Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays

by Wendell Berry

The celebrated essayist and poet offers a collection of essays dealing with important social issues, stressing the importance of communities, the need for diversity in local economies, and the dangers of globalization.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Economics, Politics, Sociology, Theology

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Wendell Berry is a conservationist, farmer, essayist, novelist, professor of English and poet. He was born August 5, 1934 in Henry County, Kentucky where he now lives on a farm. The New York Times has called Berry the "prophet of rural America."

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the subject I’ve been obsessed with: community. (Preoccupied, absorbed, obsessed—none are quite the right word. Maybe wrestling. But I digress.) Community, as in the whole-scale failure of world to protect them, the tattered, battered remnants of the ones that remain. Mr. Berry writes this from the hills of Kentucky, the ground zero of the fight for the tattered and battered, where the wounds of it are so obvious and raw. We’re monstrously out of kilter, he says. Yet, he says: here’s what we can do. And here’s the peace of it too.

Berry says himself in the preamble: if you agree with him completely, “I must suspect one or both of us of dishonesty. I must reserve the right, after all, to disagree with myself.” But I agree, I agree. Even where I disagree, I agree. It’s a dialogue. A conversation. An affirmation of some of the things that have been growling in my stomach and the places where I disagree, it makes me engage with why? instead of dismiss the ideas altogether. There’s muscle here to wrestle back and forth.

Ever-so-fittingly, I read this via Rick Bass. Ever-so-fittingly, it’s Rick Bass quoting Terry Tempest Williams quoting D.H. Lawrence that sums up the conviction here: “This is what is wrong with us. We are bleeding at the roots.” But, again Mr. Berry: “to give up illusory hope is not to be hopeless.” Here’s what to value, to fight for, to fix. Community. It has to be our context for the world.

- - -

July 2013: On second reading, the chapter on tobacco stood out more, having grown up in tobacco country myself. Berry is one of the few I’ve read who puts the appropriate amount of complexity in the “moral” argument, and points out the red herring of the tobacco controversy, one of the many passages that stand out:

“You’re against addiction, then?”
“I’m against addiction to all things that are dangerous and unnecessary.”
“Like what?”
“Speed, comfort, violence, usury.”

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recall thinking, when I first read C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald, that they were such excellent writers because they were heretics. I was using the term extraordinarily loosely, of course, since all I really meant by it was that neither subscribed to the evangelical doctrines I was raised in. But the fact remains that part of what makes these men such compelling writers is that they are both willing to challenge our comfortable assumptions in order to get at the truth.

This was my first foray into Wendell Berry, and I find that he fits into the same category as Lewis and MacDonald: a good writer precisely because he is a heretic, twice over. We tend to imagine a Progressive-Conservative divide cutting through the United States; Berry assumes an Industrial-Communal divide; in the Industrial camp progressives and conservatives bed down together, and it is against their values and cherished falsehoods that Berry writes. I disagree sharply with Berry at times, but I agree with him more, and in any case, the fact that he provokes me to disagreement is a sign that in his writing he is willing to challenge accepted norms in pursuit of truth.

[Annelise Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of SPICY takes— 95% of which I agree with. But Berry is brilliant and quickly influencing the way I view the world. Everybody read this so we can talk about it!

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I didn't agree with everything in this book, but Mr. Berry warned me in the brilliant preface that I wouldn't so he is forgiven. This man is one of the most clear writers I have come across. Lots of people talk about "common sense" nowadays, they should read this to see how common sense can also be logical and clearly outlined. I particularly enjoyed his insights on the anti-Christian nature of American politics, backed up by plenty of scripture. And it does prove prophetic, as right now a most Anti-Christ person, Donald Trump (read some Jesus and you'll agree) is leading in the republican presidential polls. Anyways... I also liked that there are not only problems, but solutions laid out. And they are solutions for individuals and communities, not just waiting for the government or corporations to fix things (which is unlikely).

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendell Berry isn't much of a theologian - "Christianity and the Survival of Creation" sorely disappointed. Some of the others felt dated (re: Tobacco, Peaceableness re: Persian Gulf War, and The Big Bad Idea). But, boy, is he ever a wise, countercultural social thinker.

