Saturday Tweets: Squirrels and Other Stuff

...e https://t.co/78VxfA1FNq — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 13, 2017 New book of seminal essays and ideas from the iconic Whole Earth Catalog https://t.co/EzVRGlLMjl — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 13, 2017 Researchers design a handheld centrifuge that only costs 20 cents to make https://t.co/j1aPLieniW — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January 13, 2017 DIY String Light Chandelier for $40 https://t.co/jYVj6Aayt2 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) January...

Read…

Epic Rants and Raves

...19th century summer reading? How about Abe Lincoln’s favorite non-fiction book, An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce, which tells the story of a crew shipwrecked and enslaved by a Saharan tribe (thank you Futility Closet for the tip on that one). And if you’re looking for more seafaring tales there’s always Two Years Before the Mast. Lastly, if you haven’t read Moby Dick, well, what can one say about a book that spends...

Read…

Saturday Tweets: Cheap Heaters, Paper Airplanes and Lost Ornaments

...ps://t.co/n4IvJEytGn — Root Simple (@rootsimple) November 3, 2015 Gorgeous book of paper airplanes collected by anthropologist Harry Smith https://t.co/GFtA3w8rUO — Root Simple (@rootsimple) November 3, 2015 It’s time for food justice in Ramona Gardens https://t.co/SoXTBK27L0 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) November 3, 2015 Beautiful, free/open 3D printed book of lost Louis H. Sullivan architectural ornaments https://t.co/IPgqsjSELq — Root Simple (@ro...

Read…

William Morris is the Marie Kondo We Need

...er an object “sparks joy” or not. The slogan reminds me of David Graeber’s book Bullshit Jobs which shows in sometimes funny, sometimes gut wrenching detail how much of the work done in our time is meaningless, unnecessary and destructive of the planet and the mental health of so many people. A common misunderstanding of Morris message is that he thought that we should all go back to hand work. It’s clear from reading him that it isn’t a matter of...

Read…

RIP Toby Hemenway

...Mollison’s concepts for those of us with small spaces to tend. In his last book he merged permaculture with the City Repair movement and looked at ways we can improve our communities. We desperately need voices like Hemenway’s in this moment of crisis. He will be missed. Someone I greatly admire, Toby Hemenway needs our help. Hemenway is a permaculturalist and a gifted author of books such as Gaia’s Garden and The Permaculture City. In 2015 he was...

Read…