Foundational Wisdom
Books We Love
This lovingly selected collection of books has deeply influenced our understanding and approach to sustainability.
These books offer insights, challenge norms, and expand the conversation around building a compassionate and truly sustainable world.
We hope they inspire, inform, and resonate with you as much as they have with us.
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01
Flourishing: A Frank Conversation About Sustainability. Andrew J. R. Hoffman & John R. Ehrenfeld (2013).
THE ESSENCE
Through a thought-provoking dialogue between a Stanford professor and a former student-turned-professor, Flourishing, redefines and challenges the conventional view of sustainability. The book urges us to think beyond “sustaining” to a world where people and nature can truly thrive. The concept of “sustainability-as-flourishing” presents sustainability as an opportunity for balance, growth, connection, spiritual well-being, and purpose.
THOUGHTS TO CARRY FORWARD
Consider current societal systems and question how they can be changed to integrate sustainability as a force for positive change, not just to prevent harm to the planet but to promote mental and physical well-being within us all (sustainability-as-flourishing).
SPARKING INSPIRATION
The conversational format inspires you to think about sustainability as a dialogue, encouraging open, and constructive conversations within your own circles.
READING LEVEL ✹ Easy
02
Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World. Tyson Yunkaporta (2019).
THE ESSENCE
Vividly depicting the origins of Western Society through an uncommon perspective, Sand Talk, dives into our downfalls while presenting Indigenous wisdom as a framework for addressing Western sustainability challenges. Through storytelling, mnemonics, and visuals, Yunkaporta connects us to the fundamental life principles of Indigenous cultures like interconnectedness, resilience, and respect.
THOUGHTS TO CARRY FORWARD
How Indigenous knowledge systems, honed over thousands of years, can solve sustainability challenges that are fundamentally linked to our spirituality and way of life.
SPARKING INSPIRATION
Reflecting on symbols and metaphors as tools for problem-solving, you can see the world’s complex systems, challenges, and solutions in new, interconnected ways.
READING LEVEL ✹ Easy
03
The Overview: Meditations on Nature for a World in Transition. Willow Defebaugh (2023).
THE ESSENCE
A beautifully written, spiritually rich curation of breathtaking photos and intimate short stories, The Overview is an abundance of resources for the creative and sustainably curious mind. With themes ranging from tree networks to blood as a unifying force, it’s hard to read this coffee table book without feeling an inspired sense of clarity and calmness.
THOUGHTS TO CARRY FORWARD
Nature’s rhythms can inspire sustainability practices that are both restorative and adaptable to a changing world by grounding us in the present moment and motivating us to implement positive change.
SPARKING INSPIRATION
How diverse perspectives and stories can enrich our sense of belonging, activism, knowing cool facts, and awe.
READING LEVEL ✹ Easy
These books offer a wealth of perspectives, inviting you into the thinking that drives GSN and the future we’re working toward, so thank you for taking the time to check them out.
04
Sustainability Science. Bert J. M. de Vries (2012).
THE ESSENCE
Formally a textbook, Sustainability Science covers all aspects of the interconnected, dynamic system which is sustainability and its three main sub-systems: human behavior, environmental, and industrial. De Vries combines scientific rigor with practical applications, making complex concepts accessible, all while using examples of sustainability progress throughout history to show how solutions to many of our issues already exist – they just need implementing. This is a great read if you want to understand sustainability from all angles and across industries and countries.
THOUGHTS TO CARRY FORWARD
How scientific analysis, changing Industry, and our species’ history can provide a holistic understanding of sustainability science and how to drive systemic change.
SPARKING INSPIRATION
Many things around us, some of which we may take for granted, are examples of sustainability and societal progress.
READING LEVEL ✹ Dense
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