ARIADNE'S THREAD: THE SEARCH FOR NEW MODES OF THINKING by Mary E. Clark, St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010, 1989 ($39.95, $24.95 paperback). Reviewed by Arthur Gladstone.
This is the best presentation I have seen of essential information about our global predicament and a very helpful guide to thinking about changes toward a sustainable way of life. The title, Ariadne's Thread, refers to the "magical ball which unwound spontaneously to lead Theseus safely into and out of the labyrinth housing the Minotaur." The book grew out of an interdisciplinary course, Our Global Future, which the author, a biologist, taught with colleagues at San Diego State University.
The four principal sections deal with nature's constraints, human nature and cultural worldviews, our Western worldview of possessive individualism, and aspects of needed change. Each topic is treated extensively, from different, well-integrated perspectives. The text is over 500 pages, plus extensive notes and references. The writing is clear and highly readable.
Regaining relatedness is an essential part of the author's recommendations for change. "Survival will require that we in the West begin to take seriously our human feelings of community: community with the land and community with one another." Ariadne's Thread deserves a much more extensive review. I hope that this short note will encourage readers to find the book and judge it for themselves.
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