Category: CommUnity of Minds

Jim Mann Undoubtedly the most relevant book on social evolution published this year—in the last 20 years, in my opinion—is Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny by Robert Wright. The […]

J.Bradford DeLong & A. Michael Froomkin Governments and societies that bet on the market system become more materially prosperous and technologically powerful. The lesson usually drawn from this economic success […]

Jim Mann Community and communication have the same root, historically as well as etymologically. Whether family, village or nation, a community cannot happen unless people agree to live together and […]

Timothy Wilken Notice anything different? I am pleased to announce that the look of the synearth.net websites is changing. Thanks to the help of web designer Bryan Bell and system engineer […]

L. W. Nicholson At this time in our history, the human species is finding it ever more difficult to maintain some degree of synchronization between the two worlds in which […]

by Dee Hock Retirement on the job at the National Bank of Commerce was not all reflection. One day stands out. I had been sent to a suburban office to […]

by Ira Nayman In times of hyper-capitalism, where everything is naturally seen as for sale, the idea that anybody does anything without expectation of financial compensation is considered absurd. Where […]

A book review by Eric Nehrlich After reading Trickster Makes This World, I went back and picked up this earlier book by Lewis Hyde. Again, his mastery of mythology amazes […]

Barbara J. Pescan Trobriand Islanders of the South Pacific have an elaborate ritual way of passing gifts of necklaces and arm bands made of shells. The shells themselves are nicely […]