The essay sharing the book's title is worth all the rest of it - read it carefully and repeatedly. The compelling case that it makes is too complicated to recount here - just know that it clarifies much about our current insanity - our brutality - about art, sex, community, and work. Berry puts to shame those who would abandon "community" for "collectivity" - blind and ruthless technocrats that they are.

"What happens after the audience becomes used to being shocked and is therefore no longer shockable - as is apparently near to being the case with the television audience? What if offenses become stimulants - either to imitate the offenses or to avenge them??"

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendell Berry presents an urgent message in clear and beautiful writing. A perfect balance of intent and rhetoric. This work is the voice of conscience our time must heed.

[Sam Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of really amazing chapters and few that were a bit dated (most essays were written around 1991). Nonetheless enjoyable though.

[Father Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine collection of essays that has sparked in me a renewed interest in the world, and the ways in which human beings have chosen to live in relation to it. Berry's reflections refuse easy categorization and are deeply refreshing in the context of blind and deaf media polarization. I was more informed about current issues of political relevance by this ten year-old book than by many hours of news consumption. More importantly, issues are placed squarely in a big-picture context, one which effortlessly embraces the four elements of the collection's title--a mighty feat in itself, and a testament to Berry's proficiency not only as a writer but as a thinker.

A couple of good quotes:

"Most of us get almost all the things we need by buying them; most of us know only vaguely, if at all, where those things come from; and most of us know not at all what damage is involved in their production. We are almost entirely dependent on an economy of which we are almost entirely ignorant. The provenance, for example, not only of the food we buy at the store but of the chemicals, fuels, metals, and other materials necessary to grow, harvest, transport, process, and package that food is almost necessarily a mystery to us. To know the full economic history of a head of supermarket cauliflower would require an immense job of research. To be so completely and so ignorantly dependent on the present abusive food economy certainly defines us as earth abusers. It also defines us as potential victims." (p. 36)

"One of the boasts of our century is that its artists – not to mention its psychologists, therapists, anthropologists, sociologists, statisticians, and pornographers – have pried open the bedroom door at last and shown us sexual love for what it ‘really’ is. We have, we assume, cracked the shell of sexual privacy. The resulting implication that the shell is easily cracked disguises the probability that the shell is, in fact, not crackable at all and that what we have seen displayed is not private or intimate sex, not sexual love, but sex reduced, degraded, oversimplified, and misrepresented by the very intention to display it. Sex publicly displayed is public sex. Sex observed is not private or intimate and cannot be." (p. 162-3)

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berry tells it like it is in this accurate portrayal of America. We are a country at war with ourselves. Berry explores the nature of community and how our contributions and interactions with it have become exploitative. The main theme he recapitulates throughout the book is the way that the economy has become "global", so no one is looking out for their neighbor. The farmers in America are not protected from having to compete with the labor of people working in disparate conditions in the third world. However, his main qualm with this situation is the eventual loss of the knowledge of the land. We are tied to the land itself, but if we rely more and more on foreign sources for our food and do not keep an active and local source we will eliminate our own farming communities and we will be forced to rely on foreign sources for this food. He explains how sexuality is being abused by our entertainment and media sources; this cheapening of the sexual experience cheapens love. Freedom is a delicate flower and it is being abused. I loved this sentiment from the book - America offers the freedom to be wrong, with the ultimate goal being to realize you are wrong and correct this, not just the freedom to be wrong and muddle around in it. When faced with a weak community, we are called to come into a closer community. Knowing our neighbors, relying on each other locally, these are fundamental to protecting ourselves. Additionally, it is critical to understand that we need a moral community, a moral community provides the foundations allowing us to trust each other. Trust is important because you want to trust the other people in your own community to treat each other fairly and educate each others children wisely. Finally, it was important that Berry clarify, he knows it will cost more to stay in close knit communities. However, the cost to losing our local communities into some form of a national monoculture, where no one is truly free to live as their locality calls for would be an onerous burden.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two impressions while reading this:
1. It is impressive that these were written in the 80s-90s with a head full of knowledge about the prior decades, and yet they could have been written yesterday. We got the same problems as before: war in the middle east, community and environmental destruction related to globalism, capitalism, and US imperialism, etc. Ugh, I wish I could say this was no longer relevent. Because little has changed and we are still in the thick of it, these essays are an incredible mirror and insight into the way our society works and what our values as a culture are.

