New Revolutions for a Small Planet

With his heart, if not his head, in the right place, sociologist Dennis (After the Car) reviews the mental state of the planet, leading with a discussion of his views of the modern mind and technological progress. He explains why he believes the imminent future will be different from the recent past, in terms of mental, physical, and political energies, partially basing his theories on the Hindu Yuga cycles, admitting that this and other "cyclic theor[ies] of civilizations" are not widely accepted by mainstream historians and anthropologists. Arguing that humanity has been growing in consciousness during recent centuries, he explores how this impacts human interactions with the universe in "a continuous flow-through of energy." Dennis concludes with a look at the future, reviewing the requirements for Ervin Laszlo's idea of "evolved consciousness" and reminding readers that humans have a unique opportunity to influence the planet. "The challenge is to benefit from a scientific, technological advancement and material comfort, whilst securing our wellbeing, happiness, and inner growth." Dennis's treatise will interest those with an inclination for philosophical arguments and discussions, but his conflation of New Age-y pseudoscience with principles of physics and astronomy (among other disciplines) that he doesn't seem to fully understand is profoundly troubling. (Nov.)