Earth and I

By: Arthur Firstenberg

Narrated by: Linda Henning

Almost all environmental books treat the environmental crisis as though humans are in charge of nature, rather than part of it. The Earth and I is the first book to put all preconceived notions aside and to ask, naïvely: Who are we really? What is our relationship to the earth? How is it possible that we, out of all the millions of species, have come to destroy our common home? The answers are surprising and have far-reaching implications for those searching for solutions.

Part One tells what is happening to the earth’s systems and how they are being destroyed. It rewrites the two-million-year history of humanity’s tenure on the earth as if we are part of nature and not separate from it, and describes both the earth and the universe as living systems. It paints a global, coherent picture of the devastation to Earth’s air, water, forests, and creatures that is not found elsewhere. It reviews assaults on these systems that are not treated adequately, if at all, elsewhere: chemicals; radiation; plastics; detergents; biocides; noise; cars; and guns.

Part Two, “Digging below the Surface,” asks why, and enters territory not previously explored by environmentalists. It describes the various ways to make a living on the earth—hunting and gathering, shifting agriculture, nomadic herding, settled agriculture, and industrial technology—as choices, not eras—choices coexisting with one another until today. It rewrites economics. It explores the relationship of warfare, slavery, religion, and human sexuality to the environmental crisis. And it is forced to conclude that these aspects of human culture are not only shaped, but created by the technologies we use; that the use of non-human sources of energy interferes with human psychological development; and that the unfulfilled urges within us explode in the violent technologies that are destroying our planet.

The solutions, if it is not too late, therefore lie in wise choice, rather than wise use, of our technologies.

©2024 Arthur Firstenberg (P)2025 Skyhorse Audio

Big picture and deep analysis of our current world

There were some parts of the book that were really hard to get through because of the topics at hand. Especially towards the beginning, I knew it was a unique book so I had to stick with it and process the emotional impact. It was hard to process because it has never been so unpacked. Like dumping your junk drawer on the counter and there are all the things that you once knew right in front of your face. But it had to be done eventually.
I enjoyed the book very much because of his unique approach to the fact, our environmental issues we face are actually easy to fix in some ways. His knowledge of the wilderness and wildlife is a great resource for anyone. The Earth and I inspired my young daughter to do a research project about acid rain. She had heard the term but it was never explained, like so many of the topics he covers, we have heard before, but he dives deep and puts things into a new perspective. I learned a bunch of new things about animals, and while the book only confirms things I thought about humans it does so with a deep study of history, culture and spirituality so now I have a deeper understanding of my fellow humans at least while it’s fresh in my mind. I’ll have to read it again some time and make more notes for my own research.
My favorite aspect of this book was the way he explains our absolute addiction to technology. Anyone born after 1990, it would blow their minds.