2. The author has a political stance that would not fit in either of the two political parties we know today. I don't know if he was an old school republican -- I remember a time when republicans cared deeply about the environment and natural respurces -- or if he was always a bit of an outlier. Even if you don't agree with all of his beliefs, I think you can respect a unique, passionate, and logical thinker. The other day my friend Jeevan and I were lamenting how little room there is for variations in belief nowadays. There is no spectrum within the parties. It is sad we are so intolerant and have so little respect for others. Ironically, or perhaps not, this book addresses that problem too.

[Amy Kannel]

A lot of poignant wisdom here, a lot of true things that resonated, but also just so dang depressing. All the problems and no real solutions or answers. It feels like he wants to somehow turn back the clock, and that just isn't possible--nor is it desirable or beneficial for everyone. In many cases I felt persuaded that his indictment of modern society was accurate (and devastating), but it just left me feeling discouraged and totally at a loss as to how to change or fix what's wrong.

Also I know this is classic Berry but I'm just not fully persuaded by his conviction that community must necessarily be rooted in physical place to be real or meaningful.

[Cassie VDH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave me lots to think about, plenty of agreement (he notes that he would not respect anyone who would agree fully with anyone’s bookish opinion in totality), some things that *seem* dated but are probably more prescient of the time we’re in right now than I’d like to admit… I want to love it like I love so many WB books, and maybe it IS just the time we are in right now, but this mostly just felt exhausting to read as a weary and embarrassed American in January of 2025.

[Glenn Wishnew III · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down. Truly, I had many things to do within the three hours I traversed its pages.

But the idea of putting this down never appeared as a substantive option.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The initial essays mostly concerned with conservation were interesting, well written and challenging, but the last two essays are worth the price of admission alone. Wendell Berry gets into what it means to be human, to have meaningful relationships and to live in rich community life, challenging our modern individualistic way of life and beautifully offering a different vision

[Donald Linnemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendell Berry is prophetic. Sometimes he stretches me farther than I'm willing to go, but he never fails to be interesting. Here are a couple quotes:

(from his list of modern market/education truths): "The smartest and most educated people are the scientists, for they have already found solutions to all our problems and will soon find solutions to all the problems resulting from their solutions to all the problems we used to have."

"Our present sexual conduct... having 'liberated' itself from the several trusts of community life, is public, like our present economy. It has forsaken trust, for it rests on the easy giving and breaking of promises. And having forsaken trust, it has predictably become political. In private life, as in public, we are attempting to correct bad character and low motives by law and litigation. 'Losing kindness,' as Lao-tzu said, 'they turn to justice.'... The difficulty is that marriage, family life, friendship, neighborhood, and other personal connections do not depend exclusively or even primarily on justice-though, of course, they all must try for it. They depend also on trust, patience, respect, mutual help, forgiveness-in other words, the practice of love, as opposed to the mere feeling of love."

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't one of my favorite Wendell Berry books, but I was fascinated by his in depth discussion of community. The ways community can be fostered and sustained or destroyed form the crux of this book.

"The freedom of the community is the more fundamental and the more complex. A community confers on its members the freedoms implicit in familiarity,mutual respect, mutual affection, and mutual help; it gives freedom its proper aims; and it prescribes or shows the responsibilities without which no one can be legitimately free, or free for every long. But to confer freedom or any other benefits on its members, a community must also be free from outside pressure or coercion. It must, in other words, be so far as possible the cause of its own changes;it must change in response to its own changing needs and local circumstances, not in response to motives,powers or fashions coming from elsewhere. The freedom of the individual, by contrast, has been construed customarily as a license to pursue any legal self-interest at large and at will in the domain of public liberties and opportunities.

These two kinds of freedom, so understood, are clearly at odds. In modern times, the dominant freedom has been that of the individual......"

