Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World

From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Salatin has many thoughts on what normal is and shares practical and philosophical ideas for changing our lives in small ways that have big impact.

Salatin, hailed by the New York Times as Virginia's most multifaceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson and] the high priest of the pasture and profiled in the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. and the bestselling book The Omnivore's Dilemma, understands what food should be: Wholesome, seasonal, raised naturally, procured locally, prepared lovingly, and eaten with a profound reverence for the circle of life. And his message doesn't stop there. From child-rearing, to creating quality family time, to respecting the environment, Salatin writes with a wicked sense of humor and true storyteller's knack for the revealing anecdote.

Salatin's crucial message and distinctive voice--practical, provocative, scientific, and down-home philosophical in equal measure--make FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL a must-read book.

"Salatin, an experienced farmer notable for cameos in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and the documentary, Food Inc., contributes a convincing group of essays about the way we fail ourselves and the environment through industrial monoculture farming. Dedicated to producing real food for a local market, much of his written work (he has self-published seven books, including Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal) is concerned with nonsensical government regulations and this book is no exception. Topics range from child-rearing to the importance of herbivores in farming and food cycles; readers will learn more about excrement than they ever cared to know. Perhaps the biggest question threading the collection is one Salatin asks himself: Is this way of living 'normal' or anachronistic? Most readers will reach mixed conclusions, but likely feel compelled to make a few lifestyle changes following what he preaches — his handy bullet points for action at each chapter's end make it easy to try. Liberals and conservatives alike will find things to love and hate from this self-described 'Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic,' but that makes this book all the more fun and challenging. (Oct.)   Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World Michael Lewis Norton, .95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-393-08181-7 Essentially an offbeat travelogue, Lewis's latest examines the recent global financial crisis by visiting the locales that have faltered beyond reasonable expectation. Though journalistic, there is a distinctly anthropological approach to vivid depictions of how particular cultural values contributed to such a bizarre, devastating series of events. In his dynamic narrative, Lewis simplifies complex financial systems without condescension, applies a degree of rationality to absurd decisions, and presents key individuals' profiles without denigration. Dark, deadpan humor is injected throughout: Iceland as a nation of fishermen-cum-hedge fund managers with 'no idea what they were doing'; Greece's 'fantastic mess' of scandalous monasteries, tax-evasion and top-down corruption; Ireland's busted banks and stratospheric losses debilitating a now 'distinctly third world' country. Germany is singled-out for its 'preternatural love of rules' and naiveté regarding the so-called 'riskless asset' while California tops the list of 'America's scariest financial places' following their ratings downgrade and piling debts. Easily devoured in one sitting, Lewis (Moneyball) manages to gracefully explain what happened with a unique regard for both the strengths and weaknesses of humankind. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.