The Thom Hartmann Reader (Bk Currents)

361 Pages·2011·1.33 MB·English

by  Thom Hartmann

More Praise for Thom Hartmann
“Thom is a national treasure. Read him, embrace him, learn from him, and follow
him as we all work for social change.”
—Robert Greenwald, political activist and founder and president of Brave New
Films
“Right through the worst of the Bush years and into the present, Thom Hartmann
has been one of the very few voices constantly willing to tell the truth. Rank him
up there with Jon Stewart, Bill Moyers, and Paul Krugman for having the sheer
persistent courage of his convictions.”
—Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth
“With the ever-growing infl uence of corporate CEOs and their right-wing allies
in all aspects of American life, Hartmann’s work is more relevant than ever.
Throughout his career, Hartmann has spoken compellingly about the value of
people-centered democracy and the challenges that millions of ordinary Ameri-
cans face today as a result of a dogma dedicated to putting profi t above all else.
This collection is a rousing call for Americans to work together and put people
fi rst again.”
—Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO
“Through compelling personal stories, Hartmann presents a dramatic and deeply
disturbing picture of humans as a profoundly troubled species. Hope lies in his
inspiring vision of our enormous unrealized potential and his description of the
path to its realization.”
—David Korten, author of Agenda for a New Economy, The Great Turning, and When
Corporations Rule the World
“Thom Hartmann is a creative thinker and committed small-d democrat. He has
dealt with a wide range of topics throughout his life, and this book provides an
excellent cross section. The Thom Hartmann Reader will make people both angry
and motivated to act.”
—Dean Baker, economist and author of Plunder and Blunder, False Profi ts, and
Taking Economics Seriously
“In an age rife with media-inspired confusion and political cowardice, we yearn
for a decent, caring, deeply human soul whose grasp of the problems confronting
us provides a light by which we can make our way through the quagmire of lies,
distortions, pandering, and hollow self-puffery that strips the American Dream
of its promise. How lucky we are, then, to have access to the wit, wisdom, and
willingness of Thom Hartmann, who shares with us here that very light, grown
out of his own life experience.”
—Mike Farrell, actor, political activist, and author of Just Call Me Mike and Of Mule
and Man
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The
Thom
Hartmann
Reader
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The
Thom
Hartmann
Reader
Thom Hartmann
Edited by Tai Moses
The Thom Hartmann Reader
Copyright © 2011 by Thom Hartmann and Mythical Research, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or trans-
mitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electron-
ic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in
the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial
uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher,
addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
The editor and the publisher are grateful to include the following copyrighted material in
this collection.
“The Edison Gene,” “How to Raise a Fully Human Child” from The Edison Geneby Thom
Hartmann, copyright © 2003 by Thom Hartmann, published by Inner
Traditions International, www.innertraditions.com.
“Older and Younger Cultures,” “Life in a Tipi,” “Starting Salem in New Hampshire,”
“Uganda Sojourn,” “Russia: A New Seed Planted among Thorns” from The
Prophet’s Wayby Thom Hartmann, copyright © 1997, 2004 by Thom
Hartmann, published by Inner Traditions International,
www.innertraditions.com.
“Walking the Blues Away” from Walking Your Blues Awayby Thom Hartmann, copyright
© 2006 by Thom Hartmann, published by Inner Traditions International,
www.innertraditions.com.
“Younger-Culture Drugs of Control,” “The Secret of ‘Enough,’” “The Death of the Trees,”
“Something Will Save Us” from The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlightby Thom
Hartmann, copyright © 1998, 1999, 2004 by Mythical Research, Inc. Used by
permission of Harmony Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
“Democracy Is Inevitable” from What Would Jefferson Do?: A Return to Democracyby
Thom Hartmann, copyright © 2004 by Mythical Research, Inc. Used by
permission of Harmony Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
“The Atmosphere,” “Caral, Peru: A Thousand Years of Peace,” “Sociopathic Paychecks”
from Threshold: The Crisis of Western Cultureby Thom Hartmann, copyright
© 2009 by Thom Hartmann. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division
of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. For on-line information about other Penguin Group
(USA) books and authors, see the Internet website at http://www.penguin.com
“After the Crash” reprinted from Imagine, edited by Marianne Williamson. Copyright ©
2000 by Global Renaissance Alliance. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc.,
Emmaus, PA 18098.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
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Berrett-Koehler and the BK logo are registered trademarks of Berrett-Koehler
Publishers,Inc.
First Edition
Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-57675-761-1
PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-60994-559-6
IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-60994-560-2
2011-1
Cover photo by Kindra Scanlon. Cover design by Richard Wilson. Interior design and com-
position by Gary Palmatier, Ideas to Images. Elizabeth von Radics, copyeditor; Mike
Mollett, proofreader; Medea Minnich, indexer.
To Louise, forever
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Contents
Editor’s Note ix
Introduction: The Stories of Our Times 1
Part I We the People 7
The Radical Middle 10
The Story of Carl 13
Democracy Is Inevitable 31
An Informed and Educated Electorate 39
Whatever Happened to Cannery Row? 53
Part II Brainstorms 57
The Edison Gene 60
Older and Younger Cultures 78
Framing 88
Walking the Blues Away 103
Part III Visions and Visionaries 115
Life in a Tipi 118
How to Raise a Fully Human Child 122
Starting Salem in New Hampshire 137
Younger-Culture Drugs of Control 145
The Secret of “Enough” 158