Creating Sustainable Communities: the ethics of our time

Monday 20 October 2008

the ethics of our time - idolatry of what exactly?

I was looking at the front page of a daily newspaper earlier in the week and reflecting on the headline - 2 trillion pounds spent on rescuing the banking sector from collapse (Daily Telegraph 21/10/08). This equates to £280 per person on the entire planet.

It raises an interesting question. What do this serve? Does this action free the spirit and feed the hungry? Does it deepen our connection with the earth? Does it enhance species diversity? Or does it perpetuate the idolatry of money? Indeed, the worship of a false god.

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Readings

Alford, J. (1998), A public management road less traveled: clients as co-producers of public services. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 57 (4), 128-137. Alford, J. (2007), Engaging public sector clients: from service delivery to co-production. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Barnes, M., Harrison, S., Mort, M., Shardlow, P. and Wistow G. (1999), ‘The new management of community care: users groups, citizenship and co-production’ in G.Stoker, New Management of British Local Governance. Houndmills: Macmillan. Tony Bovaird (2007), “Beyond engagement and participation – user and community co-production of public services”, Public Administration Review, 67 (5): 846-860 (2007). Matthew Horne and Tom Shirley (2009), Co-production in public services: a new partnership with citizens. London: Cabinet Office. Roger Dunston, Alison Lee, David Boud, Pat Brodie and Mary Chiarella (2008), “ Co-Production and Health System Reform – From Re-Imagining To Re-Making”, Australian Journal of Public Administration, 68 (1): 39 – 52. Elke Löffler, Tony Bovaird, Salvador Parrado and Greg van Ryzin (2008), “If you want to go fast, walk alone. If you want to go far, walk together”: Citizens and the co-production of public services. Report to the EU Presidency. Paris: Ministry of Finance, Budget and Public Services. Brudney, J. and England, R. 1983. Towards a definition of the co-production concept. Public Administration Review, 43 (10), 59-65. Cahn, E.S. 2001. No More Throw-Away People: the Co-Production Imperative. Washington DC: Essential Books. Hyde, P. and Davies, H.T.O. 2004. Service design, culture and performance: collusion and co-production in health care. Human Relations, 57 (1), 1407–1426. Joshi, A. and Moore, M. 2003. Institutionalised Co-production: Unorthodox Public Service Delivery in Challenging Environments. Brighton: IDS. Kretzmann, J. and McKnight, J. 1993. Building Communities from the Inside-Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets. Lovelock, C. and Young, R.F. 1979. ‘Look to customers to increase productivity’, Harvard Business Review, 57 (May-June), 168-178. Needham, C. (2009), Co-production: an emerging evidence base for adult social care transformation. SCIE Research Briefing 31. London: Social Care Institute for Excellence. Richard Normann (1984), Service Management: Strategy and Leadership in the Service Business, John Wiley and Sons. Ostrom, E. 1996. Crossing the great divide: coproduction, synergy and development. World Development. 24 (6), 1073-87. Parks, R.B. et al. 1981. Consumers as coproducers of public services: some economic and institutional considerations. Policy Studies Journal, 9 (Summer), 1,001-11. Percy, S. 1984. Citizen participation in the co-production of urban services. Urban Affairs Quarterly, 19 (4), 431 – 446. Pestoff, V. and Brandsen, T. (2007), Co-production: the third sector and the delivery of public services. London: Routledge. Ramirez, R. 1999. ‘Value co-production: intellectual origins and implications for practice and research’, Strategic Management Journal, 20 (1), 49-65. Sharp, E. 1980. Towards a new understanding of urban services and citizen participation: the co-production concept. Midwest Review of Public Administration, 14, 105-118. Walker, P. 2002. Co-production. In Mayo, E. and Moore, H. (eds). Building the Mutual State: Findings from Virtual Thinktank. London: New Economics Foundation. Warren, R., Harlow, K.S. and Rosentraub, M.S. 1982. ‘Citizen participation in services: methodological and policy issues in co-production research’, Southwestern Review of Management and Economics,, 2: 41-55. Whitaker, G. 1980. Co-production: citizen participation in service delivery. Public Administration Review, 40, 240-246. Wickström, S. 1996. The customer as co-producer. European Journal of Marketing, 30(4):6-19. Zeleny, M. 1978. Towards Self-Service Society. New York: Columbia University Press.
