Forty years ago, in the fall of 1968, a remarkable publication appeared: The Whole Earth Catalog. Perhaps no other single resource has so influenced my thinking since. Its "Understanding Whole Systems" section was a direct inspiration for this blog.
Every issue of the Catalog carried this purpose statement:
We are as gods and might as well get good at it. So far remotely done power and glory — as via government, big business, formal education, church — has succeeded to the point where the gross defects obscure actual gain. In response to this dilemma and to these gains a realm of intimate, person power is developing — power of the individual to conduct his own education, find his own inspiration, shape his own environment, and share his adventure with whoever is interested. Tools that aid this process are sought and promoted by the WHOLE EARTH CATALOG.
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