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started out with a copy borrowed from the library, and halfway through I ordered one from a local bookseller through Amazon. I bet there's something for everyone in this book. There were times I was moved to tears. I nearly always felt like what he was saying was so obvious and logical, it was perplexing how different it was from what prevails in our collective societal psyche. It may be a little bit challenging, or it may be very liberating. Or it may be just the rambling ideas of "a white Protestant heterosexual man," who "take[s:] no particular pride in [his:] membership in this unfashionable group." Although the ideas are not overly complex, and the book is not long, it may take a while to get through it. Not the sort of thing you bite off in huge chewy chunks. Feast on it, yes, but digest as you go. I wish I would have read it with someone else. It's the sort of thing that would discuss well, as part of a long-term, highly-involved, and committed conversation. And then acted upon as one is able.

[Greta Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've finished so far this year. Wendell Berry discusses the intricacies of community and how it differs from the public that has become the place for public discourse in a fragmented modern American culture. He describes how an unbridled economy has devalued local communities where the household is the unit of membership, and respect for persons / personal relationships, nature and ecology are being usurped by overly abstract, general thought and policy. Biting at times, but not without reason, or hope.

[John Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wendell Berry is a name that has come up over and over in my reading and in discussions with other readers. Most intriguing to me was the fact that his writing — covering topics from politics to religion to current affairs, and everything in between — has been recommended to me by friends and acquaintances from all political and theological stripes, spanning the entire spectrum from left to right. One of the book's endorsements pointed out Berry's "unique position in American social debate: not liberal, not conservative, not libertarian, but always sharp-tongued and aglow with common sense." Sounds like my kind of writer!

Berry is one of the last century's most prolific writers of poems, short stories, essays, and novels. He also taught at the University of Kentucky during the time that both of my parents attended there. Even today at the age of 75, he is an active speaker, teacher, and advocate for the ideas he has set forth in his writing.

I chose for my first foray into the writing of Wendell Berry this book, which is a collection of eight essays (the last of which provides the title for the book) centered loosely around the theme of economics, though there is a diversity of themes represented in the various essays. I feel that I ought to present my review of this book on two levels: Quality and Content.

The quality of Berry's writing is first-rate. I've read many books that I would classify as well-written, but there are occasional books that are a joy to read, simply because of the way an author has been gifted in the art of sculpting stories through the medium of words. This is one of those books, and Berry is one of those gifted writers. It is no wonder that people of so many different backgrounds have enjoyed his writing. I think I would enjoy reading his essays even if I disagreed with him on every point!

Which brings us to content. I don't believe there could be anyone who disagrees with Berry on every point, simply because of the sheer common sense and pragmatism with which he writes. I imagine that I'd quite enjoy reading his essays even if I was in complete opposition to his conclusions, which I am not. Of course, I doubt as well that there is anyone who will completely agree with Berry, but this would please the author, who states in the foreword, "An essayist has no right to expect complete agreement but has a certain responsibility to ward it off. If you tell me, dear reader, that you agree with me completely, then I must suspect one or both of us of dishonesty."

Berry is in no danger of being completely agreed with, as he is the rare individual who can be classified as truly "other" in nearly every way. As he lays out his philosophy on economics, the environment, war, religion, and any number of other things, he goes to great lengths to avoid being boxed into what he calls "political packages". He believes strongly in conserving and preserving the environment, but is not an "environmentalist". He hates war, and is highly critical of militarism, but is not what we would typically think of as a "pacifist". He is a self-described "contrarian" and "dissenter", but also a great American patriot. At every point he fairly but critically evaluates American culture as he observes it (the essays in this book were written between 1991 and 1994), while outlining his vision of what ought to be, with a practical (though not at all easy) plan for how it could be accomplished.

You (and I) will have to read more of his writing to truly comprehend Berry's positions, but I'll attempt to briefly outline some of them as set forth in these essays:

Strong focus on developing the community and local economy

Berry writes in the tradition of the " Southern Agrarians ", believing that the key to success in and joy of life is rooted in land ownership and conservation. Each person should own land, growing crops and raising livestock to support their own family. Neighbors should spend time together, supporting each other both financially (by buying/selling within their local community as much as possible) and socially (by bearing one another's burdens and encouraging one another's successes). The key to common safety and defense is good relations within the community, and between neighboring communities. He upholds the Amish as an example of a community that lives in such a way, but does not advocate separation from society-at-large as they do.

