Rory's new book - Thinking Like A Mountain
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I hope this finds you all well and thriving.
As some of you know, a rather protracted health saga has hampered my ability to work for much of the last 3-4 years.
However, I was able to do a considerable amount of research and - now that I am delighted to report my return to full functionality - I am eager to distil this into a short and accessible book.
The basic idea is to write and self-publish an approx 80,000-word book, entitled Thinking Like a Mountain - Seeking the Source Code for a Regenerative Culture.
A potential subtitle might be: ‘WTF is going on? WTF caused this to happen? WTF can we do about it?’
Please go to https://mangu.tv/podcast/rory-spowers/ to hear a recent discussion with Mangu TV host Giancarlo Canavesio, in which we delve deeper into the main themes of the book.
The book also expands on ideas raised in my 2020 C-19 essay, Is the Virus Our Vaccine, which can be heard at https://theregeneration.me/rorys-covid-19-essay/ as a 90-min audio file.
The core concept is to map out the key parameters that a genuinely regenerative culture would have to integrate, if such a society should emerge, demystifying 'systems thinking' to highlight the shift that is necessary to inform an ecological way of thinking about human relationships with each other and the biosphere.
To be clear, it will not be a polemical tirade, pointing the finger at a 'technocratic cabal' of individuals - but rather an attempt to unravel the conflation of ideologies that appear to have shaped our current predicament over the last 150 years or so, followed by potential ways in which we can collectively play our part in shifting the direction.
I plan to write it in a few weeks, during Sept-Oct, having distilled all the research from the last few years in August. I will then circulate it to key supporters interested in providing editorial feedback in early Nov, prepare for printing late-Nov and then 'print-on-demand' and distribute during December.
In a conventional publishing deal, I would seek an advance against royalties/sales of the book. For my last book, A Year in Green Tea and Tuk Tuks, HarperCollins offered £12k, one-third up front, one-third on completion of the manuscript; one-third on publication; a typical structure.
For this project, I am hoping to raise a minimum of €10k, at least 50% upfront.
My dear friend Giancarlo Canavesio has very kindly got the ball rolling, by offering a very generous donation of €1,000, plus an advance of €1500 against future book sales - or 150 books @ approx @€10 per copy. There will also be free e-book and audio-book versions to follow.
I am therefore proposing three potential options for others willing to support me in this endeavour:
1. A one-off donation
2. An advance against future sales of the book, at approx €10 per copy
3. Donating via this GoFundMe page
Please be in touch with your e-mail address if you wish to discuss any of these various options in more detail, or would like to receive the 5-page pdf which breaks down the structure of the book in detail.
And many many thanks in advance for any support you might be able to offer!
Much love,
Rory x
Rory Spowers
