Books That Can Make the World a Better Place

Brita Adkinson grew up in Sweden. In the 1960s, Brita’s Mom read “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. From that day, the family has been committed to caring for the environment. Since the year 2000, Brita has lived in Maple Falls.

Editor’s Note: This is a report from a conference in San Francisco.

“When Nazi forces had stormed our home and dragged away my father, my mother showed enormous courage. She succeeded in getting Dad released,” says author Riane Eisler (http://www.rianeeisler.com.) “Eventually, after escaping Vienna, our family found a home in the slums of Havanna, Cuba. Living there as a little girl, I thought, because my life was saved when so many died, I wanted to do something special. I wanted to say to people, no, we don’t have to fight and kill each other. That is why I am writing my books.”

Eisler’s face radiated joy and enthusiasm, as she spoke to participants in the gathering Writing for Change 2007, (http://www.sfwritingforchange.org) held in the meeting halls at Grace Cathedral, in downtown San Francisco, August 23–26.

The conference was the first of its kind in the United States. It gathered some 120 publishers, writers, literary agents and various other folks from all over North America to highlight and discuss the importance of non-fiction books and encourage people of all backgrounds to write books that make our world a better place. The conference slogan read: “Changing the World One Book at a Time.”

Eisler, a slender, almost fragile-looking woman, introduced her latest book, “The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics,” published 2007 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers (http://www.bkconnection.com.) “When I realized I needed to write books, I quit smoking, quit my job and quit my marriage, all in a matter of three months,” Eisler told us with a big smile!

We Can Heal Our Environment

Environmental problems, poverty, war and terrorism can be overcome, argued Eisler, who holds degrees in social science and law. She wants people to understand that our current economic system is based on an outdated mentality, sets wrong priorities and misallocates resources.

Eisler redefines the concept of economic value, describes practical steps to move beyond the confines of traditional capitalist and socialist economic models, and outlines methods to develop new social and financial structures. Using examples and documentation from nations in other parts of the world, such as the Scandinavian countries, Eisler offers tremendous hope that we can indeed create a world that works for all. Her talk at the conference earned her a standing ovation.

How do we figure out who are the good people and who are the bad ones in our communities? Well, it’s unlikely that we ever will, according to professor Philip Zimbardo, another speaker at the conference Writing for Change. For several decades, Zimbardo taught psychology and carried out research at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. Recently, Zimbardo published “The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil” (http://www.lucifereffect.com) Random House, 2007.

In a compelling address, Zimbardo insisted that even the worst possible acts, such as torture by inflicting excruciating pain, humiliation, degradation and mental stress, can be done by people who are quite “normal,” in specific circumstances, and when under severe stress.

Zimbardo cited a 1971 experiment known as the Stanford Prison Experiment, where a group of well-adjusted, middle class college students were invited to take part in a study. One group was assigned to be prison guards, the other group prison inmates, for a two-week period.

After six days the study had to be interrupted, because the would-be prison guards began seriously abusing their power, while the would-be inmates sank into apathy and showed signs of severe psychological distress. In his talk, Zimbardo made comparisons with recent research into misuse of power among today’s soldiers in the Iraq war and guards in war prisons.

Zimbardo’s argument is that even “good apples” can turn bad in systems that create space for such behaviors to occur. He suggests that even people of noble character may “snap” and behave as abusers in specific circumstances, and gives examples.

Zimbardo asks all of us to beware, and understand the urgent need to create the kind of community that nurtures positive behavior. In our times, with the intense debate on terrorism, war technologies, and unspeakable horrors, “The Lucifer Effect” is a must for all who aspire to an informed discussion.

Among the change agents I met at the Writing for Change conference was J. Gary Gwilliam, a prominent attorney from Oakland, California. “Gradually I became aware that lawyers avoid facing the fact that they regularly lose trials,” Gwilliam said, so I wrote a book about the realities we face.

Gwilliam begins his newly published book, “Getting a Winning Verdict in My Personal Life,” describing the moment when he lost a very important trial: “My heart pounded like crazy. My emotions ran from excitement to fear to anxiety. What had they [the jury] decided?”

