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Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth: the Guide to Sustainable Shire Living
Do the crises in our world worry you? The pollution, the violence, the corruption, the apathy? Have you ever wished you could escape? Step through a mirror directly into Middle Earth?
Steve Bivans, in his book, Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth, argues that we are already there. He examines the problems facing mankind and our planet today through the lens of Tolkien’s world and the War of the Ring. The similarities are all around you, and the struggle is indeed very real. Middle Earth faced destruction at the hands of Sauron and Saruman; our world is under attack from the metaphorical Two Towers: Ignorance & Fear, and Poverty & Greed. Saruman-ic, Corporate Capitalism threatens to control and poison our agriculture, education systems, governments, and our common property—both real and cultural. Worst of all, our sense of humanity and hospitality is being sapped and despoiled. If left to continue unabated, the modern Saurons and Sarumans will devour the basic resources essential to our survival: the water, soil, and the very air we breathe.
Our world has lost its 'Shireness.' Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth is a guide to bringing our ‘Shireness’ back, from the bottom up: one Hobbit, one home, and one Shire at a time.
Steve Bivans draws positive lessons from Tolkien's works as a metaphorical map, a guide for reconnecting communities, and rebuilding them into sustainable, modern Shires. While our modern challenges seem complicated, nearly impossible, the solutions are really quite simple. The first step on that journey is a change of mind, a transformation from Modern Humans into Modern Hobbits. Only with this new way of thinking can we begin to clean up our scoured Shires: the damage done to our food supply, to our environment, to our communities, and to our political systems. Will that be easy? No, it will not. After all, realizing that the One Ring must be destroyed, was a simple concept, one that even a rustic Hobbit like Frodo Baggins could understand. Carrying it all the way to Mordor to accomplish the mission was another matter, so was cleaning up the Shire when he and his companions returned home.
Such it is for us. The situation for our planet is dire; Mordor is at the door and the Black Riders are burning our Shires. What will YOU do? Will you destroy the Ring? Or will you hang on to your ‘precioussss’?
Do you have to move ‘to the country’ and live in a hole in the ground?
Absolutely not. Moving isn’t necessary. Instead, we need to bring Nature into our minds, and into those spaces we call home. We must change our story. We need to remember that we are PART of Nature, not Nature’s masters. We need to return to harmony with Nature and with each other, to become what humans were destined to be, builders of gardens and Shires, as Hobbits, not Masters over creatures great and small. You can be a Hobbit, anywhere. Even in a condo in the middle of a city! So buy the book, read it, tell everyone you know about it, then Be a Hobbit, and Save the Earth!
Steve Bivans, in his book, Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth, argues that we are already there. He examines the problems facing mankind and our planet today through the lens of Tolkien’s world and the War of the Ring. The similarities are all around you, and the struggle is indeed very real. Middle Earth faced destruction at the hands of Sauron and Saruman; our world is under attack from the metaphorical Two Towers: Ignorance & Fear, and Poverty & Greed. Saruman-ic, Corporate Capitalism threatens to control and poison our agriculture, education systems, governments, and our common property—both real and cultural. Worst of all, our sense of humanity and hospitality is being sapped and despoiled. If left to continue unabated, the modern Saurons and Sarumans will devour the basic resources essential to our survival: the water, soil, and the very air we breathe.
Our world has lost its 'Shireness.' Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth is a guide to bringing our ‘Shireness’ back, from the bottom up: one Hobbit, one home, and one Shire at a time.
Steve Bivans draws positive lessons from Tolkien's works as a metaphorical map, a guide for reconnecting communities, and rebuilding them into sustainable, modern Shires. While our modern challenges seem complicated, nearly impossible, the solutions are really quite simple. The first step on that journey is a change of mind, a transformation from Modern Humans into Modern Hobbits. Only with this new way of thinking can we begin to clean up our scoured Shires: the damage done to our food supply, to our environment, to our communities, and to our political systems. Will that be easy? No, it will not. After all, realizing that the One Ring must be destroyed, was a simple concept, one that even a rustic Hobbit like Frodo Baggins could understand. Carrying it all the way to Mordor to accomplish the mission was another matter, so was cleaning up the Shire when he and his companions returned home.