Alistair McIntosh (2001) Soil and Soul. London. Aurum Pres
Angyal, A. (2003) Thomas Berry’s Earth Spirituality and the Great Work. Ecozoic Reader, 3,3,35-44
Atkinson, T., and Claxton, G. (eds)(2000) The Intuitive Practitioner. Buckingham. Open University Press
Atkinson, T., and Claxton, G. (eds)(2000) The Intuitive Practitioner. Buckingham. Open University Press Bertrand, Y., and Valois, P. (1980) Les options en education. Quebec. Ministere de l’education Binney, G., and Williams, C. (1995) Leaning into the future. London. Nicholas Brealey Publishing Bohm, D. (1996) 1996. On Dialogue. editor Lee Nichol. London. Routledge. Brown, L. (2002) Eco-economy. Building an economy for the earth. Washington. Earth policy institute. Capra, F. (2002) The hidden connections: a science for sustainable living. New York. Anchor books Clarke, P. (2000) Learning Schools, Learning Systems. London. Continuum. Clarke, P. (2001) Feeling compromised – the impact of the performance culture upon teachers. Improving Schools. Vol4 no1 23-32 Clarke, P. (2008) Education and Sustainability. Professional Development Today. Vol 11 no 1. Clarke, P. (2009a) Sustainability and Improvement: a problem of and for education. Improving Schools. Vol 12 no 1, 11-17 Clarke, P. (2009b) Community renaissance. To appear in Coates, M. (in press) Educational Futures. London. Continuum DuFour, R. (2004) Whatever it takes: How professional learning communities respond when kids don’t learn. Bloomington.NES Fallon, G., and Barnett, J. (2009) When is a learning community just a pseudo community? Towards the development of a notion of an authentic learning community. Paper presented at ICSEI, 5th January 2009, Vancouver, Canada Fielding, M. (2001) Taking education really seriously. London. Routledge. Handy, C.(1995) The empty raincoat. Making sense of the future. London. Hutchinson Business Harris, A. (2008) Distributed Leadership. London. Routledge Harrison, B. (1994) Lean and Mean. New York, Basic Books Jackson, D. and Temperley, J. (2007) From professional learning communities to networked learning community. In Stoll, L and Seashore, K. Professional Learning Communities. Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas. Berkshire. OUP Kelly, A. (2009) Education futures and schooling theory: adapting Sen’s early work on Capability to choice and sustainability. Personal correspondence Massey, A. (1998) The way we do things around here: the culture of ethnography. Paper presented at the Ethnography and Education Conference, Oxford University Department of Educational Studies (OUDES), 7-8 September, 1998 McIntosh, A. (2001) Soil and soul. London. Aurum Orr.D. (1994) Earth in Mind. Washington. Island Press Paqette, J and Fallon, G (in press) First nations educational policy: Moving beyond structural governance failure and crisis of purpose and values. In J.P.White (ed), Aboriginal Policy Research: Moving forward, Making a difference. Toronto. Ontario, Thompson Educational Publishing Putnam, R, D (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon and Schuster. Porritt, J. (2009) Living within our means: avoiding the ultimate recession. Forum for the future. London Roberts, S and Pruit, E.(2003) Schools as professional learning communities. California. Corwin Press Sarason, S. (1993) The predictable failure of educational reform: can we change course before its too late? San Francisco. Jossey-Bass Sachs, W.(1992) The Development Dictionary: A Guide to Knowledge as Power, London: Zed Books. Schein, E. (2004) Organisational culture and leadership. London. Wiley Scharmer, C.O. (2007) Cambridge, MA. Society for Organisational Learning Schwartz, D. (1997) Who Cares? Rediscovering Community, Boulder, CO: Westview. Sen. A. (1999) Development as Freedom. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Senge, P. (1990) The Fifth Discipline. The art and practice of the learning organsation. New York. Doubleday Senge, P., Scharmer, C.O., Jaworski, J., and Flowers, B. (2004) Prescence: Human purpose, and the field of the future. Cambridge, MA. Society for Organisational Learning Sennett, R. (1998) The corrosion of character. New York. WW Norton Soros, G. (2008) The new paradigm for financial markets. New York. Perseus Books Stoll, L., and Seashore, K. (eds) (2007)Professional learning communities. Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas. Berkshire. OUP Thrupp, M. and Willmott, R. (2003) Education Management in Managerialist Times. Maidenhead. Open University Press Watkins, C. (2005) Classrooms as learning communities. Abingdon. Routledge Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of practice. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press Whitehead, P. (2004) The Earthcare Manual. East Meaon. Permanent Publications Wrigley, T. (2001) What is the tune and who is the piper? Improving schools. Vol4no3 editorial Wrigley, T.(2005) Schools of Hope: A new agenda for school improvement. Stoke on Trent. Trentham Books
Bang, Jan Martin. Ecovillages: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Communities. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society, 2005.  Gilman, Robert and Diane. Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities: A Report for Gaia Trust. Denmark: Gaia Trust, 1991.
