Choosing Earth by Duane Elgin draws our vision into and then beyond the tragedies of our own making—climate change, resource exhaustion, social injustices, and rising authoritarianism—presenting collapse as an integral part of our rite of passage if humanity is to grow into a conscious relationship with life. Inviting us into a “wide, deep, and long” view of our present moment and what lies ahead, Elgin urges the human community to open to the transformative work of facing grief and loss, and to work for reconciliation and healing of injustices. With both visionary optimism and unflinching realism, Elgin draws on more than 50 years of research, writing, and activism to develop this guide that plants seeds of possibility for our way through this time of great transformation.
Why it matters: It envisions a fiery initiation that has the potential to transform humanity’s life-denying separations and awaken us to our deep interconnectedness—ultimately inspiring us to work together for the well-being of the entire Earth. Rather than offering false comfort or collapsing into despair, Elgin holds both the severity of our challenges and the possibility of transformation, recognizing that the crises we face call for radical transformation in how we live on the planet. By framing our moment as a rite of passage rather than an ending, the book provides orientation for those willing to face grief and loss while remaining open to what humanity might become on the other side.
