Global Chorus: 365 Voices on the Future of the Planet

by Todd MacLean

Global Chorus is a remarkable, illustrated collection of 365 daily meditations around some very large and increasingly crucial themes:

“Do you think that humanity can find a way past the current global environmental and social crises? Will we be able to create the conditions necessary for our own survival as well as that of other species on the planet? What would these conditions look like? In summary, then, and in the plainest of terms, do we have hope, and can we do it?”

The contributors include writers, environmentalists, spiritual leaders, politicians, professors, doctors, athletes, business people, farmers, chefs, yogis, painters, architects, musicians, TV personalities, humanitarians, children, concerned students and senior citizens, carpenters, factory workers, activists, CEOs, scientists—essentially people who have something passionate and insightful to say about humanity’s place on Earth. Well-known people on the list include environmentalists such as David Suzuki, Paul Hawken and Jane Goodall; scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Edward O. Wilson; personalities such as Jamie Oliver, Maya Angelou, Les Stroud and Bruce Cockburn; humanitarians such as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu; political figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Justin Trudeau and Elizabeth May; writers like Temple Grandin, Farley Mowat and John Ralston Saul; and spiritual leaders like His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and Lama Surya Das. The vast majority of the contributions contained within Global Chorus are completely original, with some coming from public speeches or previously published sources.

And all contributors to this fundraising book have generously and graciously donated their time and efforts, as proceeds from the sales of Global Chorus will be distributed to a select group of organizations helping to recover, protect and sustain life on Earth.

Genres: Nonfiction

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2014

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book, and there were some new ideas that I was very interested to hear. However it was also a bit repetitive, and a bit frustrating. There were also some parts of the book that were outdated as it was published almost 5 years ago and some things have changed. (One disappointment was Justin Trudeau's trite and political comment before he became Prime Minister. It was short and unhelpful - foreshadowing his present inconsistent position on the environment).

Most commentators weighed in on whether they have hope or not. Precious few instead got to the point of concrete things we can do, and do now.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am blessed to be part of this wonderful collection!
February 27, in case anyone is curious.

[HadiDee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A page-a-day book of reflections on climate change. It’s okay, nothing too deep

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely AMAZING collection from across the globe in response to the question(s)
"Do you think that humanity can find a way past the current global environmental and social crises? Will we be able to create the conditions necessary for our own survival, as well as that of other species on the planet? What would these conditions look like? In summary, then, and in the plainest of terms, do we have hope, and can we do it?

Rich with ideas and emotional passages, each selection tugs at your heart and pushes your mind to improve the way you live and to look for opportunities to improve the world. Book proceeds go to charity. Truly inspiring in every way....and my favorite aspect of a great book: it is very quotable. ;)

Kudos Todd Maclean for weaving together this work of art.

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the idea of the book. Get different people, from all walks of life and environmental concerns, to each contribute a one page essay on our environment and what needs to be done. And some of these short essays are just brilliant, and shed new light on issues that I thought that I understood.

The problem is that the essays themselves become unduly repetitive, ploughing the same furrows of global warming and farm-to-table issues. While I know that it already took a lot of work to bring the book together, one suggestion (perhaps for a future edition) would be to have one general topic per month and try to tie the quotes together in a monthly format. In that way, there would at least be a limit of 31 essays on climate change (for example). Other topics: renewable energy, national parks and protected public lands, food production strategies?