Benus, .J.M. (2008) Nature’s 100 best: Top biomimicry solutions to environmental crises. Bioneers 19th Annual Conference. San Rafael. CA. October 19, 2008, plenary address Capra, F. (2005) ‘Preface,’ in Ecological Literacy: Educating our Children for a Sustainable World. Ed. Stone, M and Zeno Clarke, P. (2009) Sustainability and Improvement: a problem of and for education. Improving Schools. Vol 12 no 1, 11-17 Clarke, P. (ongoing) www.sustainableretreat.blogspot.com McIntosh.A. (2008) Rekindling Community: Connecting people, environment and spirituality. Schumacher Briefings 15. Green Books. Bristol Sterling,S. (2001) Sustainable Education: Re-visioning learning and change. Schumacher Briefings 6. Green Books. Bristol Esbjorn-Hargens, S., and Zimmerman, M.E. (2009) Integral Ecology – Using Multiple Perspectives on the Natural World. Integral Books. Boston Illich, I. (1973) Tools for Conviviality. London. Open Books. Dalin, P., with Rolff, H (1993) Changing the school culture. London. Cassell Fullan, M. (1991) The New Meaning of Educational Change. London. Cassell
BIOMIMICRY READING LIST ARCHITECTURE Animal Architecture. Jennifer Owings Dewey. 1991. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. Animal Architecture. Karl von Frisch. 1974. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researchers around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. Wonders of Animal Architecture. Sigmund A. Lavine. 1964. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. BIOGAPHY Buckminster Fuller’s Universe. Lloyd Sieden. 1989. Explores Fuller’s examination of significant underlying principles in nature. BIOLOGY Color in Nature. Penelope Farrant. 1999. Explores color in nature, including astronomy, botany, geology, physics and zoology. Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. "Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researchers around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. " Life Itself: Exploring the Realm of the Living Cell. Boyce Rensberger. 1998. A digest of everything currently known about the mechanisms by which living cells perform their myriad of tasks. Natural Earth, Living Earth. Miranda Smith and Steve Parker. 1996. Full-color photography shows how living things interact with the functions and conditions of the earth. The Work of Nature: How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us. Yvonne Baskin, et al. 1997. Baskin examines the threats posed to humans by the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is much more than number of species -it includes the complexity, richness, and abundance of nature at all levels. BIOLOGY (GENERAL) Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997. Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. Exploring the Way Life Works: The Science of Biology. Mahlon B. Hoagland., et. Al. 2001. Comprehensive overview of the natural world from patterns in life to energy and evolution. Devoted to the wonder and unity of the natural world. The Hidden Powers of Animals. Carl P.N. Shuker. 2001. A fascinating look at the astonishing behavior and super-human abilities of animals, from kings of the jungle to household pets. This book reveals incredible truths about animals and their remarkable sensitivities, skills and strengths. The Way Nature Works. Ed. Jill Bailey. 1992. Drawing on a series of questions that children might ask, a team of scientists proposes answers in this manual for adult readers. They address large issues such as atmospheric phenomena, ecosystem relationships, and animal communication with brief essays, each well illustrated with charts, diagrams, and photographs. Weird Nature. John Downer. Firefly Books. 2002. Some of the most fantastic behaviors of real animals are explored in this beautifully illustrated companion volume to a BBC/Discovery Channel series. CHEMESTRY Biomineralization. Stephen Mann. 2002. Describes a new type of chemistry that brings together soft and hard material for the design of functionalized inorganic-organic materials. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. Paul T. Anastas, John Charles Warner. 2000. Overview of the design, development, and evaluation process central to green chemistry. Explores alternative solvents and catalysts, benign syntheses and biomimetic principles, among many other topics. CHILDREN'S BOOKS Animal Architecture. Jennifer Dewey. 1991. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. Natural Earth, Living Earth. Miranda Smith and Steve Parker. 1996. Full-color photography shows how living things interact with the functions and conditions of the earth. DESIGN Biologic: Environmental Protection by Design. David Wann. 1990. Guide to designing our way out of the environmental conundrum we are in by taking a system’s view of technology – asking, “how does it fit in?” Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997. . Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. Cat’s Paws and Catapults: Mechanical World of Nature and People. Steven Vogel. 1998. Investigates whether nature or human design is superior and why the two technologies have diverged so much. Deep Design: Pathways to a livable Future. David Wann. 1996. A new way of thinking about design by asking: “What is our ultimate goal?” The idea is to produce designs that are sensitive to living systems. Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. Design for the Real World, Human Ecology and Social Change. Victor Papanek. 1984. One of the world’s most widely read books on design. Author provides a blueprint for sensible, responsible design. Design in Nature: Learning from Trees. Claus Mattheck. 2004. Describes and verifies external shape laws in nature. Also explores self healing. Many optimization examples. Design Lessons from Nature. Benjamin De Brie Taylor. 1974. Describes strategies in the plant kingdom with some suggestions on their relationship to human designs.. Design with Nature. Ian L. McHarg. 1969. A blend of philosophy and science, author shows how humans can copy nature’s examples to design and build better structures. ECONOMICS/BUSINESS Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L.Hunter Lovins. 2000. Three top strategists show how leading-edge companies are practicing "a new type of industrialism" that is more efficient and profitable while saving the environment and creating jobs. Nature of Economies. Jane Jacobs. 2000. Dissects relationships between economics and ecology through a multilayered discourse around the fundamental premise that "human beings exist wholly within nature as part of a natural order." The Living Company. Arie de Geus. 1997. The author writes that "companies die because their managers focus on the economic activity of producing goods and services, and they forget that their organizations' true nature is that of a community of humans." He summarizes the components of the long¬lived company as sensitivity to the environment, cohesion and identity, tolerance and decentralization, and conservative financing. ENGINEERING Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies. Ed. Yoseph Bar-Cohen. 2005. Explores biological models useful to engineering and the challenges awaiting future research. Mechanical Design in Organisms. Stephen A. Wainwright. 1982. Surveys the mechanics of living systems and components of living systems. Interface between mechanical engineering and biology. Design Homology. David Offner. 1995. A mechanical engineering textbook that contrasts human designs with nature’s designs. Nature and Design. Ed M. W. Collins, et. Al. 2004. Comprehensive introduction to common scientific laws of both the natural world and engineered worlds. Features mathematics, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, biomimicry, mechanical engineering and history of science. EVOLUTION On Growth and Form: The Complete Revised Edition. D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. 1992. Classic work of biology and modern science sets forth seminal "theory of transformation"—that one species evolves into another not by successive minor changes in individual body parts but by large-scale transformations involving the body as a whole. Survival Strategies: Cooperation and Conflict in Animal Societies. Raghavendra Gadagkar. 1997 Why creatures great and small behave in such fascinating and seemingly perplexing ways is explained in this delightful account of the evolutionary foundations of animal social behavior. GENERAL SCIENCE Basic Nature. Andrew Scott. 2002. Fundamental concepts of modern science. Nature and Design. Ed M. W. Collins, et. Al. 2004. Comprehensive introduction to common scientific laws of both the natural world and engineered worlds. Features mathematics, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, biomimicry, mechanical engineering and history of science. A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bill Bryson. 2004. Covers everything from “primordial nothingness” to “ascendancy of Homo sapiens.” INNOVATION Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997. Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. Invention by Design. Henry Petroski. 1996. Philosophical and cultural study of the process of invention. Full of case studies in easy to read writing. Nature: Mother of Invention. Felix Paturi. 1976. The book provides an overview of bioinspiration, noting that scientists can learn from natural structures of all sizes and put their knowledge to use in a number of way, often by studying nature at the nanolevel, where the distinction between nature and human technology is often blurred. The Gecko’s Foot: Bioinspiration, Engineering New Materials and Devices from Nature. Peter Forbes. 2005. Presents technologists' pure research into nano-anatomy, followed by their applied and, as many entrepreneurs hope, commercial mimicry of nature's ingenuity. MATERIAL SCIENCE Biomimetic Materials Chemistry. Stephen Mann (Editor). 