Spiritual Ecology: A Quiet Revolution [Hardcover]

In a world plagued by religious fanaticism and blind faith, Dr. Sponsel shows us a kinder, "greener" side of spiritual development. Based on an exhaustive review of the world's religions in theory and practice, Dr. Sponsel demonstrates religion is less "many paths up the same mountain" and more many sacred mountains, caves, and rivers traversed by a species in search of itself.

This book will appeal to both the academic and the seeker alike. There are gems of wisdom that can be lifted from the page and applied to one's own daily practice. Dr. Sponsel gives us hope that the flipped coin of humanity still has a chance to land feet first should the sacred landscapes both endure and inform who we are as individuals and a culture.

Spiritual Ecology envisions a world where progress is measured by an inward compass rather than "leading economic indicators."

As a doctoral student dedicated to improving the quality of life for humans and all other species, and as someone who has been in personal contact with Dr. Les Sponsel, I can attest that this book is visionary, necessary, and compelling.

Dr. Sponsel is almost single-handedly responsible for creating and popularizing the scientific study of how human interaction with the environment eflects and affects our spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

He is the rare kind of scholar that every graduate student loves to have as a graduate advisor and mentor. Dr. Sponsel doesn't just write and research about ethics, spirituality, and our life on this planet, he works 24/7 to help our world, his students, and academia.

Dr. Sponsel's breadth of knowledge, attention to detail, academic expertise, and courage are among the reasons this book contains a unique exploration of the multi-faceted interface between humans and the earth.

In this book you'll find plenty of new information, perspectives and opportunities to truly understand the power of humans to turn our planet into a Garden of Eden, or a paved-over, ruined paradise.

I was especially moved by the book's very appropriate closing chapter, which focuses on ecology and the Dalai Lama. This chapter is a brilliant summing up of what I get from this book, which is that humans have reached a level of power and technology that allows us to behave as gods. What we do to each other and the planet is a moral and spiritual issue that each of us can consider personally and intellectually.

Will human powers be used to further the goals of angels, or devils? Will we cannibalize this planet and all its creatures in our relentless desire to build more shopping malls, or will we become kinder, gentler and more compassionate towards each other, other species, and the earth?

Dr. Sponsel's book will help you answer those questions, and build a better future. Order a copy today.

Les Sponsel delivers a tour de force. It's a ride into the deepest regions of the cosmos, a diamond spaceship in the darkness. That cosmos, it turns out, is also in us. Using all available tools as an anthropologist, ecologist and humanitarian, Sponsel takes us into the depths of a new consciousness, one that can only be truly revealed by his careful cross-cultural methodology. Forget the "ologies," and read this book now! Use it in your classes, give it as a gift. It will alter the path of your life.