Such it is for us. The situation for our planet is dire; Mordor is at the door and the Black Riders are burning our Shires. What will YOU do? Will you destroy the Ring? Or will you hang on to your ‘precioussss’?
Do you have to move ‘to the country’ and live in a hole in the ground?
Absolutely not. Moving isn’t necessary. Instead, we need to bring Nature into our minds, and into those spaces we call home. We must change our story. We need to remember that we are PART of Nature, not Nature’s masters. We need to return to harmony with Nature and with each other, to become what humans were destined to be, builders of gardens and Shires, as Hobbits, not Masters over creatures great and small. You can be a Hobbit, anywhere. Even in a condo in the middle of a city! So buy the book, read it, tell everyone you know about it, then Be a Hobbit, and Save the Earth!
- GenresReference
491 pages, ebook
First published December 16, 2014
112 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Steve Bivans
10 books35 followersSteve Bivans is the Author of Anno Draconis: The Viking Saga of Litt Ormr; A Ghost of an Idea; Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth, and the The End of Fear Itself; and Vikings, War, and the Fall of the Carolingians.
He has a master’s degree in medieval history, is an expert on Viking Warfare and Culture, Tolkien’s Middle Earth
He has a master’s degree in medieval history, is an expert on Viking Warfare and Culture, Tolkien’s Middle Earth
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 3, 2014
This is the book to read if you are interested in saving the planet, defeating global corporate hegemony and getting in touch with your inner Hobbit! Steve Bivans has created the official guide to saving the earth from the bottom up with wit, candor and not a little bit of Southern truth tellin'. Set within the framework of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy and much beloved, The Hobbit, Steve shows us how we can take back our Shires and defeat the Sarumans and Saurons of our Earth by living as modern Hobbits. Including epigraphs from Mark Twain to Gandhi to Spinal Tap, and all points in between, Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth isn't just a great book title - it's an invitation to a party under Bilbo's party tree that you just can't afford to miss.
December 6, 2014
The book starts with a very apt quote from Tolkien which expresses his belief that the real threat to humanity today is not Sauron (the great and destructive evil who would use magical power to enslave everyone), but the real threat is in fact Saruman (the wizard who would burn down the forests and raise up a industrial army of workers who continue to pillage nature in order to produce profit). Part I of the book demonstrates how this destruction of nature has been occurring in our world. Just as the peace-loving hobbits were unable (or unwilling) to see the problems which threatened the green and beautiful land, so to we must look ahead and past current conditions to realize that an ecological disaster looms on the horizon. Part II examines the problems with one of the foundational assumptions of all large, modern human societies—that the Earth belongs to us and we were meant to rule and use it. In Part III, the book turns to ways in which we can realign our thinking to focus less on what we can get from the Earth and look to find less destructive ways of living. Part III comes up with strategies for more holistic living which would allow us to both use resources more wisely and be more connected with the people of our communities—just like the hobbits in the Shire were.
Another major theme that weaves in and out throughout the book is storytelling. The importance of storytelling is in keeping with the work of Tolkien (who was by anyone's standards a great storyteller) and the hobbits' love of hearing stories. Bivans suggests that how we tell the stories of Middle Earth and those of our own lives is actually very important. We need to come to grips with the fact that our collective past and present actions are connected to many problems, which can give the story a sort of dark undertone. Yet we should learn from the Hobbits and not tell our stories in such a negative way that we are tempted to throw up our hands and say the world is in an impossible situation.
The main gist of the book is that we have to move away from that mindset and instead embrace the idea that we, like the hobbits (who were neither mystical wizards nor mighty warriors) can still save the world through a series of seemingly small actions. Just as a fellowship was necessary to destroy the ring and defeat Sauron, a community of people working to shake off the grip of excessive consumption can actually make a huge difference.
Note: A thorough knowledge of Tolkien's books will be very helpful in understanding some of the author's allusions. Many of the references are to lore which appears in the Silmarillion or some of Tolkien's short pieces. Much of this material does not appear in the movies, so read the original books! (I promise they are worth it).