1995. Provides a unified, up-to date approach to the applications of biological concepts, products and processes in material research. Biomineralization. Stephen Mann. 2002. Describes a new type of chemistry that brings together soft and hard material for the design of functionalized inorganic-organic materials. Biomolecular Materials. Ed. Christopher Viney et al. Materials Research Society. Volume 292. 1992. Design of material synthesis, assembly, processing and physical optimization strategies based on examples from nature Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. Structural Biomaterials: (Revised Edition). Julian F.V. Vincent. 1990. The book presents a biologist's analysis of the structural materials of organisms, using molecular biology as a starting point. It is an excellent introduction to the field which attempts to stimulate interest in biomaterials. MATHEMATICS Life’s Other Secret: The New Mathematics of the Living World. Ian Stewart. 1999. Shows how mathematics can be used to describe the symmetry of the living world. Author argues that “life is a partnership between genes and mathematics.” The Sizesaurus: From Hectares to Decibels to calories, a Witty Compendium of Measurements. Stephen Strauss. 1995. Defines and explains all sorts of common and uncommon measures and scales, with lots of tables, illustrations and interesting examples, especially from nature. MECHANICS Exploring Biomechanics: Animals in Motion. R. McNeill Alexander. 1992. Explores a multitude of animals’ movement and how they’ve evolved mechanisms for efficiency. Life’s Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants. Steven Vogel, Rosemary Calvert. 1988. This is an entertaining and informative book that describes how living things bump up against non-biological reality. Life in Moving Fluids. Steven Vogel. 1996. This book is for biologists who want to come to the beginning of a quantitative understanding of a wide variety of adaptations, and for general readers who want to see how fluid mechanics work in a varied and often surprising context. Structural Biomaterials: (Revised Edition). Julian F.V. Vincent. 1990. The book presents a biologist's analysis of the structural materials of organisms, using molecular biology as a starting point. It is an excellent introduction to the field which attempts to stimulate interest in biomaterials. Structure, Form, Movement. Heinrich Hertel. 1963. Explores various means in which nature manifests structure, form, and movement. The Biomechanics of Insect Flight. Robert Dudley. 2002. Explores insect physiology, functional morphology, paleontology, aerodynamics, behavior and ecology. The book excels as a synthesis of all these fields, and as a unique source of information on the subject of insect flight as a whole. PATTERNS The Curves of Life. Theodore A. Cook. 1979 A well-thought-out examination of the function of the spiral, or helix, in both nature and art. Demonstrates how the spiral is fundamental to the structure of shells, leaves, horns, human body, drawings of Leonardo, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and more. The Power of Limits: Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art and Architecture. Gyorgy Doczi. 1981. The Power of Limits was inspired by the continuity of natural patterns. The book explores how certain proportions occur over and over and are also repeated in how things grow and are made. The Self-Made tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature. Philip Ball. 2001. This deep, beautiful exploration of the recurring patterns that we find both in the living and inanimate worlds will change how one thinks about everything from evolution to earthquakes The Shape of Life. Nancy Burnett. 2002. Based on the National Geographic -Sea Studios Foundation series seen on PBS. Every animal that ever lived fits into one of only eight basic body plans. Those basic forms have given rise billions of species of animals and continue to define the shape of life on Earth. SYSTEMS SCIENCE Buckminster Fuller’s Universe. Lloyd Steven Sieden. 1989. Explores Fuller’s examination of significant underlying principles in nature. Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants Brains, Cities, and Software. Steven Johnson. 2001. Details the development of increasingly complex and familiar behavior among simple components. GENERAL The sustainability revolution: portrait of a paradigm shift. Andres Edwards. 2005. Resilience thinking: sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Brian Walker. 2006. Life in Moving Fluids. Steven Vogel. 1996. Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins. 2000. Moveable Feasts: The Incredible Journeys of the Things We Eat. Sarah Murray. 2007. Resilience thinking: sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Brian Walker. 2006.
