Books and Media
 Recommended
for planet brain ...
The star ratings are our recommendations. If it doesn't
have a rating, we haven't read it, but you can read reviews at amazon.
Body
Exercise and Nutrition
 The
Bloodless Revolution by Tristram Stuart. An enjoyable read.
It is surpising to learn of the luminaries from Bacon to Newton to Rousseau
to Einstein that strongly advocated a softer lifestyle based on yogic
principles. Their various rationales for their unwillingness to
kill for food is surpisingly broad, covering science and philosophy, including
Christian rationalisation. An entertaining look back at the
history of enlightenment. amazon.com amazon.co.uk
Living
Hydraulic Ram Pumps: A Guide to Ram Pump Water Supply Systems
by the Technology Development Group of Warwick University. A valuable
primer on ram pumps and building water supply systems. amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
Protecting Cows: Handbook of the Principles and Practices of
Vegetarian Cow Husbandry by Stuart Coyle An unusual presentation
of cow husbandry hindu style. Could provide more technical information.
Good for yoga aficionados. amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
Mind
Self-help
The
Use of Lateral Thinking. Edward DeBono's inroductrion to lateral
thinking. A must read book by the leader in the field. amazon.com amazon.co.uk
Mind
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman amazon.com amazon.co.uk
Emergence: The Shift from Ego to Essence by Barbara Marx
Hubbard A passionate exposition of the challenge and opportunity facing
humans today - the challenge of industrial pollution killing the biosphere
and the opportunity to use the critical mass of technology (of body mind
and spirit) to clean up the planet while maintaining lifestyles. amazon.co.uk
The
Biosphere and Noosphere Reader, ed. P. R. Samson and D Pitt,
foreword M . S. Gorbachev - Pretty intense but covers a lot of ground
by many leading thinkers. Worth a browse. And then the www! amazon.co.uk
Cradle to Cradle:
Renaking the way we make things by Michael Braungart and Bill
McDonough A must read. Super description of natural design
principles in a fun and easy to read book. Why waste most of what
we produce, why throw it out after use. Instead design products
so that they are part of natural cycles of renewal. Biological nutrients
for teh compost heap, technical nutrients for the factory. amazon.co.uk
Intelligence
in Nature by Jeremy Narby. Very readable story of Narby's anthropological
search for intelligence in life other than humans. amazon.co.uk
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence A first
hand account of the second world war in the middle east. The descriptions
and understanding of arab history and culture remain enlightening today.
amazon.co.uk
Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to Another by Philip Ball A broadranging scientific discussion reputed to be more enlightening than Taleb's Black Swan amazon.com amazon.co.uk
Freakonomics
by Steven D. Levitt,
Stephen J. Dubner A unusual perspective on economics aiding
critical thinking, especially if you're lost in theory. amazon.com amazon.co.uk
Mind
Business, Entrepreneur
Maverick!
by Ricardo Semler A must read for an entrepreneur or business coach
exploring open management systems. Semler's story of transforming
a traditional company, in a mature industry with a atraditional culture
in to an open company, with open management and culture resulting in
much greater flexibility and profitability is an example to be
emulated. amazon.co.uk amazon.com
The Hungry Spirit by Charles Handy is a must read for
anyone in business. An easy read, Handy tells a convincing story based
great intellect and multiple career experience. amazon.co.uk
The Corporation (a film, DVD version linked here) Excellent
exposee of teh degeneration of values in the US corporation. Must see
viewing for capitalists and anti-capitalists. amazon.co.uk
The Modern Firm. John Roberts discusses some key
lessons of organisational design. Many of the lessons may appear
to be common sense but what Roberts helps to do is to show that there
are many variables which ought to be considered in designing company strategy
and organisation. He advocates a whole system, integral approach
which is appropriate in today's world. His examples are from leading
companies which have made and avoided mistakes. amazon.co.uk
And
It Tastes Just Like Chicken. Read it like it is - what marketing
is all about. Not a text book but a great guide to the world of marketing.
amazon.co.uk
 Ben
and Jerry's: The Inside Scoop - How Two Real Guys Built a Business With
a Social Conscience and a Sense of Humour by Fred "Chico" Lager.
