Nostalgic Future: Learning from Ladakh

A modest yet rich life in Ladakh, a remote region of the Himalayas, and the storm of modernization and development that descended upon it. The detrimental effects of globalization suddenly intruding upon a utopia that relied on a self-sufficient lifestyle, almost entirely independent of a monetary economy. A young man who proudly declared, "There is no poverty among us," pleads for aid just a few years later, saying, "Poor Ladakh needs your help." Here, the fundamental problems of modernization and Westernization are laid bare, like exposed geological strata. The monetary economy brings about disparities in wealth, the global economy creates desires for things that are fundamentally unnecessary, and it steals time and happiness from people. The author not only laments the lost happiness but also resolves to empirically reveal the essence of globalization and a path beyond it. She suggests that the deep traditional wisdom that thrives in Ladakh is the key to navigating this new path.

Title: Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh
Author: Helena Norberg-Hodge
Publisher: Ancient Futures Books
Publication Date: February 23, 2011
Price: 1,500 yen + tax

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