Synopses & Reviews
When Duane Elgin's classic bestseller, Voluntary Simplicity, was published in 1981, it transformed the lives of thousands and was hailed as the "bible" of the simplicity movement by the Wall Street Journal. Now, for anyone seeking to navigate today's profoundly changing world, Promise Ahead is the powerful sequel to a road map for securing a promising future.
Synopsis
The sequel to Duane Elgin's bestselling classic Voluntary Simplicity, which changed the lives of thousands and was called the "bible" of the simplicity movement by the Wall Street Journal, Promise Ahead looks beneath the headlines to reveal the deeper currents now changing our lives.
Elgin sees two powerful sets of trends converging in the coming decades. The first set he calls "adversity trends." These include
1. Global climate changes that threaten our food supply
2. Massive human population
3. Mass extinction of species
4. Rapid depletion of crucial natural resources
5. Civil unrest caused by global poverty.
The second set he calls "opportunity trends." These include
1. Recognition of the universe as a living system
2. The quiet revolution toward simpler ways of living
3. Use of the Internet as a tool for social awareness and change
4. Growing efforts toward reconciliation of racial, gender, religious, and other differences
If we meet these unprecedented challenges, we can make a dramatic leap in our evolutionary journey and will have a very promising future.
About the Author
Duane Elgin is an author, speaker, evolutionary activist, and internet entrepreneur. Author of Voluntary Simplicity, Promise Ahead and Awakening Earth, he is a former senior social scientist at SRI International, where he coauthored numerous studies on the long-range future for the Environmental Protection Agency, the president's science advisor, and the National Science Foundation. Prior to SRI, Elgin worked as a senior staff member for the National Commission on Population Growth and the American Future. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an MA in economic history from the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.