, as we know, something went wrong in the Garden of Eden. Actually there were several things occurring over tens of ! thousands of years, and Thom Hartmann chronicles 4 pivotal events. First was the introduction of herding - approx 40,000 years ago - which was our initial departure from hunter-gatherers. Then about 10,000 years ago was the rise of agriculture, and following that the discovery of minerals, mining, and smelting metals. More food production, more energy, and thus more growth in population. This of course is widely known. But what has not been generally known, or at least discussed in depth offered by this book is the change in attitude that also occurred at that time. Thom Hartmann shows us that with so-called civilization and the rise of city/states came the idea that it is our destiny to rule the earth, that it is "...acceptable not just to compete with nature for our food supply, but to bend nature to our will, to destroy competing species and peoples, to dominate nature." The results of this have been the rise and fall of civilizations across the planet, each time collapsing when the sources of available sunlight became depleted or taken away by the next conquerors. Each collapse, each layer of history, left woundings in the earth, and in the human psyche. And this pattern (the occurrences and reasons for which are explored in depth in the book), continued again and again right up to the present. Still, as bad as they were, the overall planetary destructions of the past were minimal compared to what we have been seeing since the 4th pivotal moment in modern history. That "moment" was the discovery of sources of Ancient Sunlight that had been stored in the earth for millions of years. Around 900 years ago people began using coal for fuel. This allowed for more forestlands to be converted to croplands, and with the increase in food the world human population doubled (from 500 million to a billion) by 1800. The key is that here is "...when our ancestors started living off our planet's sunlight-savings". In the middle of the last century, the other great source of ancien! t sunlight - oil - began to be used. And since then we have discovered (just look around you) countless uses for this resource in the form of fuels, fabrics, and plastics. We were then, and are now more than ever, living well beyond the means of our daily sunlight income. Our supplies of Ancient Sunlight are vanishing. They may well be gone within our lifetimes, certainly within our children's. Yet rather than use the remaining fossil fuels to create new sources of energy and new ways of living, we just keep consuming, consuming , consuming. Thom Hartmann calls the people promoting/living in this way members of "Younger Cultures". They/we are called this not just because of their/our relatively recent appearance in history, but more importantly because of their/our immature, and dangerously irresponsible attitudes. Younger Cultures see themselves as separate from the world. Their "mission" is to dominate and conquer. They expend vast amounts of energy to establish ownership and control, and so the harming of others becomes an accepted part of the culture. Of course the lack of regard for others, and the separation from nature is echoed in the ever increasing destruction of the environment. Here in the West we, with all our comforts and shielded from the devastation growing at alarming rates in other parts of the planet (not to mention the poor and homeless living relatively close by), are generally living in survival by denial. We support a growing variety of addictions, from ingested substances to the much more devastating forms of energetic addictions such as television. And we have become adept at inventing ever more refined methods of treatment, as well as "fixes" for the environmental challenges. We need to be willing to look deeper into the root causes of these personal and planetary illnessess, into the abyss we call civilization, into the past unveiled for all it was/is in terms of the events and effects and even more importantly in terms of the attitudes that m! ade them possible over and over again. The first two-thirds of "Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" will provide that vision, that first step in personal and planetary healing. In the part 3 of the book, Thom Hartmann shows us what we can do, beginning now, to restore our planet by transforming ourselves and healing our relationships with each other and all other living things. The model for this can be found in the essence of the Older Cultures. We are blessed with the presence of a few remaining Older Culture peoples such as the San, Kogi, Kayapo, and many of the Native American tribes, and if we listen, really listen, they have much to tell us. In their view we are not separate from the world but part of it. It is not our destiny to dominate, but to cooperate. Their stories of the world, their descriptions of life, are very different from our Younger Culture ones. It's time to change the stories we tell each other and our children about what happens in life, and our reasons for being here. We can begin to reconnect simply by paying more attention, being more awake, to the here and now. Meditation is the first and most powerful way to do that. When we find our center, that "...quiet place within where *thinking* ends and *consciousness* begins" we then "...find the ability to transform others and ourselves in ways which can and will transform the world." As we transform ourselves, we can create intentional communities, grounded in a new vision of reality that supports all of life. We can take the best of what we have now, and use it in more positive ways for a healthier future. It took great courage to write this book. And it takes great courage to read it, move through it, and begin to take action. Yet the choices are clear. We can continue to allow the accelerating destruction of the planet while living in denial of our own complicity and fearing the outcome. Or we can choose each day to reconnect to the Sacred and reawaken to our Oneness drawing our strength and energy ! from a truly infinite and renewable source: Love. Bottom Line -- Consider "Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" as essential as any book or manual you have ever read, and one of the greatest gifts you could give another. Read it, use it, share it and together we'll write a new story and create a healthy future for our beloved planet. --- Steve L
Rating:
Summary: Twin Towering Truth! Wake Up Call!
