Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind (Paperback)

~ (Editor), Mary E. Gomes (Editor), Allen D. Kanner (Editor), Lester R. Brown (Foreword), James Hillman (Foreword) "When we think of environmentalism, we call to mind a vast, worldwide movement that deals in imponderably complex social and economic issues on the largest..." (more)
Key Phrases: consumer false self, ecopsychological perspective, fractal consciousness, New York, United States, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This pathfinding collection--by premier psychotherapists, thinkers, and eco-activists in the field--shows how the health of the planet is inextricably linked to the psychological health of humanity, individually and collectively. It is sure to become a definitive work for the ecopsychology movement. Forewords by Lester O. Brown and James Hillman.

From the Publisher

"A breakthrough book. It makes crystal clear that the natural world is not just an `environment' around us, but it is us, existing inside our souls and minds."--Jerry Mander

"A very exciting book of enormous interest for everyone concerned with the future of our species--environmentalists and legislators, industrialists and educators, you and me. Its message should become part of Western thought."--Jane Goodall

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 366 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books; 1 edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871564068
• ISBN-13: 978-0871564061
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,824 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #29 in

  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Conservation > Environmentalism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It will open your eyes, heart,and mind, February 3, 2000

By	Tom Tom "Tom" (Arizona USA) - See all my reviews

Page 12, "if the self is expanded to include the natural world, behavior leading to the destruction of this world will be experienced as self-destruction". I think I have been somewhat of an ecopsychologist for some time now, but haven't realized it. This book brought to an organized sense, ideas, thoughts and feelings I already had. More importantly it introduced me to MANY new insights and thoughts about our planet and how we view it and treat it as NOT ME, when in fact, not only is it part of ME, but moreso, we are part of it. This is a very comprehensive book that takes us from theory, into practice, then to cultural and political issues, and onward with over 150 titles of suggested reading. Ecopsychology is a growing somewhat underground movement, a movement however, that many believe will come to fruition in this day and age of our concrete jungles, addiction to science and technology, and our general detachment from our original mother, the Earth. There are approximately 25 contributors to this book, a few, I must admit offer very dry reading. Overall however, this is one of the most enlightening books I have read. If you have even a general interest in Nature or Psychology, you would enjoy this book.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother Earth Indeed!, January 9, 2000

By A Customer

This book has provided me with a greater scope of how we are affected by the Earth and how we affect it. I am sad to see it is out of print, because the information it presents is vital for the future of us and our planet. I intend to pass on this book to friends and relatives to make them aware of the spiritual power that becoming more acquainted with the Earth provides. I feel like in this day and age we seemed to have lost interest and respect for our surroundings and our roots. What this book tries to do is get us back to those roots to get a deeper understanding of life, which, I'm sure, many of us have often wondered about. It celebrates the mystery, wildness and beauty that nature holds.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars still the classic, December 22, 2001

By	Craig Chalquist, PhD, author of TERRAPSYCHOLO... (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Assembled here are some of the leading lights of ecopsychology, with papers and excerpts from the books they've written: Roszak himself, Aizenstat, Hillman, Gomes, Glendinning, and on and on. A rare collection of important voices.

The idea of ecopsychology is to open up awareness to the unheard voice of the Earth. "Animism" is a 19th century assumption that assumes the world lives only to the degree we project into it. The authors here realize that animism is a reductionistic and outdated concept that only serves to justify the ongoing rape and dematerialization of the natural world--a world that in fact projects her presence into those of us who can learn to hear her.

This is not a back-to-nature project but a necessity if we are to preserve what's left of the Earth from our greed, haste, and the global warming of the psyche endemic to a society of rapacious and immature consumers too bent on private advantage to do what our ancestors did for a million years of history and prehistory: recognize and respect her personhood. And today, we can do so with all our critical faculties intact and a bit of help from green technics.