Another major theme that weaves in and out throughout the book is storytelling. The importance of storytelling is in keeping with the work of Tolkien (who was by anyone's standards a great storyteller) and the hobbits' love of hearing stories. Bivans suggests that how we tell the stories of Middle Earth and those of our own lives is actually very important. We need to come to grips with the fact that our collective past and present actions are connected to many problems, which can give the story a sort of dark undertone. Yet we should learn from the Hobbits and not tell our stories in such a negative way that we are tempted to throw up our hands and say the world is in an impossible situation.
The main gist of the book is that we have to move away from that mindset and instead embrace the idea that we, like the hobbits (who were neither mystical wizards nor mighty warriors) can still save the world through a series of seemingly small actions. Just as a fellowship was necessary to destroy the ring and defeat Sauron, a community of people working to shake off the grip of excessive consumption can actually make a huge difference.
Note: A thorough knowledge of Tolkien's books will be very helpful in understanding some of the author's allusions. Many of the references are to lore which appears in the Silmarillion or some of Tolkien's short pieces. Much of this material does not appear in the movies, so read the original books! (I promise they are worth it).
January 3, 2015
It's actually kind of amazing that no one has thought to make the connection between the modern struggle to fix our broken society and ecological problems and JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga before, but in Steve Bivans' new book Be A Hobbit, Save the Earth: The Guide to Sustainable Shire Living he does exactly that and does it with style as well as substance. Given that The Hobbit and the LOTR is probably more popular now than ever before, this book comes at the right time to reach out to those new legions of fans that Peter Jackson's movies have created. Bivans' knowledge and understanding of the world and characters of Middle Earth is exhaustive and he very ably manages to connect Tolkien's world with our own in such a way that just seems natural and logical. Despite the fact that he is a trained historian, his writing style does feel like an exercise in academia but rather it comes across as easily accessible and is filled with a self deprecating humor that quickly endears him to the reader. Bivans' wit is equal to his wisdom and that is one of the primary things that sets this book apart from every other liberal treatise on sustainable living.
The book is broken up into three main sections, the first of these entitled “Mordor is at the Door”. This section is where the author lays out in detail exactly what he feels are the main problems that we as a society face today. From our continued reliance on oil and other fossil fuels, to the advent and spread of GMO crops and foods, to the ever exponentially increasing issue of overpopulation, to climate change, to the loss of the sense of “community” and “fellowship” in our modern materialistic society, to the firm grip that corporations have on government and society, Bivans takes the reader point by point through these very important issues all while managing to always circle back and tie it in with Tolkien's universe. He is particularly vehement against what he refers to as the “Sarumans” of our world – the top 1% fat cat corporate owners who often start out with good intentions but end up corrupted, like the Saruman in LOTR, by profit and power. While I don't agree with some of the points and politics contained herein, the overarching point is that these are very real problems that need to be addressed in some way in order for the human race to not only succeed, but survive in the not to distant future.
The next section, “The One Ring: a History of Our Middle Earth and Why Things Are The Way They Are”, is the real meat and potatoes of the book. Here is where Bivans really lays out his thesis and uses his training as an historian to his advantage. Heavily influenced by the work of Daniel Quinn, particularly Quinn's radically earth shattering book Ishmael, Bivans argues that our version of the “One Ring to Rule Them All” is the advent of what Quinn dubbed the “Taker” culture – the idea that the Earth was put here for man to rule, use, and abuse at will which came into being right about the same time as the Agricultural Revolution swept across the ancient world. Bivans' impassioned arguments to support his thesis are very convincing and you can certainly tell this is a subject and idea that is near and dear to his heart. Some of it does have a bit of that ultra-leftist, hippy-dippy bent to it, but at the same time he manages to avoid going completely over into liberal la-la land and keeps things on a more practical and even keel. While he decries capitalism for it's own sake and the poisonous effects of the motive of profit run wild, he does got out of his way to make the reader understands that he does not believe that capitalism, the market economy, or profits in and of themselves are “evil” per se, which is the predominant argument that pervades similar works, but rather it is the “greed” and “fear” of the “Taker” mentality that has become so ingrained in our society that poisons the well. Like Frodo, Bivans argues that we must take our own Ring, the “Taker” mentality, and throw it into the proverbial fires of Mount Doom in order to overcome the very real obstacles we face today and create a culture more harmonious with itself and with nature. Again, he manages to tie all of his ideas back into the LOTR mythos in a way that makes it all seem so obvious, as if this was the very message that Tolkien meant to teach us the whole time.
