Ecovillages: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Communities (Paperback)

by Jan Martin Bang (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ecovillages have arisen around the world in response to the social fragmentation of modern life and its alienation from nature. They provide a variety of ways of living in community with others and with nature and are linked worldwide through the Global Ecovillage Network. While interest in this approach to sustainable living is rapidly increasing, there is relatively little literature on the topic and none that brings the design principles of permaculture to bear on the successful design of these communities.

Ecovillages explores the new departures in personal, social, and ecological living represented by this phenomenon. This book explores the background and history to the ecovillages movement and provides a comprehensive manual for planning, establishing, and maintaining a sustainable community using a permaculture approach. Aspects discussed include:

Tools for social design
Leadership and conflict management
House design and building techniques
Gardening, farming, and food production
Water and sewage
Energy and heat sources
Alternative economics

Featured throughout the book are full-color case studies-or "living examples"-of successful ecovillages ranging from kibbutz to camphill communities and from as far afield as Australia, Israel, Europe, and the United States. Each example includes data on its location, date of founding, number of residents, and spiritual or ideological affiliation, the photographs bringing to life the special characteristics of the particular community.

Packed with tips, useful insights, sage advice, and a compendium of resources, Ecovillages will appeal to a broad range of people interested in living in community-or planning to do so.

Jan Martin Bang has spent a lifetime working in alternative communities, ranging from the kibbutz in Israel to his present home in the camphill community of Solborg in Norway. He leads training and development for new ecovillage projects around the world.

About the Author
Jan Martin Bang has spent a lifetime working in alternative communities ranging from the kibbutz in Israel to his present home in the Camphill community of Solborg in Norway. He leads training and development for new ecovillage projects around the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: New Society Publishers (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865715386
• ISBN-13: 978-0865715387
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #793,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with practical applications; not just theory, January 2, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

There's long been a movement towards living in community with others as an alternative to the nuclear family model, but in modern times 'ecovillages' have emerged around the world, adding attention to sustainability and social interactions to the model. Ecovillages explores these developments, opening with a history of the movement and progressing to include a practical manual for planning and maintaining a sustainable community using permaculture as a foundation. From house design and building options to farming and handling sewage and energy sources, Ecovillages is packed with practical applications; not just theory.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not practical at all, June 15, 2008

By	José Ignacio Castro "kamazeuci" (Pucón, Chile) - See all my reviews

Although this is a very interesting book that cointains info that may be very valuable for some people, it is not what it promises to be. It says "A Practical Guide to Sustainable Communities", but, as the author explains in the foreword, the initial idea for the book changed on the way while he was writing it.

If you are somebody who whats to build an Ecovillage, who wants practical advice about others experience, get Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities instead.

If you just want a nice magazine-style book for a tour visiting many of the more succesfull ecovillage experiences in the world, this is a great book.

I just give 2 stars because the subtitle "practical guide" is misleading. If it not were for it, I would give it 3 and a half.

8 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not at all what I thought it would be....oh well., March 20, 2006

By	El Jefe (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This book offered nothing new or enlightening about sustainable living. However, if you are looking for a book on hippie communes (i.e. communal living), than this is the book for you. That about covers it.