Subtitled “A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul,” Gwilliam’s intimate confessions of more than 40 years of practice will deepen readers’ perspective of the law and justice system in America. Gwilliam inspires, and renews hope. His book is published by Pavior Publishing (http://www.pavior.com.)

The movement to restore nature and return to living in harmony with our surrounding ecosystems is becoming the largest movement on Earth, says Paul Hawken. This movement has no name, leader or location, and has gone largely ignored by U.S. politicians and the media, until recently. Like nature itself, it is organizing from the bottom up.

In “Blessed Unrest,” published in 2007 by Viking Press, Hawken describes how ordinary people everywhere are summoning themselves into action, similar to the body’s immune system that kicks in to restore balance and health. “Blessed Unrest,” http://www.blessedunrest.com is an optimistic, hopeful documentation of current practical action all across the Planet. The conference organizers hailed this book as a major contribution toward facilitating change.

Some of you Whatcom Watch readers may have knowledge and life experience to share. Are you thinking about writing a book? Or, maybe you wrote something and wish to get it published? Then you want to get in touch with one of the literary agents I got to know at the conference (see sidebar on next page for details).

Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen manage Northern California’s oldest literary agency, Michael Larsen/Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents, helping writers launch careers since 1972. Pomada represents commercial and literary fiction plus memoir. Larsen handles non-fiction. They have sold hundreds of books to more than one hundred publishers and are the co-founders of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the Writing for Change Conference. Their Web site is full of helpful information for writers.

Alan Rinzler, executive editor at Jossey Bass/Wylie publishers says he loves meeting people with new ideas about how to make the world a better place and help them get their message out. Katharine Sands, literary agent, New York City, also takes a keen interest in books that focus on community development.

Gilbert Mansergh, San Francisco, is called a book doctor! Mansergh broadcasts two radio programs, writes a movie review column and other articles and is a frequent speaker on media topics. My friend Joy Gilfilen — Bellingham businesswoman who accompanied me to the conference — and I had dinner with Gil and found him an inspiring person with a lifetime of experience in media business. He says he enjoys taking an idea in a person’s mind and bringing it to a published work. Gil will find time to talk to you about your book idea.

Book editors Jennifer Gennari at Palace Press, Jason Gardner at New World Library, David Moldawer at St. Martin’s Press and Clancy Drake at Ten Speed Press also are always on the hunt for books that make a positive difference in the world. If you have ideas about new economic systems that can change the world, go straight to Johanna Wondeling at Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Berrett-Koehler (BK) is one of my favorite publishers. BK has published “Leadership and the New Science” and “Finding a New Way” by Margaret J. Wheatley. Wheatley, a top level organizational consultant, took time off to study quantum physics, and then began writing books that demonstrate how all aspects of personal life and business life are deeply interconnected.

Wheatley’s writings describe how business executives may use these understandings to bring not only prosperity, but also wholeness and win-win benefits to large corporations and government organizations.

The BK publishes a brilliant guy who lives in our own backyard, as it were: David C. Korten, Bainbridge Island, who graduated from Stanford University Graduate School of Business and was poised for a safe-bet career in his Dad’s business. Instead, Korten asked the deepest possible questions about what we Westerners are doing when we impose our current financial systems on the rest of the world.

BK published Korten’s books “When Corporations Rule the World,” a bestseller, “The Post-Corporate World” and in 2007 “The Great Turning.” Korten shows how our current economic system creates poverty in the long term for the majority of the population and exhausts our natural resources.

He points the way to different economic systems that maintain our health, wellbeing and prosperity without harming the environment and the welfare of other nations. If you read these books and think he doesn’t have it right, then write a better book for us! We need action plans!

The innovative, courageous bunch that got together and organized this mind-blowing gathering of change agents and wannabe change agents, are the literary agents Elizabeth Pomada, her husband Michael Larsen and their friend, literary agent and writer Robin Carpenter, also from San Francisco. Let’s be on the lookout for next year’s Writing for Change and take up the challenge to produce books that help create a world that works for all. §