Anthony Flaccavento is an organic farmer who lives near Abingdon, Virginia. In 2012 and 2018, he ran for the U. S. Congress to represent the southwestern most district in the state. He won the Democratic primary and garnered over 38% of the vote against the victorious Republican incumbent. He is the founder of Appalachian Sustainable Development and is the President of a non-profit called SCALE, which stands for Sequestering Carbon, Accelerating Local Economies. The author of over 100 articles, he has published one previous book, Healthy Food Systems: A Toolkit for Building Value Chains. His new book examines five transitions that the author believes can revitalize American society. They start and end with a new consumer consciousness dedicated to small-scale, sustainable alternatives to dependence upon the current top-down economy and society. His other chapters illustrate small local alternative producers of food, energy, and other vital goods and services; alternative financial and investment institutions; regional and national networks that strengthen these initiatives, and media, art, and civic alternatives. Each of these transitions is the focus of a chapter with an emphasis on concrete examples of successful alternative institutions. This book thus comprises an exciting recounting not only of how individuals can make a difference, but also real reasons to be optimistic despite discouraging day-to-day news.
Lexington, the University Press of Kentucky, 2016, 307 pages with an index, notes, photos, and a Forward by Bill McKibben. Trade paperback: $30.