Soil, Soul, Society

In the first US edition of Satish Kumar's classic book, we rediscover how our spiritual and social well-being connects to that of our planet.
Internationally-respected peace and environment activist Satish Kumar has been gently setting the agenda for change for over 50 years. As 350.org founder Bill McKibben says, "There is no one on the planet better-equipped to make you think and rethink how you're living and how you might change."
The age of sustainability is grounded on the knowledge that we ourselves are very much part of nature; that what we do to nature we in fact do to ourselves; and that the earth has a soul, which we share. Drawing on the example of Rabindranath Tagore, Kumar advocates living with awareness that our personal choices have political and poetic resonance. In this book, he inspires readers with the knowledge we are all leaders and can create change in our structures and mindsets for lasting peace and a sustainable culture and society. Celebrating an emerging global consciousness that reveres nature, the book explores how, as a global society, we need to embrace diversity and be aware of our role as pilgrims on this earth. Joyful and heart-centered, Satish Kumar reminds us that to bring about change in the world, we must embody the change we wish to see.

Peace and environment activist and former Jain monk Satish Kumar has been quietly setting the global agenda of change for more than 50 years. He settled in the United Kingdom after an 8,000-mile peace pilgrimage and took the editorial helm of Resurgence magazine in 1973, a post he held until 2016. Over the decades, he has been the guiding spirit behind a number of internationally respected ecological and educational ventures including founding Devon's Schumacher College; authoring several books, including Elegant Simplicity; and presenting the BBC documentary Earth Pilgrim. In 2022 Satish Kumar was honored with the Goi Peace Award in recognition of his lifelong dedication to campaigning for ecological regeneration, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment. Through his writings and educational activities, and as an embodiment of ecological and spiritual principles of living simply, he has inspired many people to transform themselves in order to transform the world. He appears regularly in the media, is on the Advisory Board of Our Future Planet, and continues to teach and run workshops as a sought-after speaker in the UK and internationally. He lives in Devon, UK.