Summer reading

A cornucopia of politically correct offerings.

By Shirley Farlinger | 1992-07-01 12:00:00

If You Love This Planet

Caldicott Helen, WW Norton & Co., New York & London, 1992, 231 pp. $12.99 in Canada.

Although the title of this book is the same as the National Film Board movie on which Dr. Helen Caldicott warned of the dangers of nuclear war, Caldicott has expanded her critique of human destructiveness, and, as in her recent lecture, focusses on environmental destruction on a planetary scale.

This book will help you reconnect with a person whose prescription for the world and her own motto is love, learn, love and legislate.

Transformation Moment See Review next page

Peacemaking In the 1990s A Guide for Canadians Perry, Thomas L. , Gordon Soules Book Pahlshers Ltd, 1352-B Marine Drive, West Vancouver, B.C. V7T 1B5, 1991.

The late Thomas Perry says that this book "is intended to help rejuvenate a vigorous peace movement ... and to dispel harmful notions such as burnout or an imagined lack of need for peace activism." It has chapters by favorite peace people such as VANA's Gif Gifford, CPPNW's Alan Phillips and Vancouver City Councillor Libby Davies.

A People's History of the United States Zinn, Howard, Harper & Rowe, 1980, $16.00.

This book was recommended by John Stockwell when he spoke at Convocation Hall last year. I find it very insightful and disturbing in its many examples of how ordinary people, especially natives, blacks and the poor working class, have been treated in the U.S. since white men first stepped on native soil. It puts all our traditional histories in doubt.

Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much Schaeff, Anne Wilson, Harper & Rowe, 1990, $12.95.

A book of wonderful quotes and meditations, one a day, for all who like to start the morning on a hopeful note.

Deterring Democracy. Chomsky, Noam, Verso, 1991. $37.50.

It's the usual Chomsky and for devotees that's recommendation enough. For first time Chomskyites it's a good place to begin because of all he covers, from the Cold War, the drug war, the U.N., Central and Latin America, Africa, Asia, Germany and Japan. It ends with the question of whether we will nurture our instinct for freedom or not.

The Partnership Way, New Tools for Living and Learning, Healing Our Families, Our Communities and Our World, A Practical Companion for The Chalice and The Blade Eisler; Riane and Laye, David, Harper Collins, 1990, $19.95.

For those who like to do something novel in the summer this book offers nine sessions for a group of both genders who want to examine the problems of control or equality through the lens of Minoan Crete as described in The Chalice and The Blade. It is good preparation for those attending the conference in Crete in October and would be fun.

Facing Freedom, The Children of Eastern Europe Gzowski, Alison, Penguin Books Canada Limited, 10 Alcorn Ave., Toronto, Ont. M4V 3B2, 1992. $22.99

What do young people who have never lived in a capitalist country think of the changes in Eastern Europe? Alison Gzowski, daughter of Morningside's Peter, travelled to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Eastern Germany, Latvia and Russia to interview 16 teen-agers, women who had helped to free their countries of communist government. Their conclusions? "Now everything is changed and I don't know if it's much better, but it's a bit better...well, I can't imagine being unemployed," says Cornelius in Berlin. This person-In-the-street approach could be misleading journalism but it's interesting.

Freedom From Fear and Other Writings Kyi, Aung San Su, Penguin Books, 1991. $14.99.

This collection of writings by the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner has a fore-word by Vaclav Havel. He writes:

"Aung San Suu Kyi cannot be silenced because she speaks the truth and her words reflect basic Burmese and universal concepts. She has been under house arrest since 1989 even though she and her party won most of the votes in the election of that year. She advocates and practices nonviolence for herself and her party."

Canada and the World, An Agenda for the Last Millennium Rapoport Anatol and Anthony, Science for Peace, Samuel Stevens & Co., University Of Toronto Press, 199Z

Anatol Rapoport teaches peace studies at the University of Toronto and brings a very logical mind to the issues that divide us and the "strategic world." Everyone should read about where we must change direction to make it to the next millennium. He is very clear on the issue except the Gulf War where he tends to come down on both sides like many of us. the book skips over the possibility of civilian-based defence but otherwise it is an excellent source of knowledge and inspiration for all of us. Give it to your M.P., over lunch on his/her holidays.

Love Your Enemies and Other Neighbours, Workshops for Peace, Meditations, Worship, Art, Music Haverluck, Bob, United Church Publishing House, 85 St. Clair Ave. East Toronto, 1992. $21.95.

Save the Earth Porritt Jonathon (ed.), McLelland & Stewart Inc. 1991, $29.95.

A beautiful coffee table book full of quotes from VIPs like David Suzuki and Maurice Strong with a foreword by The Prince of Wales. The full-colour photographs are magnificent even when depicting our environmental crises. The chapters each concentrate on one area of ecological concern and what we must do. "The future will either be green, or not at all" writes this school teacher and member of the Green Party of the U.K. It is a marvellous attempt to get us to pay attention and includes postcards to send to PM. Mulroney before the Earth Day Summit.