The third section of the book is where Bivans gets into his ideas on things the we as individuals and as a society can do to help to change ourselves and the way we do things to create a more sustainable future for mankind. Much of it is the usual kind of stuff that most of us have heard before – grow your own food, connect with and share with your neighbors and community, reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, find alternatives to corporate “brands” and goods, etc, etc. While at times you do get that “I've heard all this before” feeling, Bivans writing style always keeps things interesting and he does come up with some unique and interesting ideas that you may not have heard or thought about before. The overarching idea of this section is the idea of the “tipping point”. The idea that if each of us started small, at his/her own pace, and made changes in our own lives then eventually, if enough people did that, there will be a point where everything clicks and the rest of society will jump on the bandwagon. Bivans points out that this very “tipping point” phenomenon is the exact same way that most corporations market their own ideas and goods and creates fads and fashions that often eventually become the norm. According to Bivans, we must steal a play from the “evil” corporations own playbook and use it against them to bring them down and create a more sustainable world.
This is a book that will make you think and teach you a few things all while entertaining you at the same time. Fans of Tolkien and the LOTR will surely find much to enjoy here, but even if you are only casually familiar with those works you can still find much here that you can connect with. You may not agree with every single point, but it's hard to argue with the underlying theme that runs throughout the book. The thing that fascinates me the most, and something that Bivans only briefly addresses in the book, is the idea of the necessity of myth to humankind - the whole Jungian/Campbellian idea of the deep seeded archetypes and power of myth to direct and set a clear path for man to live by. Mankind needs heroes, examples to live by and ideals to strive towards. In modern society we have lost sight of that and by fusing the world of Tolkien with the need to make more sustainable changes to our culture and society, Bivans is seeking to fill that hole in our modern thinking with the vibrant mythology that Tolkien created decades ago. The ever increasing popularity of things like LOTR and Star Wars proves that modern man yearns for these types of myths and we just need someone to tie it all together and point us in the right direction using these modern myths as templates. Bivans has laid the groundwork, it's now up to us to pick up the ball and run with it. Will you accept the challenge?
The book is broken up into three main sections, the first of these entitled “Mordor is at the Door”. This section is where the author lays out in detail exactly what he feels are the main problems that we as a society face today. From our continued reliance on oil and other fossil fuels, to the advent and spread of GMO crops and foods, to the ever exponentially increasing issue of overpopulation, to climate change, to the loss of the sense of “community” and “fellowship” in our modern materialistic society, to the firm grip that corporations have on government and society, Bivans takes the reader point by point through these very important issues all while managing to always circle back and tie it in with Tolkien's universe. He is particularly vehement against what he refers to as the “Sarumans” of our world – the top 1% fat cat corporate owners who often start out with good intentions but end up corrupted, like the Saruman in LOTR, by profit and power. While I don't agree with some of the points and politics contained herein, the overarching point is that these are very real problems that need to be addressed in some way in order for the human race to not only succeed, but survive in the not to distant future.