The title says it all; a real story about people really making a difference.
And good business too! amazon.co.uk
Mind
Finance & Investment
Fundamentals
of Corporate Finance by Brearley et al. One of the standard finance
texts. Worth attempting, or the one below. amazon.co.uk
Fundamentals
of Corporate Finance by Ross, Westerfield, Jordan. One of the
standard finance texts. Worth attempting or the one above. amazon.co.uk
Analysis For Financial Management by Robert Higgins.
An excellent read. Get this one first. Though also complimentary to the
two textbooks above. amazon.co.uk
Walking
The Talk:The Business Case For Sustainable Development by Schmidheiney
at al. Another excellent text from teh World Business Council For Sustainable
Development. Packed with examples of profiting from sustainability from
leading global companies. amazon.co.uk
Eat
The Rich, A Treatise on Economics by P. J. O'Rourke Despite its
title this is a very friendly read. The Irish American working for Rolling
Stone Magazine as Financial Editor brings sense and reality to Economics.
Painting pictures of a dozen or so countries and their economic environments
and discussing policy implications using tea room vocabualry. amazon.co.uk
Merchants
of Debt: KKR and the Mortgaging of American Business by George
Anders Gives a good account of the LBO era and the story of how KKR became
KKR. A history worth knowing with some good insights to the world of leverged
finance. Read this before Barbarians At The Gate. amazon.co.uk
Against
The Gods, The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein. One
of Bernstein's best. An excellent companion to understanding risk and
probability. Useful stories that paint a realistic picture of the odds
faced in life. Well written and surprisingly readable for a fairly demanding
subject. amazon.co.uk
Mind
Politics
Kevin Phillips, American Dynasty - How
The Bush Clan Became The World's Most Powerful And Dangerous Family.
Avoids conspiracy theory and makes for unnerving political documentary
by a Republican political thinker who has been turned off the GOP in the
last decade. The level of corruption documented is shocking. amazon.co.uk
Spirit
Bioethics, Philosophy, Political Ethics
Author Peter Singer is a leading example
of critical thinking applied to morality and ethics. Anyone responsible
for ethics, exclusively or as part of their job or business, should be
familiar with the concepts he presents, especially speciesism and ethics
of euthanasia. Can be disturbing. Excellent writer and role model.
Peter
Singer, Writings on an Ethical Life: Valuable selection of chapters
from Peter Singer's writings over the past three decades. 2001 Excellent.
amazon.co.uk
Peter
Singer, Rethinking Life And Death: Presents clearly the rationale
for evolving modern culture of bioethics and morality of death. Draws
on case studies including anencephalic infants and euthanasia, and presents
the immorality of speciesism, showing changes in culture and law in recent
decades. 1994 amazon.co.uk
George
Monbiot, The Age of Consent; A Manifesto For A New World Order:
A critique of institutions of global management, a call for change and
presentation of possible systems that might evolve to satisfy the tensions
of globalisation. A firmer grasp of economics would make this manifesto
more universally applicable. 2003 He is a columnist for the Guardian,
a visiting professor and author. www.monbiot.com
amazon.co.uk
Charles
Derber, People Before Profit: The New Globalisation in an age of Terror,
Big Money and Economic Crisis: A useful critique of some of the modern
challenges of resource allocation, trade, greed and fear. Unfortunately
the author avoids discussion of some essential aspects, like religion,
and has a modest grasp of economics which leaves gaps in logic that are
filled by passion only. 2002 amazon.co.uk
Naomi
Klein, No Logo: a classic "anti-globalisation" piece. It raises
western consumers attention to the unethical behavious by monopolists
(like Microsoft in the 1990s) and industry in developing environments.