BIOMIMICRY READING LIST ARCHITECTURE Animal Architecture. Jennifer Owings Dewey. 1991. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. Animal Architecture. Karl von Frisch. 1974. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researchers around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. Wonders of Animal Architecture. Sigmund A. Lavine. 1964. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. BIOGAPHY Buckminster Fuller’s Universe. Lloyd Sieden. 1989. Explores Fuller’s examination of significant underlying principles in nature. BIOLOGY Color in Nature. Penelope Farrant. 1999. Explores color in nature, including astronomy, botany, geology, physics and zoology. Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. "Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researchers around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. " Life Itself: Exploring the Realm of the Living Cell. Boyce Rensberger. 1998. A digest of everything currently known about the mechanisms by which living cells perform their myriad of tasks. Natural Earth, Living Earth. Miranda Smith and Steve Parker. 1996. Full-color photography shows how living things interact with the functions and conditions of the earth. The Work of Nature: How the Diversity of Life Sustains Us. Yvonne Baskin, et al. 1997. Baskin examines the threats posed to humans by the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is much more than number of species -it includes the complexity, richness, and abundance of nature at all levels. BIOLOGY (GENERAL) Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997. Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. Exploring the Way Life Works: The Science of Biology. Mahlon B. Hoagland., et. Al. 2001. Comprehensive overview of the natural world from patterns in life to energy and evolution. Devoted to the wonder and unity of the natural world. The Hidden Powers of Animals. Carl P.N. Shuker. 2001. A fascinating look at the astonishing behavior and super-human abilities of animals, from kings of the jungle to household pets. This book reveals incredible truths about animals and their remarkable sensitivities, skills and strengths. The Way Nature Works. Ed. Jill Bailey. 1992. Drawing on a series of questions that children might ask, a team of scientists proposes answers in this manual for adult readers. They address large issues such as atmospheric phenomena, ecosystem relationships, and animal communication with brief essays, each well illustrated with charts, diagrams, and photographs. Weird Nature. John Downer. Firefly Books. 2002. Some of the most fantastic behaviors of real animals are explored in this beautifully illustrated companion volume to a BBC/Discovery Channel series. CHEMESTRY Biomineralization. Stephen Mann. 2002. Describes a new type of chemistry that brings together soft and hard material for the design of functionalized inorganic-organic materials. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. Paul T. Anastas, John Charles Warner. 2000. Overview of the design, development, and evaluation process central to green chemistry. Explores alternative solvents and catalysts, benign syntheses and biomimetic principles, among many other topics. CHILDREN'S BOOKS Animal Architecture. Jennifer Dewey. 1991. Examines how creatures like arthropods, vertebrates, birds, and rodents build their homes. Natural Earth, Living Earth. Miranda Smith and Steve Parker. 1996. Full-color photography shows how living things interact with the functions and conditions of the earth. DESIGN Biologic: Environmental Protection by Design. David Wann. 1990. Guide to designing our way out of the environmental conundrum we are in by taking a system’s view of technology – asking, “how does it fit in?” Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997. . Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. Cat’s Paws and Catapults: Mechanical World of Nature and People. Steven Vogel. 1998. Investigates whether nature or human design is superior and why the two technologies have diverged so much. Deep Design: Pathways to a livable Future. David Wann. 1996. A new way of thinking about design by asking: “What is our ultimate goal?” The idea is to produce designs that are sensitive to living systems. Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. Design for the Real World, Human Ecology and Social Change. Victor Papanek. 1984. One of the world’s most widely read books on design. Author provides a blueprint for sensible, responsible design. Design in Nature: Learning from Trees. Claus Mattheck. 2004. Describes and verifies external shape laws in nature. Also explores self healing. Many optimization examples. Design Lessons from Nature. Benjamin De Brie Taylor. 