Title: A New Reality
Authors: Jonas and Jonathan Salk
Publisher: City Point Press (June 26, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1947951041
ISBN-13: 9782947951044
Purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich
This is an important and though-provoking book. It sets out a rationale for the kind of life I have advocated for during the past 45 years: cooperative; in dynamic, sustainable balance with the environment; seeking win-win solutions through consensus; valuing wellbeing.
I think the concepts of A New Reality need to be understood by the decision-makers of our times, including politicians and the heads of large corporations.
A particularly valuable aspect is that our current world of conflict is explained. We need to understand it in order to transform society.
At the same time, I find it to be completely unrealistic. Like almost all projections from the past to the future, it fails to take into account the fact that we are past the tipping point. The actions that lead to catastrophe are in our past, and we are seeing their consequences unfold, right now.
Current estimates of extinction rates are 1000 times the “background rate.” If Salk and Salk are right and there is a distant future for humanity, their archeologists will probably consider us to be the plasticoferous era. We live on Poison Planet, which is driving a wide range of illnesses, and increases death and suffering.
I wish I could share the authors’ hope. I read the book wishing they could convince me. But certainly while the rulers of humanity are those most to gain from using the rules of the past, there will be great difficulty in transitioning to the rules necessary to have a future.
However, I return to the start. This is a wonderful book, inspirational, simple and logical. It should be necessary reading for everyone.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Dr. Bob Rich has studied futurology (predictions based on current trends) since 1972. He started because he had young children at the time, and wanted to see the world waiting for them. The results were horrifying: he predicted today’s world. If you are interested about out future, check out his blog, Bobbing Around https://bobrich18.wordpress.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobswriting. His mottoes are "Commit random acts of kindness" and "live simply so you may simply live."
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