Review: This is a most intelligently comprehensive reading reflecting the imminent dangers facing our blue planet if humankind does not come to grips with some of its benign appearing but destructive policies or lack of. All of the following reviews for this book are very helpful. Once we realize how historically great civilizations have declined repeating history as brilliantly presented by author Thom Hartmann, and join him in strategies covered throughout the book how we PERSONALLY can contribute and avert this planetary disaster. It was eerie to have been recommended this book by a dear friend this month, to have read it and halfway through to have witnessed the attack on America on September 11, 2001, a tragically fitting symbol of world trade as reflecting the critical mass we are facing. Without doubt, all the world is profoundly affected by this and shall begin to seek answers. If people are non-comprehending this tragedy, this book offers plenty of insight into the heart of the matter. Plus, it offers the means of Hope by offering sound solutions we can readily adopt as well as convince our world leaders to see that this is more than just a fighting matter. It is about assisting other nations to become ecologically and abundantly provided for and much more. It also shows the origins of why certain nations are so bent upon conquest of other people's lands. Without giving much away the content of the book, I stop here and invite you for a gripping exploration of an often overlooked area of civilization that is desperately wanting of our attention before it is too late. A must read book with 5+ stars!
Rating: 
Summary: Simply Awakening
Review: Simply a must read for all Earthlings! The book begins with the following paragraph, 'In the 24 hours since this time yesterday over 200,000 acres of rainforest have been destroyed in our world. Fully 13 million tons of toxic chemicals have been released into our environment. Over 45,000 people have dies of starvation, 38,000 of them children. And more than 130 plant or animal species have been drive to extinction by the action of humans. (') And all this just since yesterday.' A recommended read for environmentalist, and all those consumerist about to hit the mall this weekend. I would also make a plea that this is an absolute MUST read for each and every one of our children. This book provides well developed and presented information on the state of our environment. The breadth of information is presented in numerous ways including personal stories, analogies, newspaper articles, research papers, and is spotted with great humor, as well as alarming cold-hard facts. This book is a significant body of work to awaken our lost-sense of Earthliness and re-awaken within us the abandoned traditions of our ancestors. This work pushes you to the brink of emotional and spiritual collapse, and then guides you back gently with inspirational thoughts and self-motivating ideas. The book is divided in to three parts. Part 1 provides, very bluntly, undeniable and unambiguous information, facts, and support as to the nature of the irreparable damage that we humans, and specifically corporations, have inflicted upon the Earth. Part 2 provides a discussion on the anthropological aspects of various cultures and tribes, and how that particular view affected their attitude towards animals (including other 'humans') and the Earth itself. Part 3 is dedicated to discussing steps that each of us can take to impede the current trend of self-destruction and Earth-destruction. I did not grant a review rating of 5 due to my perceived weakness of Part 3. I did not find Part 3 as compelling, informative, or well-defined as the previous two parts, and was left with an uncertainty of direct and immediate actions I could partake in. With that said however, I would state that Part 1, and Part 2 make this a must read for all environmentalist and anyone doubting that Global Warming is not a serious threat to national, economic, and environmental security.