There is not much hope (or use) for cities in Berry's worldview. Cities separate people from the land, and create foreign dependence and a society built on competition rather than on mutual success. He exhibits both optimism and pessimism toward the possibility of a future worldwide agrarian society (his idea of a utopia). Optimism, in that he believes that all it would take is for small, local pockets of people to begin to live in such a way, influencing first their neighborhood, then their towns, counties, states, nation, and eventually the world, as people learn to live peaceably together and to desire mutual success rather than attempting to "climb to the top" at others' expense. Pessimism, in that he does not see this as a realistic possibility, because humans are generally too selfish and greedy.

Conservation of God's Creation

Berry believes in the inherent goodness of God's creation, and feels that humans, as the height of creation, have an obligation to be good stewards of the land and creatures. He agrees with anti-Christian conservationists that the Church has a terrible track record of stewardship, but sees Christians as the best potential solution, not the greatest problem. We need only see that everything belongs to God and that we are to care for what He allows us to "own", extending our influence as we are able.

In the only essay where Berry specifically speaks of his Christian beliefs, though, he goes too far in his high-view of Creation, bordering on worshiping creation more than the Creator. His views on Biblical interpretation seem to be somewhere between the Julius Wellhausen tradition of "higher criticism" and the deism of Thomas Jefferson. Alarmingly, he also speaks of God's Spirit residing in animals, plants, and the dust itself, which is a heterodox idea found in panentheism and the gnostic Gospel of Thomas, not Scripture.

While Berry describes himself as a Protestant, his actual doctrinal beliefs (as near as I can discern from these essays) would be rejected by all but the most liberal of Christian theologians.

Peaceableness toward enemies

Written in the aftermath of the Gulf War, Berry devotes one essay in this collection to defining his philosophy of "peaceableness". He advocates applying the Biblical command to live peaceably with neighbors on a national scale. This does not imply a passive non-violence, nor aggressive anti-war protesting. Instead, it requires an "active peace", that would require as much courage and sacrifice (frequently including lives) as war. His concept of peaceableness is an outworking of his agrarian society on an international level, when nations would genuinely desire the mutual success of all others, rather than engaging in power struggles that ultimately accomplish nothing but endless cycles of destruction. Though many discount this idea as being naive or unrealistic, he rightly points out that it has rarely been attempted, and that some nations, such as Switzerland, have successfully implemented policies of peace for extended periods of time.

Decreased reliance on technology

Berry is adamantly opposed to most uses of technology. He sees most technology as destructive both to the land and to our communities, because our interpersonal relationships are increasingly impersonal. He is in favor of
"natural" technological advances that improve our ability to responsibly farm the land or to communicate with one another, so long as we don't become overly reliant on technology.

************************************************************

Overall I agree with Berry on many points. I like the idea of buying local and building a strong local economy based on mutual success and good relationships. I believe this type of economic situation (rather than Marxism/socialism as some suggest) is what is described in the New Testament (see Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35 ) when believers in the early church "had all things in common". I would wonder, though, whether there might be a scenario in which this type of philosophy might be applied to the culture we see today. Is there a "middle ground" in which people rely less on technology and more on personal interaction, developing our local economy and limiting our dependence on outside (whether foreign or other domestic communities) goods, and being responsible stewards of Creation, without completely reverting to a totally agrarian society? I don't know. If it is possible, it will only happen because of the leadership of great thinkers and communicators such as Wendell Berry, though hopefully with a better grasp of God's purposes for Man as set forth in His Word. We must remember that, as much as we love God's Creation (including our fellow Man), this world is not our home. Our desire for perfect community will be found only in the Body of Christ, and will only be realized in the Heavenly Kingdom that is yet to come.

[Leslie Boothe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly thought provoking on every subject mentioned in the title.

So many interesting ideas...

He brings up:

the dangers of globalization

Environmentalism and Christianity

How the conservation of “scenic” places and “natural resources” is elevated above the conservation of fertile lands. Think of national parks and oil+coal country. Persevered for different purposes.

he bring up how much of the public cultural freedoms we have obtained the the last century and how they are used to exploit us and further entrap us into a monoculture of industrial dependency. Think of the sexual revolution being a movement of free love and how now sexuality and sexually explicit things that are now publicly accepted are exploited and used in advertisements to build profit for large corporations.

