Invisible Walls: Why We Ignore the Damage We Inflict on the Planet . . . and Ourselves [Paperback]

Peter Seidel (Author), Lester Brown (Foreword), Ervin Laszlo (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

Our wants for food, housing, medicine, transportation, luxuries, and all the other benefits of industrialisation have resulted in the exploitation of our natural surroundings. We know our actions affect the physical world we depend on, so why must we be faced with catastrophic problems - overpopulation, the loss of bio-diversity, global warming, and the like - before we act to protect the planet's ecosystem - and then often inadequately?With astute analysis Peter Seidel explores the complex convergence of psychological, social, economic, and political factors that keep us from acting in our own self-interest. An environmental and human relations visionary, Seidel proposes adoption of a new "world model", a "universal ethic" and long-term societal goals. Educators and journalists must give us a better understanding of ourselves - creatures evolved to function in a hunter-gatherer society, not in the complex, hazardous world we have created. We must learn to use our minds to control our primitive drives rather than to satisfy them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is remarkable... [It] might well lead to the turnaround in public awareness and attitudes that are needed to lead mankind to its survival in the coming century." -- John H Herz, Graduate School, City College of New York

From the Publisher

"This book is remarkable...[It] might well lead to the turn-around in public awareness and attitudes that is needed to lead mankind to its survival in the coming century."--John H. Herz, professor emeritus, political science, Graduate School, City College of New York

"A huge achievement!...Provocative and well researched...[Invisible Walls] describes the limits of our brains, our conventional ways of thinking, and our institutions, none of which are well equipped to deal with the world they have created. It proposes creative, thoughtful solutions."--David F. Ricks, professor emeritus, University of Cincinnati (psychology)

"A must read...This well-written book is filled with fascinating facts and ideas that make it hard to put down."--Donald Mann, president, Negative Population Growth

"Wonderful book! I sat right down and read it. Seidel is to be congratulated for doing some important thinking."--Richard D. Lamm, former governor of Colorado

"This is a wonderful book...[that should be read] by all the makers, planners, and politicians...to turn them into what they actually should be: the positive elite which the world so urgently needs. I believe that Peter Seidel's book will be an important contribution to the mastering of the human problems of the near future."--Rudolf A. Treumann, senior researcher, Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (geophysics)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1st edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573928992
• ISBN-13: 978-1573928991
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,551,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is must reading for all who care about our future., January 4, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Walls: Why We Ignore the Damage We Inflict on the Planet--And Ourselves (Hardcover)

Five hundred years from now this book will be revered as one of the most important publications of our time. Or it will be discovered by an advanced faraway civilization that will read it and come to the conclusion that it was truly a pity that our unique civilization didn't survive; especially since a man (Peter Seidel) had modestly offered solutions for some of our most pressing problems and was, unfortunately, ignored. By no means are the solutions offered modest. But the gargantuan effort on the part of a modest man demands to be acknowledged by a greatful public. In no other work of its kind does an author attempt, as Seidel does, to integrate important information from a variety of fields and cogently present them to his reading public with such clarity and vision. This is not an easy book to read. I don't mean that the writing is terribly turgid or dull. On the contrary, except in the beginning where the author feels his way into an acceptable style of expression, this book is written for the lay person. Every word and combinations of words, every sentence and combinatioins of sentences are very easy to read. The meaning of those sentences, however, is not always easy to digest. The problem is that Seidel poses some formidable moral dilemas regarding humankind's stewardship of this planet. It is in that sense an uncomfortable book. And probably the reason why it won't be a best seller and will eventually be discovered by that faraway advanced civilization mentioned above. As a filmmaker/teacher I am expecially interested in Seidel's critique of the media in modern society and the role the media plays in perpetuating behavior on the part of the public which renders them inactive, comatose, lobotomized and generally incapable of dealing with important issues -- like the survival of the species and planet. We all want to be entertained and therein lies the crux of the issue. We all feel a little numb, a little dull as vast institutions and agencies move toward us with seemingly benign intentions. It's just that we all feel a little duller, a little less human. And most importantly, we are all rendered less capable of powerful emotions such as moral indignation at acts of injustice, greed and selfdestruction. Although much in the book gives us cause to be depressed, it is surprisingly a very hopeful book. It offers suggestions and courses of action to turn things around. It appeals to the best in us, to the highest aspirations that humans have and the author is modest and humble in suggesting solutions. Seidel is no "expert" . He is rather someone who cares. And if you care, you should order ten copies and pass them out to schools, libraries, friends and strangers. That's what I'm doing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People all over the world have to think about those problem, March 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Invisible Walls: Why We Ignore the Damage We Inflict on the Planet--And Ourselves (Hardcover)

The book has pointed out some problems which definitely will affect our future on the poor Earth. Chinese people should pay more attention on those problems, because overpopulation and overusing resources would ruin our homeland and slow down economic development. I appreciate the book that can help more people to realize the severity of those difficulties,and encourage people to struggle with those ugly things in the world.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening thinking on the human-environment relationships, December 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Invisible Walls: Why We Ignore the Damage We Inflict on the Planet--And Ourselves (Hardcover)

Peter Seidel's refreshing thinking on the human-environment relationships makes the 'invisible walls' that block up our way to a sustainable world visible. These 'walls' are the limits of our brain in learning the environment, the ways we have conventionally thought about and treated the nature, and the structures in which our societies have been organized. In addition to warning us the existance and the threats of the 'walls', Seidel offers us solutions to overcome the 'walls' emphasizing the importance of the responsible actions of individuals, social groups, and governments. The Invisible Walls is an excellent book with full of insights. I highly recommend it. The book should also be made available in other languages, given the global scope of the issue discussed.