The Great Turning
From Empire to Earth Community
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*Offers a positive message of hope for a sustainable and just future and a practical strategy for getting there
In The Great Turning, David Korten argues that "Empire," the organization of society through hierarchy and violence has always resulted in misery for the many and fortune for the few, but now it threatens the very future of humanity as Empire has become unsustainable and destructive.
Korten traces the roots of Empire and charts the evolution of its instruments of control, from absolute monarchies to the multinational institutions of the global economy. He describes efforts to develop democratic alternatives to Empire, such as the founding of the United States and shows how elitists with an imperial agenda have undermined the "American experiment."
Empire is not inevitable, and we can turn away from it. Korten draws on evidence from evolutionary theory, developmental psychology, and religious teachings to show that a life-centered, egalitarian, sustainable, democratic "Earth Community" is possible.
About this Author
David Korten is president and founder of the People-Centered Development Forum, chair of the board of YES! magazine, and a founding board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. He is the author of The Great Turning, The Post-Corporate World, and When Corporations Rule the World.
Format: Trade paperback
Pages: 402
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2007-10-01
Reviews
"The Great Turning sets forth a compelling, devastating, and ultimately profoundly hopeful story that provides a framework for the new, unifying political conversation our nation so desperately needs. A must-read for every person of conscience."
--Van Jones, Executive Director, The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
"What a gift David Korten has given us with this prophetic book! In this well-written and thorough story of the crises of late Modernity, Korten gives us a beautifully reasoned, carefully researched look at why we absolutely have to turn away from imperial power and wealth and, instead, create an Earth Community. This is a must-read for activists, for lovers of contemporary American studies, and for Cultural Creatives."
--Paul H. Ray, coauthor of The Cultural Creatives
"Employing history, psychology, economics, spirituality, and common sense, Korten not only critiques the dilemma we are in as a species, he also shows us doable and workable ways out of our morass. He has cre- ated a tour de force --a call to compassion as much as a blueprint for survival. This book is a kind of Bible to the 21st century, a revelation of where we might travel if we have the moral imagination and the courage to choose and act wisely."
--Matthew Fox, educator and theologian, author of Original Blessing and A New Reformation
"If you read only one book on how to address the looming ecological and social crises facing humanity, make it this one! Korten fearlessly grapples with 'the big picture' and goes beyond merely diagnosing the problem (which he does with great precision), as he outlines a positive and realistic plan for actually creating a just and sustainable global society."
--David Cobb, 2004 Green Party United States Presidential Candidate
"Korten has done it again--created a masterpiece of big thinking to help us find our way in this death-or-life historical moment. With fascinating analogies, intriguing stories, and eloquent analysis, Korten engages and emboldens us to believe that we can trust and cultivate the best in our- selves and, despite the lateness of the hour, choose life."
--Frances Moore Lappé, author of Hope's Edge and Democracy
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