Reviews

Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy by Joanna Macy, Chris Johnstone

arussell77's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

danileighta's review against another edition

4.0

Very helpful as an introduction to Joanna Macy's philosophy and practices. At this point, some of the facts are a bit old, but the practices themselves are ageless. If you are interested in connecting more deeply with the Earth or connecting more with community that is interested in connecting more deeply with the Earth, these practices could really help. I appreciated the way the book built the concepts upon one another, starting with the personal, then spiraling out to society as a whole. Very heartfelt.

ajlewis2's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Most helpful line to me: "...we know that what happens through us is life itself wanting to continue."

cmwilliams29's review against another edition

5.0

Brilliant and inspiring read. I’ve been chewing on and exploring these topics for some years now. This book made me finally want to make real, actionable changes in my own life, with the eventual goal of making much bigger shifts. So inspirational and practical all at once!

dilemmanorton's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 But I think would rate it higher if I read this with a group. I dont normally do the the activities in the books I read, and I didn't with this. If I had dont then, the book would have had a much higher impact on my brain. Aside from this, I found it approachable and it had some good thought experiments.

bookherd's review against another edition

5.0

This book is exactly what the title suggests: it offers a plan for how to face the reality of climate collapse, do what one can, and stave off despair. The advice is fairly simple: it's really about making some shifts in the way we see our situations. We remember that we are part of the earth, not separate from it, and we see the grief, anxiety, anger, despair we feel on behalf of the earth and its residents as the Earth crying out in us. We remind ourselves of the resources we have, our strengths, the people we know are supporting us. We don't worry about the end result, we do what we can each day. We see uncertainty as hopeful instead of destabilizing.

Active Hope is very much like an instruction manual or a workbook. It is laid out methodically and written in simple, clear language. Interspersed throughout the chapters are thought exercises to try either alone or in groups. In a few places are extended narratives from the authors' experiences that illustrate the mental/spiritual journey they are writing about. Although the thought exercises can be done by individuals on their own, the book is really directed toward people who are working with a group on climate activism.

The book has endnotes, a list of resources for further reading/inquiry, and an index. I recommend it for people who are dealing with climate grief/anxiety/depression and for people interested in (or who already are) taking action.

debr's review against another edition

5.0

This book is a must read for anyone who aspires to engage more with the great challenges that face us or who is seeking more motivation, compassion and articulation for the hard work they are doing to repair our world. The authors offer a wealth of advice and guidance on how to approach challenging work to repair each other and our planet in voices that are kind, realistic and wise. I think it is difficult to read this book and come out of it untransformed or uninspired. Their thoughts on the power of collaboration, passion and vision ring beautiful and true. I had gotten this out of the library but I ended up buying it so I could keep it as a reference- I expect and hope I will refer back to it on an ongoing basis.

vanitar's review against another edition

4.0

Challenging and thought-provoking. Good exercises throughout and helpful in looking at our lives and recognizing that we can take small steps toward greater change.

heathersbike's review against another edition

I wish Goodreads had a main "Didn't Finish" category. I get that "Read" doesn't technically mean "Finished." I guess. To me "read" means you read the whole thing. ANYWAY, I didn't finish this. I barely finished the introduction. But it was overdue enough at the library that they actually sent me a letter. *wince* I was never compelled to pick it up the entire time it was sitting on my library book table. And the introduction didn't grab me. At all. So, unless someone convinces me to try again, that's it for me. And the whole reason I use Goodreads is to remind me which books to check out. So I need to remember this is one I'm probably not interested in. And I can't do that if I don't keep it in a main category. So there you go.

janthonytucson's review against another edition

5.0

I found this book to be incredibly empowering and enlightening. It provides a narrative for identifying the wicked problems we face are not insurmountable.

My only gripe with this book is the title and cover art. It comes across as woo-woo when it is heavy on theories, and actionable policies that can transform society across multiple levels.