Soil and Soul [Hardcover]

Alastair McIntosh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2001

It is easy to feel helpless in the face of the torrent of information about environmental catastrophes taking place all over the world. In Soil and Soul, Scottish activist and academic Alastair McIntosh shows how it is still possible for individuals to take on the might of corporate power and emerge victorious. Alastair's beliefs are rooted in his upbringing on the Isle of Lewis. In the first part of his book he explores the ways in which the old way of life in the Hebrides was threatened with extinction by global capitalism; he does not advocate a return to some kind of preindustrial golden age, but balances the gains of modernity against what has been lost - in particular the disintegration of communities governed by a sense of mutual responsibility. The second part of the book demonstrates how Alastair's principles of community empowerment can be successfully put into practice. Working closely with the inhabitants of the Isle of Eigg, Alastair was partly responsible for the first-known case in which Scottish tenants cleared a laird from his own estate. The people of Eigg raised sufficient funds to purchase their island from their landlord, very much against his will, thus galvanizing public demands for widespread land reform in Scotland. Plans to turn a Hebridean mountain into a superquarry were overturned after Alastair persuaded Native American War Chief Sulian Stone Eagle Herney to come to Scotland and testify at the public enquiry. This extraordinary book incorporates theology, economics, ecology, history and politics as the author journeys towards a radical new philosophy of place. The daring and imaginative responses to the destruction of the natural world he describes make this an uplifting, empowering and inspirational read.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a world-changing book, one of the most important I have ever read, which will transform our perception of ourselves, our history and our surroundings'

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd (October 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1854108026
• ISBN-13: 978-1854108029
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,739,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much needed, March 25, 2003

By 

Gordon A. FitzGerald (Clinton, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Soil and Soul: People Versus Corporate Power (Paperback)

Written by a Scotsman from the Isle of Harris. It goes into how it's been possible for local people over the world to lose their land to corporations and the ultra-rich. It links disposessed Scots to Native Americans and Pacific Islanders. It suggests how Western civilization has been able to view the planet as a non-living thing to be used up- and gives hope that we may once more view our home as alive, with us a part of its life, not its destroyer. Anecdotes, funny stories, myths, music, and poetry- this guy must be quite a character.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth dedicating a week of your life to reading, May 19, 2007

By 

Todd J. Levasseur - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soil and Soul: People Versus Corporate Power (Paperback)

I am getting a PhD in 'Religion and Nature,' and McIntosh's book is one of the 5 best books that I have ever read on the topics of environmentalism, cultural criticism, and spirituality. His writing style is poetic and lucid, his stories entertaining, and his message needed. Without a doubt a book to read and pass on to others.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enchanting Reality, November 9, 2011

By 

Jeff Sanders - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Soil and Soul: People Versus Corporate Power (Paperback)

I am half way through the book and it has been a journey. I have found this book while seeking a place in the world and it has opened my eyes to more important questions of who we are and what this world is like. Narrative is arresting and the poetry is a springboard to further explore the presented topics and themes. This book has been a steady mentor and steadfast companion as we come to grips with the realities we have destroyed and created and consider where we go from here.