Rating:
Summary: think for youself, question authority, save the world
Review: This book is the most thought-provoking books I have read in a long time that sheds a lot of light on the current environmental and social conditions of the world. The first 2/3 of the book is very tough to get thru as the environmental outlook is very dim, however the last 1/3 is very optimistic and really makes you feel like you can make a difference (prayer is a great example). The book covers topics like the differences between the Older culture (tribal society with much respect and a strong relationship with nature, e.g. plants and animals) and our Younger culture (the dominator city/state mindset that has been pulling the world down for thousands of years and is ultimately destined to fail). After reading this book, you will have great respect for tribal societies like the Native Americans and the South American tribes and shamans. For example, women are treated as equals in Native American tribes and everyone takes care of everyone else in the tribe. They are spiritually rich, which we are spiritually poor in the so-called "first-world civilized" countries. Hartmann is a very natural and free-flowing writer and this is one of those books you will read very quickly, it's that interesting and important. He does cite most of his sources for the facts presented in the book as well, which is respectable. Buy it, read it, let your friends borrow and spread the world before it's too late. Turn off your TV and think more. Remember the Long Count version of the Mayan calendar ends in 2012 AD. We're running out of time. Do it for the children.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS YOU'LL EVER READ
Review: This was not an easy book to read. Hartman outlines very clearly what a dangerous predicament the planet is in right now, and how it got to be this way. However, unlike a lot of books which tell you how bad it is and then leave you in a state of desperation (supporting you in going back "to sleep"), Hartman lays out very clear actions anyone can take to help the situation. He backs up his highly spiritual ideas with hard core science (though clear enough for the layman), all to assure the reader that one person can and does make a difference every day - whether consciously or unconsciously - and this is the key to our salvation, and the salvation of the entire planet. I believe it is our responsiblity to wake up and look at the reality we have created and figure out a way to change it. Thom Hartman gives you the gift of the opportunity to do so. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK -- AND PASS ON THE INFORMATION! We need all the help we can get!
Rating: 
Summary: Evolution or devolution? You decide.
Review: I have seldom read a book that has so much to offer in terms of its premise and yet just doesn't deliver the goods--despite the glowing recommendation by the normally sane Neale Donald Walsch. The author,Thom Hartmann artfully blends useful statistics with arguments that are taken out of context and then rejiggers them into an eco-agenda that misses the big picture and purpose of human life. On page 174 we have the following gem: "Tribes are characterized by five primary traits. 1. political independence
2. egalitarian structure
3. get their resources from renewable local sources
4. have a unique sense of their own identity 5. respect the identity of other tribes" The author actually seems to believe that the tribal structure is preferable to our own democratic system. He has perhaps never visited Africa where tribes for centuries have looted and pillaged each other for slaves and wives and where today tribalism is the greatest form of racism in Africa. The author's view is even more artfully captured by a quote he lists at the top of page 118 from Gore Vidal:"Think of the earth as a living organism that is being attacked by billions of bacteria whose numbers double every forty years. Either the host dies, or the (parasite) dies or both die."This is eco-gibberish at it finest. There is no concept here of humanity and the earth in partnership but only one of host and infection. And what my friends does one do with an infection? One kills it. Is this how one should think of the human race? This is the fundamental problem with most eco-fairy tales. They talk about sustainable resources, they talk about conservation but what they really believe is that human life is a blot upon the earth and if we only would use condoms, commit infanticide on a large scale and practice sexual tolerance (read: promote homosexuality) can we relieve ourselves from the scourge of overpopulation. The author and other like minded figures simply cannot conceive of the human richness that is produced by families that have offspring that create businesses, invent new products and create wealth and improve life for millions--all they can think about is mankind as a consumer of the earth's scant resources, rather than as a partner in producing evolutionary and cultural wealth. In this extraordinarily unbalanced book, which is subtitled waking up to personal and global transformation not one word is mentioned about sexual self restraint or the affect/effect of virtue and vice upon human thinking. Aside from some useful statistics on the vices of the Spanish colonization of the Americas, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight totally misses the point of human life. We can make the earth a