author

Community Book Forum: Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy

The Carrboro Cybrary and Carrboro Recreation & Parks invite the community to read Small is Possible: Life in a Local Economy by Lyle Estill. Lyle is a founder of Piedmont Biofuels and he will be leading this discussion along with Michael Tiemann, a founder of the Open Source movement, and William (B.J.) Lawson, PLENTY Revitalization Board Member. This book is focused on the local economy in Chatham County, and will be valuable to anyone interested in sustainability, co-ops, biodiesel, whole foods, slow food, technology, small business, and more. Copies of the book can be borrowed from the Cybrary.

Book Description:

In an era when incomprehensibly complex issues like Peak Oil and climate change dominate headlines, practical solutions at a local level can seem somehow inadequate.

In response, Lyle Estill’s Small is Possible introduces us to “hometown security,” with this chronicle of a community-powered response to resource depletion in a fickle global economy. True stories, springing from the soils of Chatham County, North Carolina, offer a positive counterbalance to the bleakness of our age.

This is the story of how one small southern US town found actual solutions to actual problems. Unwilling to rely on the government and wary of large corporations, these residents discovered it is possible for a community to feed itself, fuel itself, heal itself, and govern itself.

This book is filled with newspaper columns, blog entries, letters, and essays that have appeared on the margins of small-town economies. Tough subjects are handled with humor and finesse. Compelling stories of successful small businesses, from the grocery co-op to the biodiesel co-op, describe a town and its people on a genuine quest for sustainability.

Review:

One of my favorite ideas in this book is the idea of open source. Once you let go of this idea that everything must be copyrighted, everything must be owned and protected in order to make money, you become free. Open source ideas quickly foster a more open community, a more open and honest society. A gropu of people or organizaitons all start working toward a common goal rather than all working against one another. Beautiful, isn't it?

Another beautiful idea is that a community needs a variety of people and businesses to thrive. And that as you begin living locally- and begin working toward a healthy community - people and businesses find their niches. And when you find your own niche within the local economy, your own happiness rises. Your sense of well-being increases when you realize your positive and necessary contribution to society.

As we go further into debt and economic security throughout the world, nurturing our small, local, sustainable businesses and infrastructure will become increasingly important. I recommend this book.
~ Melinda from The Blogging Bookworm

More reviews are linked from:
http://lyleestill.com/blog/?p=9#more-9

Date: 

Friday, June 5, 2009 - 2:30pm to 4:00pm

Location: 

Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St.

"The Psychology of Fascism" - talk at Internationalist Books

Via internationalistbooks.org:

"The Psychology of Fascism" - talk with William Manson

Join us at Internationalist Books for a thought-provoking talk with William Manson about "The Psychology of Fascism."

What drives leaders such as George Bush and John McCain towards their destructive militarism and repressive global and domestic policies? In this provocative talk and discussion, Manson will analyze the authoritarian narcissism underlying US corporate and political power through the lens of psychology. Deriving insight from diverse thinkers including Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Reich, Erich Fromm, and others, participants will examine the role of sexual repression, authoritarian conditioning, and pathological narcissism in shaping the psychology of America's leaders as the country edges towards fascism. Come prepared to learn, debate, and explore humanistic alternatives to the "wargasmic" policies of Republican (and Democratic) narcissists!

William Manson is a Chapel Hill-based radical intellectual historian and author who has published essays examining fascist psychology, authoritarian narcissism, and radical humanism in Fifth Estate magazine, Anarchy! A Journal of Desire Armed, and more.

 

Date: 

Sunday, August 10, 2008 - 12:00pm

Location: 

Internationalist Books, 405 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Lyle Estill author reading - "Small is Possible"

Via Facebook & e-mail:

Lyle Estill author reading - "Small is Possible"

Forget Homeland Security – Let’s Create Hometown Security!
Event Info
Host:
Type:
Network:
Global
Time and Place
Date:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
Internationalist Books
Street:
405 W Franklin St
City/Town:
Chapel Hill, NC
 
Contact Info
Phone:
9199341740
Email:

 Find out how at Internationalist Books and Community Center on Thursday, July 31st at 7 PM, as we welcome author and activist Lyle Estill for a reading from his new book, Small Is Possible. This passionate, insightful book introduces us to "hometown security," with this chronicle of a community-powered response to resource depletion in a fickle global economy. True stories, springing from the soils of Chatham County, North Carolina, offer a positive counter balance to the bleakness of our age. This is the story of how one small southern US town found actual solutions to actual problems. Unwilling to rely on government and wary of large corporations, these residents discovered it is possible for a community to feed itself, fuel itself, heal itself and govern itself.

"Think self-reliance is far-fetched in a flat world? Lyle Estill's Small is Possible shows how it is being done for food, housing, energy, finance, health care, and just about everything else communities care about. A seasoned entrepreneur and social innovator, Estill tells fun-to-read stories that are engaging, insightful, and practical. His book is an indispensable resource for community organizers and economic developers alike."
-Michael Shuman, author of "The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition"

Local resident Lyle Estill is the author of numerous articles, essays, and blog entries, including the book, Biodiesel Power; the Passion, People and Politics of the Next Renewable Fuel. He serves as vice-president of Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC.

Date: 

Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 3:00pm

Location: 

Internationalist Books, 405 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
 

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