“On Garbage” by John Scanlan, 2005 A philosophical and sociological book, with a very original examination of our culture’s wastes. For John Scanlan, ‘garbage’ represents more than material waste or the effects of environmental degradation; it is understood also as ‘broken’ knowledge, useless concepts, and the remainders of systems of intellectual thought. In this book we see why ‘garbage’ – the detached leftover of our progress - is, the source of all that is valuable. By gaining insight into the nature and extent of the wastes we have created, we can gain insight into the accepted truths of Western culture, and understand the condition of contemporary life only by examining what we have thrown away. The book will interest readers in cultural studies and social theory, philosophy, public health and the environment, and the aesthetics of contemporary art. “Spirit & Place: healing our environment, healing environment” by Christopher Day, 2002 A book that will lead you into the simple path of how to make the world a better place, through better buildings…. . It tells you and me how we can use the elements of light, water, earth, warmth and air to create beautiful buildings. The book shows how to reconcile the apparently incompatible demands of environmental, economic and social sustainability; how to moderate climate to make places of delight and realign social pressures so places both support society and maximize economic viability. Will interest architects, environmentalists, psychologists, healers, and everybody who wants to live in a better world. “Beyond Malthus: nineteen dimensions of the population challenge” by Lester R. Brown, Gary Gardner, Brian Halweil, 2000 The book examines the impacts of population growth on nineteen global resources and services, including food, fresh water, housing, jobs, education, income, health and climate change. ‘Beyond Malthus’ states that there are limits to the demands that an ever-expanding, ever-consuming global population can make of the earth’s resources – and that among the poorest, most vulnerable societies we can, even now, observe the disastrous consequences. The sole, rational solution to this ‘demographic dark hole’ involves the expansion of international cooperation on debt relief, family planning assistance to the millions who lack access and new investment in educating young people in situations of poverty on the benefits of smaller, more sustainable family units. “A Will of Their Own: cross-cultural perspectives on working children” by Mandfred Liebel, 2004 An exciting book which marks a new way of thinking about children’s work in contemporary societies. A controversial and thought-provoking book which prioritizes working children’s own views on their work situation. Liebel articulates children’s attitudes to and experiences of work in a diverse range of settings. He places the issue in both its political and theoretical contexts. By adopting a global focus that links children from countries in the North and South, Liebel challenges us to re-examine common taken-for-granted assumptions about children’s work and the concept of childhood itself. The book will interest academics, activists, policy makers and all of us.