1974. Describes strategies in the plant kingdom with some suggestions on their relationship to human designs.. Design with Nature. Ian L. McHarg. 1969. A blend of philosophy and science, author shows how humans can copy nature’s examples to design and build better structures. ECONOMICS/BUSINESS Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L.Hunter Lovins. 2000. Three top strategists show how leading-edge companies are practicing "a new type of industrialism" that is more efficient and profitable while saving the environment and creating jobs. Nature of Economies. Jane Jacobs. 2000. Dissects relationships between economics and ecology through a multilayered discourse around the fundamental premise that "human beings exist wholly within nature as part of a natural order." The Living Company. Arie de Geus. 1997. The author writes that "companies die because their managers focus on the economic activity of producing goods and services, and they forget that their organizations' true nature is that of a community of humans." He summarizes the components of the long¬lived company as sensitivity to the environment, cohesion and identity, tolerance and decentralization, and conservative financing. ENGINEERING Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies. Ed. Yoseph Bar-Cohen. 2005. Explores biological models useful to engineering and the challenges awaiting future research. Mechanical Design in Organisms. Stephen A. Wainwright. 1982. Surveys the mechanics of living systems and components of living systems. Interface between mechanical engineering and biology. Design Homology. David Offner. 1995. A mechanical engineering textbook that contrasts human designs with nature’s designs. Nature and Design. Ed M. W. Collins, et. Al. 2004. Comprehensive introduction to common scientific laws of both the natural world and engineered worlds. Features mathematics, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, biomimicry, mechanical engineering and history of science. EVOLUTION On Growth and Form: The Complete Revised Edition. D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson. 1992. Classic work of biology and modern science sets forth seminal "theory of transformation"—that one species evolves into another not by successive minor changes in individual body parts but by large-scale transformations involving the body as a whole. Survival Strategies: Cooperation and Conflict in Animal Societies. Raghavendra Gadagkar. 1997 Why creatures great and small behave in such fascinating and seemingly perplexing ways is explained in this delightful account of the evolutionary foundations of animal social behavior. GENERAL SCIENCE Basic Nature. Andrew Scott. 2002. Fundamental concepts of modern science. Nature and Design. Ed M. W. Collins, et. Al. 2004. Comprehensive introduction to common scientific laws of both the natural world and engineered worlds. Features mathematics, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, biomimicry, mechanical engineering and history of science. A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bill Bryson. 2004. Covers everything from “primordial nothingness” to “ascendancy of Homo sapiens.” INNOVATION Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Janine Benyus. 1997. Demonstrates how nature's solutions to survival needs have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions to human challenges, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. Invention by Design. Henry Petroski. 1996. Philosophical and cultural study of the process of invention. Full of case studies in easy to read writing. Nature: Mother of Invention. Felix Paturi. 1976. The book provides an overview of bioinspiration, noting that scientists can learn from natural structures of all sizes and put their knowledge to use in a number of way, often by studying nature at the nanolevel, where the distinction between nature and human technology is often blurred. The Gecko’s Foot: Bioinspiration, Engineering New Materials and Devices from Nature. Peter Forbes. 2005. Presents technologists' pure research into nano-anatomy, followed by their applied and, as many entrepreneurs hope, commercial mimicry of nature's ingenuity. MATERIAL SCIENCE Biomimetic Materials Chemistry. Stephen Mann (Editor). 1995. Provides a unified, up-to date approach to the applications of biological concepts, products and processes in material research. Biomineralization. Stephen Mann. 2002. Describes a new type of chemistry that brings together soft and hard material for the design of functionalized inorganic-organic materials. Biomolecular Materials. Ed. Christopher Viney et al. Materials Research Society. Volume 292. 