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media REVIEWSest data on the health and environmental benefits of a moreplant-based diet, meditative verses that help us incorporatemindfulness in all our activities, detailed guidelines for creatingand implementing a mindful living plan that incorporatesweekly goals for eating, exercising, and living more mindfully,and inspiring stories and suggestions for social activism, thebook is packed with a wealth of resources for how to beginto make significant and lasting changes in our weight, in ourlife, and in the world, starting now.FailsafeSaving the Earthfrom OurselvesBy Ian PrattisManor House Publishing,2008Paperback, 192 pagesReviewed by ChristopherTitmuss (excerptedwith permission fromwww.resurgence.org)Ian Prattis, a former professor of Anthropology and Religionat Carleton University, Canada, belongs to a growing schoolof thought that believes humanity requires a real shift inconsciousness to handle the global crises—environmental,political, and economic. A core tenet of Failsafe: Saving theEarth from Ourselves is the simple maxim that our thinkinghas to change if the current worldview is to change.Under the guidance of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh,Prattis states that the three poisons of the mind (to quotethe Buddha) have become institutionalized. Greed pervadesthe corporate world. Hate pervades the military. Delusionpervades advertising. The poisoning of land, water, and air,and the catastrophes for the world’s poor and marginalizedhave their origins in the state of mind of those who run ourinstitutions and their intentions to make profit, act violentlyupon people and the earth, and manipulate the public mind.There are signs of soul-searching in our major institutions,but the pace is painfully slow.Sai Baba, a controversial Indian guru, told Prattis that onlytwo percent of the global population needs to meditate on adaily basis to transform human consciousness. Prattis endorsessuch a view and encourages people to slow down theirrelentless “doing” in order to experience a sense of “being”:a slowing down of thought, making it possible for fresh waysof thinking to emerge.The book serves as a valuable collection of reflections onglobal issues and the part each one of us can play in makingthe necessary changes. While drawing on the wisdom of variousauthorities, past and present, Failsafe reminds us of theBuddha’s recipe for global ills—namely mindfulness, lettinggo, reflection, inner change, watching desire, inter-connection,and the transformation of consciousness.Prattis writes that he remains “confident and optimistic aboutmaking the world a better place environmentally.” He hasusefully employed his own experiences, the wise voices ofothers, and practical advice to address concerns about life onEarth. Failsafe concludes with a list of useful websites thatinform and inspire further exploration.Touch theEarthBy Joe ReillyCD, 40 minutesReviewed byNicole BrossmanTouch the Earth showcases true genre diversity, taking listenersthrough an intriguing landscape of rock, hip-hop, country,eco-rock, and meditative balladry. Reilly’s honest voice andconsistent message have the unique ability to pull the eclecticmix together. With his Native American heritage, roots and upbringingin contemporary Catholic folk music, ever-deepeningunderstanding of life through Buddhist meditation practice,and academic studies in environmental justice and racism,Joe Reilly is able to unite people across diverse lines of race,class, gender, age, religion, ability, and musical genre.While listening to Touch the Earth, listeners are able to engagein lyrical discussions of ecological cycles, meditation,global warming, war, and spirituality with an open mind.Reilly’s music strengthens community while embracing diversity,inspiring listeners to experience the interconnectionwith one another and their environment, and inviting themto look deeper and connect with the positive aspects in theirown nature. This is exemplified when he asks, in the titlesong, “Where’s the Earth?,” then answers, “in your hands,underneath your feet right where you stand.... It’s what youeat. Take off your shoes and socks and sink your feet in themud of the Earth, it’s the blood of your birth.”Reilly is a practitioner in the Plum Village tradition, andpractices with the Huron River Sangha in Ann Arbor, Michigan.He also practices at Deer Park Monastery, where hereceived the Five Mindfulness Trainings in 2004, with theDharma name True Faith of the Heart. He has visited PlumVillage twice, and wrote many of the songs on Touch theEarth while he was there. It’s clear from the first track of thealbum, when Reilly sings “Keep it E-A-S-Y,” that his songwritinginvites listeners to smile, laugh, and sing along withhim. Reilly’s creativity brings both humor and depth to thingsthat seem very ordinary. Through his songs we learn that atree, a tomato, a guitar, and a human being are not separateand isolated.the Mindfulness Bell 47