Required Reading for the Anthropocene

by Blair Nelsen

How to Live in a Chaotic Climate is required reading for the anthropocene. It is a heart-centered invitation to welcome our feelings about the climate crisis, sit with them, and learn what they can teach us about the ways we should live as we step into an uncertain future.

The authors have expanded upon the materials from their 10 Step climate grief support group methodology to create this book. They take a deeper dive into each step, sharing their empathetic reasoning and their personal stories in greater detail than in the 10 Step resource packet. You do not have to have experienced the 10 steps to get a lot out of this book — it stands on its own. I suspect that this book would be a great comfort for whomever is seeking the kind of support that Good Grief Network offers but who has been unable to join a group so far. This book would also be excellent company for 10 Step participants after they have completed their group journey. I have participated in and facilitated these 10 step groups multiple times, and I also found the book to be of great value. It is helpful to return to the steps often as we face this extended climate crisis. This book is a good reminder of the lessons that we need to put into practice again and again as we grapple with living in self-destructive, toxic systems.

Aimee and LaUra’s well-honed facilitation skills are evident in their writing style as well. They strike a delicate balance between candidly sharing of themselves without hogging the spotlight, leaving enough room for the reader to create their own journey through the material. They are compassionate and nonjudgmental, and they grapple seriously with what hope might truly look like. They make an absolutely compelling case for why inner work — processing our feelings — is a crucial yet often overlooked part of climate work. This inner work staves off burnout, helps us discern the work that truly needs us, and realigns our worldviews with our values. They provide us with a heart-centered roadmap for navigating a world where everything is guaranteed to change.

This review was originally posted on Goodreads.

To preorder How to Live in a Chaotic Climate: https://www.shambhala.com/how-to-live-in-a-chaotic-climate.html

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