The Great Turning, From Empire to Earth Community.

This book, by the author of the international bestseller "When Corporations Rule the World," sets forth a compelling story that provides a framework for a new political conversation. It pulls together the many strands of the writer's journey of understanding that began more than 46 years ago in

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In this book, Korten exposes what he calls the destructive and oppressive nature of the global corporate economy. He argues that corporate consolidation of power is merely one manifestation of what he calls "empire": the organization of society through hierarchy and violence that has largely held sway for the past 5,000 years. The book traces the roots of empire to ancient times and charts the long evolution of its favored instruments of control, from monarchies and bureaucracies to the transnational institutions of the global economy. He makes the case that "earth community," a life-centered, egalitarian, sustainable way of ordering human society based on democratic principles is possible, and offers a grassroots strategy to attaining such a utopia.

In the middle of the book Korten describes the five levels of consciousness as magical, imperial, socialized, cultural and spiritual. He moves toward a conclusion by pointing out that people are the new super-power, with the Internet and its many new features as the foundation for bringing people together and making people more powerful.

A large portion of the middle section is a historical review of America, with what he calls its genocidal, slave-owning and unilateral militant interventionist nature, and its inequality now, which the literature on revolution identifies (the latter, concentration of wealth) as a precursor to almost inevitable violent revolution).

This book embraces the tenants of the "Earth Charter" in recognizing that this world is finite, resources are limited and need to be used in a sustainable/regenerative way, with equal distribution for a healthy and harmonious existence for all of the world's citizens.

A most interesting read.

By David Korten/Kumarian Press/Berrett-Koehler Publisher/soft cover/402 pages/First Edition/ISBN 978-1-887208-08-6/$27.95