1992. Design of material synthesis, assembly, processing and physical optimization strategies based on examples from nature Design and Nature II. Ed M. W. Collins et. Al. 2004. Contains proceedings of 2nd international conference on design and nature. Brings together researcher around the world on a variety of studies involving nature’s significance for modern scientific thought and design. Structural Biomaterials: (Revised Edition). Julian F.V. Vincent. 1990. The book presents a biologist's analysis of the structural materials of organisms, using molecular biology as a starting point. It is an excellent introduction to the field which attempts to stimulate interest in biomaterials. MATHEMATICS Life’s Other Secret: The New Mathematics of the Living World. Ian Stewart. 1999. Shows how mathematics can be used to describe the symmetry of the living world. Author argues that “life is a partnership between genes and mathematics.” The Sizesaurus: From Hectares to Decibels to calories, a Witty Compendium of Measurements. Stephen Strauss. 1995. Defines and explains all sorts of common and uncommon measures and scales, with lots of tables, illustrations and interesting examples, especially from nature. MECHANICS Exploring Biomechanics: Animals in Motion. R. McNeill Alexander. 1992. Explores a multitude of animals’ movement and how they’ve evolved mechanisms for efficiency. Life’s Devices: The Physical World of Animals and Plants. Steven Vogel, Rosemary Calvert. 1988. This is an entertaining and informative book that describes how living things bump up against non-biological reality. Life in Moving Fluids. Steven Vogel. 1996. This book is for biologists who want to come to the beginning of a quantitative understanding of a wide variety of adaptations, and for general readers who want to see how fluid mechanics work in a varied and often surprising context. Structural Biomaterials: (Revised Edition). Julian F.V. Vincent. 1990. The book presents a biologist's analysis of the structural materials of organisms, using molecular biology as a starting point. It is an excellent introduction to the field which attempts to stimulate interest in biomaterials. Structure, Form, Movement. Heinrich Hertel. 1963. Explores various means in which nature manifests structure, form, and movement. The Biomechanics of Insect Flight. Robert Dudley. 2002. Explores insect physiology, functional morphology, paleontology, aerodynamics, behavior and ecology. The book excels as a synthesis of all these fields, and as a unique source of information on the subject of insect flight as a whole. PATTERNS The Curves of Life. Theodore A. Cook. 1979 A well-thought-out examination of the function of the spiral, or helix, in both nature and art. Demonstrates how the spiral is fundamental to the structure of shells, leaves, horns, human body, drawings of Leonardo, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and more. The Power of Limits: Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art and Architecture. Gyorgy Doczi. 1981. The Power of Limits was inspired by the continuity of natural patterns. The book explores how certain proportions occur over and over and are also repeated in how things grow and are made. The Self-Made tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature. Philip Ball. 2001. This deep, beautiful exploration of the recurring patterns that we find both in the living and inanimate worlds will change how one thinks about everything from evolution to earthquakes The Shape of Life. Nancy Burnett. 2002. Based on the National Geographic -Sea Studios Foundation series seen on PBS. Every animal that ever lived fits into one of only eight basic body plans. Those basic forms have given rise billions of species of animals and continue to define the shape of life on Earth. SYSTEMS SCIENCE Buckminster Fuller’s Universe. Lloyd Steven Sieden. 1989. Explores Fuller’s examination of significant underlying principles in nature. Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants Brains, Cities, and Software. Steven Johnson. 2001. Details the development of increasingly complex and familiar behavior among simple components. GENERAL The sustainability revolution: portrait of a paradigm shift. Andres Edwards. 2005. Resilience thinking: sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Brian Walker. 2006. Life in Moving Fluids. Steven Vogel. 1996. Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins. 2000. Moveable Feasts: The Incredible Journeys of the Things We Eat. Sarah Murray. 2007. Resilience thinking: sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Brian Walker. 2006.
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Creating Sustainable Communities

Monday 20 October 2008

the ethics of our time - idolatry of what exactly?

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