The Oil Drum BookCollage -#2 of 3 – "Human Capital", How-to Books, etc.

Yesterday we had Part 1 of a three part thread on book recommendations by The Oil Drum readers pertaining to the big picture. This weeks (two) Campfire threads will also be home to book recommendations.

There seems to be growing consensus that the trend of globalization may slow or reverse itself in coming years. In a future trajectory of expensive energy and/or financial instability and/or geopolitical conflicts, overall social interest may revert towards basic needs and stability. I suspect that Post Peak, people will begin to substitute a unit of time and/or labor for what was previously provided via debt/cheap energy. In the past couple generations, we have shifted much of our human capital (knowledge) towards marginal services and heavy specialization. What sort of books might we recommend to others who are interested in either becoming more self-sufficient, learning new skills divorced from a paper/service economy, or anything practical for the various futures predicted Post Peak. My three selections below the fold…

I grew my first garden in my life in 1999 -some cherry tomatoes and blueberries. I have added a bit of experience and creativity each subsequent year. I have recently bought many gardening books, but alas my efforts on Peak Oil puzzle solving have kept me from really reading them. I have owned the ‘bible’ above for many years – it is written with northern gardeners with 1/2-1 acre gardens but there is useful information for most everyone interested in growing food.

This is a book about a couple who left the rat race and tried to slow the pace of their lives down by living on a farm. They found (as have I), that dividing ones day into a diversity of activities results in a fuller and more satisfying life than focusing on one thing all day long. As such, a barbell strategy of 4 hours or so of physical labor (gardening, etc.) and 4 hours of intellectual pursuits makes for a well rounded day (something I am striving for but the damn internets is always there….)

Irrespective of how green your garden grows or how resilient your community is, it helps to understand who you are, where you came from, and what are your behavioral drivers. There are many psychology books out there, the majority worthless. This book (written by a psychologist), is a very readable overview of happiness, emotions and creating personal meaning. Unlike most psychologists, he grounds most of the writing in evolution/neuroscience, which is key in giving the full story on brain/behavior. It’s a good, informative and ‘happy’ book.

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Please add up to three of your own selections, with a brief description of why you recommend them. This Saturday we will have the 3rd thread on book recommendations – what books would you choose to ‘enjoy’ if you had knowledge of big picture and practical know-how already covered.

Thanks for your contributions. Let’s make this a big list….