INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Blessed Unrest

By Paul Hawken; Viking Press; $24.95

Got the global warming blues? Corporate conglomeration getting you down? Tired of worrying about the impending apocalypse? Longtime activist and writer Paul Hawken has written the feel-good book of the year. Truly. Hawken’s premise is that the social and environmental justice movement is the largest and furthest reaching movement in history. By his count, some 1 million organizations are working to preserve the planet and nurture community — struggles and triumphs that don’t normally make the bleed-leading news broadcasts.

His argument is persuasive in its passionate call to action; but Hawkin’s not just talking. Simultaneous with the publication of Blessed Unrest, Hawken created wiserearth.org a collaborative tool and a comprehensive directory that links these activists. Hawken (www.paulhawken.com) is the author of numerous books, including The Next Economy and The Ecology of Commerce. Go ahead: Don’t be afraid to feel some optimism. It can’t hurt; it might even help.