-
Hi, and thanks for your interest in The Practical Peacemaker. If you’re concerned about violence, poverty and environmental degradation in the world, and feel powerless to make any meaningful response, this book is for you. In it you’ll learn about personal obstacles to peace, the everyday things you have within your control, as well as the ways we as a society have made peaceful habits more difficult (see table of contents below). Throughout the book you’ll find dozens of suggestions, choices you can make in your own daily life, that build momentum toward more peaceful living. Are you ready to become a practical peacemaker? Rest assured that what you do does make a difference!
For ordering information, click here. If you order from me, I’ll be happy to autograph your copy for you.
You can read the Preface (PDF) and the Introduction (PDF) right now. (Go here to download Adobe Acrobat for free to read the PDF files.)
Book contents:
Preface: Simple Living Makes Peace Possible
Introduction: The Three Aspects of Simple Living
Personal Obstacles to Peace
-
* One: Careless Eating and Drinking
-
* Two: Overcommitting Our Time
-
* Three: Instant Gratification
-
* Four: Unexamined Opinions
-
* Five: Anger
Societal Obstacles to Peace
-
* Six: Advertising without Accountability
-
* Seven: Media Saturation
-
* Eight: Rudeness
-
* Nine: Prejudice
-
* Ten: Environmental Degradation
-
* Eleven: Overpopulation
-
* Twelve: War, Terrorism, and Crime
Conclusion:
-
Does What I Do Make a Difference?
For other great titles on similar subjects from my publisher, see the Lantern Books web site.
What Others Are Saying:
"The Practical Peacemaker is courageous, insightful, and spot-on. If enough of us take Lawrence's suggestions, we'll change the world-and any of us who follow her lead will have lives of greater meaning and satisfaction."
—Victoria Moran, author of The Love-Powered Diet and Living a Charmed Life"A practical approach to peace must first acknowledge the main reasons for conflict—and resource disputes are at the top of the list. If we want peace, we must reduce demand for resources (such as oil and water) and share more equitably what we use. Kate Lawrence's work bypasses failed good intentions to get to the heart of both conflict and resolution."—Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute and author of The Party's Over and The Oil Depletion Protocol
"In The Practical Peacemaker, Kate Lawrence explores the root causes of ongoing unrest and dysfunction in our world. Because we 're overfed but undernourished in so many different ways, our eyes are not on the prize: a peaceful, just, and sustainable world. Lawrence shows us how to shift our focus and our actions to these things that really matter."—David Wann, coauthor of Affluenza and author of Simple Prosperity
"Kate Lawrence provides us with a clear, insightful guide for simple living. If you sincerely work to follow this guide you will find that you are in fact actualizing your best nature of selflessness and compassion, liberating yourself from isolation and sorrow. Words are cheap but the transformative PRACTICE of simple living is divine, bringing peace to one’s self and the world."—Ven. Danan Henry Roshi, Spiritual Director, Zen Center of Denver
"This lovely little book is a thoughtful exploration of the barriers to living a life of contentment and satisfaction. Kate Lawrence offers a rich palette of practical peacemaking suggestions based on principles of non-harming, care for others, and commitment to an ethical path. Drawing from her own personal efforts, she shows how practicing peace and compassion can be the true basis for healthy people and communities, and thus a healthy world. Though obstacles are endless, Kate Lawrence convincingly invites us to take up the path of peace in the midst of everyday life, to generate harmony within ourselves as well as among our friends and family."—Stephanie Kaza, author of Mindfully Green, Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Vermont
"Walking our talk is the key to the future. Reading The Practical Peacemaker teaches us the walk to save the earth."—Howard Lyman, author of Mad Cowboy
-
Author Archives: Kate Lawrence
Reducing Food Wastage
I grew up in a clean-your-dinner-plate kind of family, with parents whose food limitations during the Great Depression and World War II rationing had taught them to value food highly. That ethic has stayed with me, so I have been … Continue reading
A Meetup at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary
Last Sunday, I participated in a group tour at the nearest farmed animal sanctuary, Peaceful Prairie, about an hour’s drive east of Denver. Both we and the animals were fortunate to have a warm, clear day to enjoy each other. … Continue reading
Get Vegucated!
I’d been hearing great praise for the documentary Vegucated, and this week was able to see it at a vegan potluck/movie event. Three average meat-eating New Yorkers agree to go vegan for six weeks and have their experience filmed. They … Continue reading
The Value of the Ordinary
Here’s a passage that recently caught my attention. It’s taken from Awakening to Zen, by Philip Kapleau, Roshi: “The deeply aware person sees the indivisibility of existence, the rich complexity and interrelatedness of all life. Out of this awareness grows … Continue reading
Of Dishwashers and Durability
When we bought our present home in 1999, the dishwasher was, shall I say, vintage. In recent months it had become noisy and wasn’t cleaning well; we were looking forward to replacing it with a more efficient model. After some … Continue reading
Expanding Empathy
I’ve been reading The Better Angels of our Nature, Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker’s amazing 2011 landmark study of violence and its decline. Among numerous insights I’ve gained from it are two aspects of empathy I hadn’t really considered. I … Continue reading
Good News About “The Story of Chickens”: Public Slaughter Cancelled
Two weeks ago I blogged in this space about “The Story of Chickens,” a project sponsored by the Spencer Art Museum at the University of Kansas (KU). This so-called “art” exhibit called for the display of five chickens in a … Continue reading
In Vitro Meat–Are You Salivating Yet?
A news story this week reports that a lab-grown or in vitro burger will be available from a science lab in the Netherlands by October. The burger grown from animal stem cells will cost $330,000 to produce, and scientists working … Continue reading
Violence Is Not Art: An Open Letter to the Spencer Art Museum
Today I sent the following letter to my alma mater, the University of Kansas, in protest of an upcoming exhibit at the university’s Spencer Art Museum called “The Story of Chickens.” This project will encourage townspeople to get to know … Continue reading
Wealthy Business Leaders Told To Go Vegan
Here was a surprising link in my inbox: CPI Financial, a website dedicated to offering advice and analysis for bankers and business leaders throughout the Middle East, headlined the recommendation to go vegan. The article, begins as follows: Ok, here’s … Continue reading