Speaking on the public disrespect for rural communal life: “What is the difference between the artist who wishes to offend the ‘provincials’, and the industrialist or developer who whisked to dispossess them or covert them into a ‘labor force’?”

Idk he just make everything simple. I didn’t agree with everything he said but it was all so interesting and thought provoking. He’s my man. Love him.

[Rachel Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of essays to read over summer when I’ve got more time to think. The essay “Conservation and Local Economy” was a good one to have first, because I felt that it got me thinking about ideas that would be addressed in other essays. In “Out of Your Car, Off Your Horse” I found the idea very thought provoking that in order to be sure we aren’t taking from the land more than it can support we need to be taking from land that we can see and know. “Conservation is Good Work” was a chance to turn more inward and look at ways that I support exploitative economies, and also an encouragement that the work of changing that is good and also slow work. “Christianity and the Survival of Creation” was sooo interesting and gave lots of food for thought. Overall the idea I took most from it is that Creation is a gift, and we should use it with respect and acknowledgment of its source. And the final essay, “Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community”, definitely presenting the most totally new thoughts to me. I had to stop a lot in that one to think about whether I agreed with what he was saying, or even whether I had a frame of reference for what he was saying. I saw reviews before reading this that said that essay was worth getting the book, and I would agree. Overall highly recommend :)

[Rachel Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many good and hard to swallow ideas about how our post-industrial economy permeates so much of our lives - I love Berrys commitment to localism and community and environmentalism and he really pushes me to examine how I do things and participate in the economy/my community.

I balked a bit at his thoughts on sex/sexual liberation as well as his words about freedom of speech and feel that they lacked nuance and read as a bit backwards. Berry has a tendency to romanticize the past a bit and I think it’s wise to remember that though folks in the past were of course more connected to their local communities, the ways our society has moved forward in terms of social acceptance and inclusivity is good. It was good to read a beloved author and find that we don’t agree on everything and to consider why our opinions differ.

[Riley Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendell Berry here lays out his vision of communal life. This is the most cohesive set of his essays I’ve yet read (I’ve not read them all). He is an interesting mixture of anti-capitalist, conservative, Christian. I’m down for it. Especially fantastic is his discussion of sex.

If I had a critique (I don’t), it’s that he boils everything down to “community.” Instead of the monoculture of globalism and nationalism, we should embrace the anarchy of small communities which differ from one another. But he doesn’t address any of the excesses of small towns. One gets the impression that for Berry, small = paradise. This is likely not true (and not a real criticism I share); but it was missing from the conversation.

[Lydia Camp]

The most cogent arguments i’ve heard for the things i don’t agree with: a nuanced sort of protectionism, populism, and conservatism. Berry fills in an interesting space politically—anti-government, anti-consumerism, pro-community and certainly anti-neoliberalism—and I appreciated his perspective but found his suggestions quixotic at times. Let’s just say he would hate Trump but still vote for him.

[Brooke Bowlin]

Everyone should read a little Wendell Berry!

“The question before us, then, is an extremely difficult one: How do we begin to remake, or to make, a local culture that will preserve our part of the world while we use it? We are talking here not just about a kind of knowledge that involves affection but also about a kind of knowledge that comes from or with affection— knowledge that is unavailable to the unaffectionate and that is unavailable to anyone in the form of ‘information.’"

[John Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece. I know I'm in a Wendell Berry phase right now, but I've never read an author so thoughtful and insightful about what it means to live well in right relationship to land, community, God, and oneself. I hate that he wrote these 40 years ago because the issues have only gotten more urgent.

[Zachary Moll · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I don’t think it is enough appreciated how much an outdoor book the Bible is... It is best read and understood outdoors, and the farther outdoors the better.”

A solid book that cuts through our political divide and continues to hold relevance today. Berry writes clearly and honestly.

[Ryan Creamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have never heard someone articulate the differentiation between individual freedom and community freedom. Like George Bailey from Its a Wonderful Life’s desire to rush out into the big ol world and explore “I want to do what I want to do”, vs the rich community he builds by watering the relationships in his life. Individualism maybe bad????

[Sarah Elizabeth Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading from the beginning. But the final (and title) essay is absolute gold, particularly in our post #metoo world.

[Alex O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banger