better place by working in partnership with the existing ecosystems within which we exist but returning to tribalism, limited sustenance and primitive technology is nothing short of a call for human devolution. The author is entirely mistaken in his assumption that previous civilizations have failed due to the rapid depletion of resources--those were contributing factors but the emerging picture that modern scholarship paints is that in almost in all instances, the ruling classes depleted their moral and intellectual capital via what could only be described as moral and spiritual vice, and devolved with frightening rapidity into violence, anarchy and ungovernability. If the author would only use his own information to think more clearly about what he is really saying, he would come up with something extraordinarily interesting. For example, on page 217 he talks about the intensity of quantum waves that are in phase with each other as being the square of the sum of those waves. Thus if you have 1,000 people who believe in anything that has an actual quantum effect of 1000 squared, which yields the affect/effect as 1,000,000 or one million. Thus when you have 1,000 people who have erronious points of view, the error factor is multiplied enormously. Likewise the power for good is also squared. Apply this concept to virtue and vice and you see the enormous damage that is done by vice (particularly vices involving the lack of self-restraint or as the ancients described it, continence) and the enormous good that is done by virtue or excellence. So, rather than polarizing the issue by making our social ills attributable solely to the failure of corporations and national entities to embrace tribalism and "green" values, the author would be far better served by engaging and then enlarging the notion of what constitutes virtue and vice. Tribal and other green values are as much at risk as are corporate and democratic values unless the quantum and moral dynamics of virtue and vice are understand and applied from top to bottom in our society. By having such a map we might have a force multiplier for real social change that everybody would benefit from--no matter what their beliefs are.
Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary, inspiring, thought-provoking must-read!
Review: I can't get over how many times, since I've read this book, I've looked at the news, at events in my life, from a different perspective. Thom Hartmann's book is disturbing but it gets us thinking about the effects of our actions and that makes it essential reading. After reading his other incredible book, Prophet's way, and having it change my life, I really didn't think his next book could have such a profound effect on me. But it did, in a more subtle, yet very positive way. Thom Hartmann should run for president. But he's too smart to even think about it. Thom has been a speaker at the Winter Brain COnference (www.futurehealth.org/2000brain.htm) I organize for the past four years. Each year, though he is not a brain scientist, his lectures draw some of the biggest crowds, because he has a magical way of integrating the newwest research and his own unique eco-spiritual-anthropological approach to looking at the world and the evolution of science and knowledge.
Rating: 
Summary: cultural eugenics - the lifestyle
Review: I disagree with this author and my reasons are simple. I think that civilization is getting better and that we're generally becoming the culture of the people who spark with life. Civilization and Hierarchy is all about our culture and this is the culture that is right on!!!! because it provides the best of lifestyle. I'm so rich!!!!
I agree with the other fellow whom gave this book one star cause if we read the prophets way and see just how insane this dude is. He like does this stuff to help out the young peoples and stuff. Whatever mann (no pun intended, well yes it was intended and it was meant to be witty)! This is all a crock of shmarmles.
We are doing fine everyone let me assure you I know and this life has blesses me every step of the way. My mom and me are doing well. My mom is the only other person I know. So that's a 100% surivival rate..
Anyways, heed my warnings THom is critally flambozzled about the facts should stop spreading a message about things that are just wrong. the end
Rating:
Summary: Clear Warning - what are we going to do without oil?
Review: This book centers on the environment:
* how humans are impacting our home planet
* we are dependant on oil (a finite resource)
* if oil is not replaced, and soon, widespread hunger may occur Thom then discusses the cultural mindset of the western world
and how that 'dominator' perspective is largely to blame for
environmental damage.
He advocates a return to a mindset that makes caring for
everyones basic needs a fundamental concern. I really loved reading the book. Not for enjoyment, but
for the wake-up call.
If you are reading this review, you must be in some way
concerned about the environment. Read this book to discover
the truth of our perilous situation. However, do not despair.
Thom provides solutions in the closing chapters.
We can fix this.
Hydrogen fuel-cells.
Stop dominating others.
etc, etc The question is:
will we act before it is too late?
Rating:
Summary: Changed the way I look at the world
Review: Beautiful book, with a lot of interesting history.
An absolute read.
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