The next section, “The One Ring: a History of Our Middle Earth and Why Things Are The Way They Are”, is the real meat and potatoes of the book. Here is where Bivans really lays out his thesis and uses his training as an historian to his advantage. Heavily influenced by the work of Daniel Quinn, particularly Quinn's radically earth shattering book Ishmael, Bivans argues that our version of the “One Ring to Rule Them All” is the advent of what Quinn dubbed the “Taker” culture – the idea that the Earth was put here for man to rule, use, and abuse at will which came into being right about the same time as the Agricultural Revolution swept across the ancient world. Bivans' impassioned arguments to support his thesis are very convincing and you can certainly tell this is a subject and idea that is near and dear to his heart. Some of it does have a bit of that ultra-leftist, hippy-dippy bent to it, but at the same time he manages to avoid going completely over into liberal la-la land and keeps things on a more practical and even keel. While he decries capitalism for it's own sake and the poisonous effects of the motive of profit run wild, he does got out of his way to make the reader understands that he does not believe that capitalism, the market economy, or profits in and of themselves are “evil” per se, which is the predominant argument that pervades similar works, but rather it is the “greed” and “fear” of the “Taker” mentality that has become so ingrained in our society that poisons the well. Like Frodo, Bivans argues that we must take our own Ring, the “Taker” mentality, and throw it into the proverbial fires of Mount Doom in order to overcome the very real obstacles we face today and create a culture more harmonious with itself and with nature. Again, he manages to tie all of his ideas back into the LOTR mythos in a way that makes it all seem so obvious, as if this was the very message that Tolkien meant to teach us the whole time.
The third section of the book is where Bivans gets into his ideas on things the we as individuals and as a society can do to help to change ourselves and the way we do things to create a more sustainable future for mankind. Much of it is the usual kind of stuff that most of us have heard before – grow your own food, connect with and share with your neighbors and community, reduce your reliance on fossil fuels, find alternatives to corporate “brands” and goods, etc, etc. While at times you do get that “I've heard all this before” feeling, Bivans writing style always keeps things interesting and he does come up with some unique and interesting ideas that you may not have heard or thought about before. The overarching idea of this section is the idea of the “tipping point”. The idea that if each of us started small, at his/her own pace, and made changes in our own lives then eventually, if enough people did that, there will be a point where everything clicks and the rest of society will jump on the bandwagon. Bivans points out that this very “tipping point” phenomenon is the exact same way that most corporations market their own ideas and goods and creates fads and fashions that often eventually become the norm. According to Bivans, we must steal a play from the “evil” corporations own playbook and use it against them to bring them down and create a more sustainable world.
This is a book that will make you think and teach you a few things all while entertaining you at the same time. Fans of Tolkien and the LOTR will surely find much to enjoy here, but even if you are only casually familiar with those works you can still find much here that you can connect with. You may not agree with every single point, but it's hard to argue with the underlying theme that runs throughout the book. The thing that fascinates me the most, and something that Bivans only briefly addresses in the book, is the idea of the necessity of myth to humankind - the whole Jungian/Campbellian idea of the deep seeded archetypes and power of myth to direct and set a clear path for man to live by. Mankind needs heroes, examples to live by and ideals to strive towards. In modern society we have lost sight of that and by fusing the world of Tolkien with the need to make more sustainable changes to our culture and society, Bivans is seeking to fill that hole in our modern thinking with the vibrant mythology that Tolkien created decades ago. The ever increasing popularity of things like LOTR and Star Wars proves that modern man yearns for these types of myths and we just need someone to tie it all together and point us in the right direction using these modern myths as templates. Bivans has laid the groundwork, it's now up to us to pick up the ball and run with it. Will you accept the challenge?
November 30, 2019
Might be good for a Tolkien enthusiast that wants to decrease their environmental footprint and has no idea how to get started but will be motivated by constant analogies with Tolkien characters and scenes. Bivans had some useful suggestions and obviously had given some thought to how much of what is happening is interconnected but I found the Tolkien stuff a bit much after a while and his stories were often long and did not contribute enough given the time it took to read them. It was also repetitious in places when again it didn't contribute to the flow.
December 26, 2018
I have been living a minimalist lifestyle and had my first child in 2018. Having my son thoughts changed dramatically like leaving this world cleaner and greener for my son.
Having researched new ways to cut my carbon footprint, eat organic food, and break up with large corporations. This book found its way into my kindle library with its two other books in the series.
The author has a wonderful writing style as he makes it really simple to clean up the Shire.
Having researched new ways to cut my carbon footprint, eat organic food, and break up with large corporations. This book found its way into my kindle library with its two other books in the series.
The author has a wonderful writing style as he makes it really simple to clean up the Shire.
