A Language Older Than Words

Derrick Jensen writes: 'We are members of the most destructive culture ever to exist. Our assaults on the natural world, on indigenous and other cultures, on women, on children, on all of us through the possibility of nuclear suicide and other means - all these are unprecedented in their magnitude and ferocity. 'Why do we act as we do? What are sane and effective responses to outrageously destructive behaviour? What will it take for us to stop the horrors that characterise our way of being? My work and life revolve around these questions. Every morning when I wake up I ask myself if I should write or blow up a dam. Every day I tell myself I should continue writing. Yet I am not always convinced I am making the right decision.' In this powerful mix of memoir and environmental expose, Derrick Jensen, considered the pre-eminent environmental activist writing in the USA today, argues that the modern industrial economy abuses our environment, destroys meaningful work and disconnects us from the natural world.
Threaded through this analysis is his own personal account of attempting to transcend the legacies of childhood abuse, to reject our societies' exploitative selfishness and to live in harmony with non-human life. Derrick Jensen offers startling insights into how the pathology of violence (particularly from governments and corporations) permeates our cultures - and the impact this has on our health, relationships, communities and the myriad life-forms with whom we share our planet. This is not just one man's inspiring and compelling story - it is the story of us all.