I can\u2019t say personally how well the series would work without first reading\u00a0Ishmael<\/em>, but I suspect it would still work quite well as a stand-alone experience (Alex intended it to be able to work). I\u00a0can<\/em>\u00a0say that I enjoyed it enough to run through twice. I won\u2019t rule out a third pass\u2014which would be a personal first for\u00a0any<\/em>\u00a0podcast series. So, it receives my\u00a0highest recommendation<\/strong>. Give it a try, and tell friends and family about it if you enjoy it. No, I am not getting paid or compensated in any way!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dothemath.ucsd.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/hno-300x300.png\")
<\/a>Alex Leff has created what I think is a masterpiece in his first \u201cseason\u201d of\u00a0Human Nature Odyssey<\/a>. The series is an entertaining, engaging treatment of Daniel Quinn\u2019s 1992 book,\u00a0Ishmael<\/em><\/a>. I read this book and its companions in 2022, finding powerful and important insights that have stuck with me and grown. I highlight these in an account of\u00a0my reading journey<\/a>, and later in a\u00a0dedicated post<\/a>. Alex brings humorous life to the story in a richly textured production.<\/p>\nHolding the Fire<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Dahr Jamail followed his 2020 book\u00a0The End of Ice<\/em><\/a>\u00a0with a palliative book together with coauthor Stan Rushworth called\u00a0We are the Middle of Forever<\/em><\/a>, which presents perspectives from a variety of Indigenous voices within North America (Turtle Island).\u00a0Holding the Fire<\/a>\u00a0expands the effort, in audio form, to an international set of Indigenous people who have wisdom to share. I am struck by the common themes offered by people from such different environments and cultural histories. These commonalities can\u2019t be coincidence, and might light the way for long term success: living on this planet as humble participants within a community of life.<\/p>\nThe Great Simplification<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>I have referenced a few inspirations from\u00a0this series<\/a>, by Nate Hagens, in previous posts. Nate talks to leading scholars, thinkers, practitioners, and activists in the world who are engaging with the meta-crisis in various ways. Nate encourages systems thinking that is not ecologically blind, energy blind, materials blind, etc. It is rewarding to learn that others in the world are thinking about these topics, although the number of guests whose narrow focus appears to result in one or another \u201cblindnesses\u201d is its own sort of lesson as to how rare a broad perspective on the meta-crisis is\u2014but Nate gracefully and gently probes some of the blind spots. Besides the regular series (featuring guests), Nate also creates a sidecar\u00a0\u201cFrankly\u201d series<\/a>\u00a0of shorter installments addressing relevant pieces of the puzzle.<\/p>\nCrazy Town<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller\u2014in association with the Post Carbon Institute\u2014gather (in the same room, no less!) to chew on topics and trends relevant to the meta-crisis.\u00a0 These are\u00a0fun conversations<\/a>, with lots of good-humored jabs at each other.\u00a0 All three are very insightful, compassionate, and well-informed.\u00a0 Their episodes on mega-wankers like Elon Musk are entertaining, as part of a series on \u201cPhalse Prophets.\u201d<\/p>\nDoomer Optimism<\/a><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Finally, I am less familiar with\u00a0this series<\/a>\u00a0except that\u00a0I was a guest<\/b>\u00a0on the recent\u00a0episode 195<\/a>. That\u2019s right: they\u2019re approaching 200 episodes. Among other guests, they have had Bill Rees, Daniel Schmachtenberger, John Michael Greer, Richard Heinberg and Kate Raworth. While I have not explored this one very thoroughly, I resonate with the title, as I am doomerish when it comes to modernity, while remaining oddly optimistic when it comes to humanity.<\/p>\n