Unfortunately, the book puts the blame for consumer behaviour on everyone
except the consumers, who ultimately demand this behaviour by choosing
low cost options rather than sustainable options. amazon.co.uk
Spirit
Spirituality
Earth Magic by Margaret McArthur A passion for nature
and sensing the natural rythms of the earth. Based on pagan spirituality
this is a pleasant read and non-prescriptive encouragement for feeling
nature. amazon.co.uk
God's Debris, A Thought Experiment by Scott Adams. A
good story which builds a useful perception of what god could be. Addresses
many of the traditional paradoxes of religion like "a good god that allows
suffering". amazon.co.uk
Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts Additional reading for those
with particular interest in paganism and occult spirituality. A useful
encyclopaedic presentation of Gurdieff's ideas which are a bridge between
eastern spirituality and western culture. Gurdieff's ideas are critically
thought but suffer from a technology gap which has been filled since his
work in the 1920s Good homework. amazon.co.uk
In Search of the Miraculous by P. D. Ouspensky A biographical
sketch of Gurdieff and his teachings by one of his early adopters. Worthwhile
background on Gurdieff and his times, though tinged with Ouspensky's views.
amazon.co.uk
The God Delusion by Richard
Dawkins The much debated book which doesn't sway committed
Christians and adds little for atheists, but if you're making up your
mind, will certainly stimulate. (In our view Dawkins' liability
is that he discounts the spiritual dimension of existence, but his
thesis is an important step towards enlightenment.) amazon.co.uk
Spirit
Big Picture
Terry
Pratchett, The Science of Discworld written in
conjunction with eminent scientists Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. A synthesis
of the science of the universe touching biology, nanotechnology, astrophysics.
Clearly presents complex ideas which are presented in parallel with a
Discworld story that offers humour and fantasy and acts as a foil to the
story of the science. Excellent. Pratchett is the best selling author
of our era. amazon.co.uk
Terry
Pratchett, The Science of
Discworld 2, written in conjunction with eminent scientists
Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. Presents a synthesis of humanity, interspersed
with a Discworld story like The Science of Discworld (1). Touches science
and culture including evolution, memes, language and information technology
(especially in the context of story telling). Excellent. Pratchett is
the best selling author of our era. amazon.co.uk
Darwin's
Watch by Terry Pratchett - the Science of Discworld III. Even
better than the first two. Very advanced ideas dealing with space-time,
consciousness, emergence etc. Fortunately Pratchett's style takes off
some of the pressure, but do not be misled - mental agility is required!
amazon.co.uk
The
Idea of Nature by R. G. Collingwood. An excellent discussion
of the philosophy from Socrates to 1940ish - the divergence and remerging
of the understanding that all is one, transcendant and immanent at once.
Ahead of his time he was already using the language of emergence and consciousness
in 1940. Should be required reading in any general philosophy course.
amazon.co.uk
The
Tao of Physics by Frijtof Capra Originally written
in 1974 it brings together consciousness and quantum physics. Now beginning
to become mainstream. Ahead of his time. You must read this book. amazon.co.uk
Robert
Wright, Non-Zero; The Logic of Human Destiny: A comprehensive
treatise on the positive nature of humanity. It introduces and ties together
perspectives on biological, social and economic evolution. He has written
for The Economist so you can imagine that its good quality and packed
in. It presents a logical rationale that human evolution tends to creativity,
sustainability and care rather than destruction, confrontation and control.
amazon.co.uk
Edited by Howard Didsbury, 21st Century Opportunities and
Challenges; An Age of Destruction or and Age of Transformation: Essays
assessing scientific and technological innovations compiled by the World
Future Society for the 2003 annual meeting. Something of interest and
use to most readers including areas like economics, nanotechnology, security
and enforcement, education. amazon.co.uk
Edited by Norman Myers, The Gaia Atlas of Planet Management: Required
reading for a colourful, clear depiction of the tensions experienced by
the biosphere and the human causes. amazon.co.uk
Imagination
Reaperman by Terry Pratchett Another great story by Pratchett.
But his investigation and discussion of death is superior. Would
you wish the death of Death? amazon.co.uk
Pyramids
by Terry Pratchett. The first time I read this I enjoyed it at two levels,
the story itself and the parody of human behaviour. The second time (15
years later) the third level became apparent - the insights into quantum
physics and space-time phenomena! Brilliant. amazon.co.uk
Witches Abroad by Terry
Pratchett is listed here just because its good - one of his best. amazon.co.uk
A
Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett. amazon.co.uk
The Discworld Series
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