Friday, November 26, 2010

Reviews of my book

Extracts of five reviews of Gunnar Rundgren's book Trädgården Jorden (Garden Earth)

Trädgården Jorden is very comprehensive and thorough. It starts with hunters and gatherers and moves ahead purposefully towards reflections on the future ahead. It takes a systematic and holistic approach; discusses the being or not being of capitalism (both according to Rundgren); it explains how humanity is miraculously creative and astonishingly shortsighted simultaneously; and how we destroy the capital of nature. … This is a remarkable book that should be read by many. It can, in particular, be useful at universities in several disciplines. It gives a broad knowledge of the historical conditions that shaped our world. It also gives a snapshot of how our world looks today, with all its cruel injustices. And it introduces a lot of relations and connections and in particular our devastating rampage......All these experiences are tied together. It makes his book unique and actually quite impressing.
review by Sverker Sörlin in Uppsala Nya Tidning.
http://www.unt.se/kultur/litteratur/en-klok-bok-om-ett-enklare-liv-1057687.aspx
Sverker Sörlin i professor in Environmental history at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm

The book synthesizes what others have written, said and thought, but he binds together thoughts in ways I never seen before. He emphasize the complexity with a focus on one issue or a partial problem and dealing with the bigger issues. Trädgården Jorden is more complex than that. And it is there Gunnar finishes his book. We live in a complex context and if we don't care about the other humans and other organisms, who shall then care for us?
Grus, magazine of the interest free bank JAK, www.jak.se
also published by the Greeneration, http://greeneration.se/?p=883

A picture is drawn of the historical development of society and the economic systems, with a focus on our impact on nature resources and the aim of sustainable development. After describing, on a general level, the big picture regarding resources, technology and economy the author gives a view of the ecological challenges of our time. On this basis he proceeds to the fundamental economic and political conditions. Finally, he sketches the changes that are needed and this results in the radically different society system ”Garden Earth”. The narrative has many references to environment and political sciences and is a very thoughtful and persistent argumentation for a radical societal change.
Anders Weidung in the BTJ magazine www.btj.se

Trädgården Jorden is no common book, and like most authors of not common books, Gunnar Rundgren want us to think.... Easy to digest? Hardly, but if we are going to save the planet it is not the wide path that will be trodden. Trädgården Jorden is explicitly political. Gunnar Rundgren doesn't believe that Green Capitalism can save the earth. What does he believe in? A narrow and winding path built on cooperation, respect and humility towards the incredible system of life of the planet.
REKO magazine, www.reko.se

Trädgården Jorden is an important contribution to the environmental debate. It is full of information, references and examples and it has no black and white analysis or simple answers. It is thus as complex and at the same time as simple as a garden can be.
John Gerhard in Newsletter of Ekolådan, www.ekoladan.se

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