August 9, 2023
Inspirational with many interesting viewpoints and ideas on how to live a more sustainable life. Some parts were less relevant for readers outside of the US, so I skipped/skimmed those (for example when discussing American politicians). When I couldn't sleep last night, I caught myself planning what to grow in my garden when spring arrives.
December 24, 2014
If you want to save the planet, be happier and have a better life - this book is for you!
In this book, Steve Bivans takes the reader on a journey and lays out, step by step, how you can save the Earth from exactly where you are, living the life you’re living right now. What a relief! Written in a conversational and often humorous tone, Bivans uses references to The Lord of the Rings to illustrate the dangers facing our own Middle Earth. They are more similar than any might imagine…
The book is split into three sections. Section One begins in the darkest depths of Mordor with the orcish evilness around us: pollution, waste, war and corruption in its many forms. But don’t despair! Bivans lights these dark places with his humor, personal stories and reassuring hobbity references. There is no fluff here, all anecdotes illuminate the argument like the light of Eärendil itself. Section Two deals with the story we are all telling ourselves as a global community, and like many stories, Bivans suggests, it’s simply not true. We are intertwined in a malicious lie, one we may never have thought to question, and the first step to our liberation is in breaking its bindings. We can do this with our thinking alone.
The central question this book poses is: how do we fix the damage we’ve done to our Earth? Section Three begins with the Scouring of the Shire where we are urged to “clean up what we have,” not only in our environment, but our own personal and collective story. Bivans lays out a detailed, practical guide to things we can all do, right now, to turn the tide and send the darkness back from whence it came!
The message is loud and clear. We need to reorganize our priorities, let go of some unhelpful and probably unconscious beliefs, and make small, enriching changes to our everyday lives. Changes that will make us healthier, happier and broaden our community. We can all become part of that change. Bivans suggests there is a tipping point at which change will occur. It is much lower than I ever dared hope, and its acquisition is easier than I dared imagine.
Are you ready? Then be brave, start the journey, set foot outside your front door, or as the title of this book suggests: Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth!
In this book, Steve Bivans takes the reader on a journey and lays out, step by step, how you can save the Earth from exactly where you are, living the life you’re living right now. What a relief! Written in a conversational and often humorous tone, Bivans uses references to The Lord of the Rings to illustrate the dangers facing our own Middle Earth. They are more similar than any might imagine…
The book is split into three sections. Section One begins in the darkest depths of Mordor with the orcish evilness around us: pollution, waste, war and corruption in its many forms. But don’t despair! Bivans lights these dark places with his humor, personal stories and reassuring hobbity references. There is no fluff here, all anecdotes illuminate the argument like the light of Eärendil itself. Section Two deals with the story we are all telling ourselves as a global community, and like many stories, Bivans suggests, it’s simply not true. We are intertwined in a malicious lie, one we may never have thought to question, and the first step to our liberation is in breaking its bindings. We can do this with our thinking alone.
The central question this book poses is: how do we fix the damage we’ve done to our Earth? Section Three begins with the Scouring of the Shire where we are urged to “clean up what we have,” not only in our environment, but our own personal and collective story. Bivans lays out a detailed, practical guide to things we can all do, right now, to turn the tide and send the darkness back from whence it came!
The message is loud and clear. We need to reorganize our priorities, let go of some unhelpful and probably unconscious beliefs, and make small, enriching changes to our everyday lives. Changes that will make us healthier, happier and broaden our community. We can all become part of that change. Bivans suggests there is a tipping point at which change will occur. It is much lower than I ever dared hope, and its acquisition is easier than I dared imagine.
Are you ready? Then be brave, start the journey, set foot outside your front door, or as the title of this book suggests: Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth!
December 22, 2024
Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth: is an inspirational work which not only chronicles some of the world's major problems, but also encourages us that our individual choices and actions make a difference. In the Lord of the Rings series, it was the individual actions of seemingly "insignificant and little" Hobbits, which saved their world. The author of this book (Steve Bivans), offers many practical suggestions to make our surroundings more like the Shire and our behavior more like those of Hobbits, by extending Humanity. Hospitality and Humor to all. We can become Givers instead of Takers and realize we are part of Nature, instead of continuing to think the world and all it's resources are ours to conquer and squander.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews