This draft reads a lot like the personal journal ramblings of a very intelligent, ambitious person who is bent on finding an answer. And as a person who loves a good autobiography, I couldn’t put it down. Paul pulls together “bits and bobs” of life experience and research in search of a solution to one of permaculture’s most important spokes: how to create and live in a community without being dicks to each other.
Every time I get a chance to learn more about Paul’s background and thinky-motivations I am more impressed with the guy. The ramblings in Thorns reveal – again – that the projects he takes on have the flavor of lifelong quests. I like to compare finding solutions to picking a path that goes through the woods – sometimes mapping all the trails that don’t lead to your destination end up being as useful to know about as finding the one that does. The experiences with community building documented in this book have value as examples of what doesn’t work; and it’s heartening to follow Paul along as he plots ways to evolve the human relationship aspect of sustainable living [together].
I hope to see this collection of thoughts, trials, and results grow with the real life work. Regardless of format or profit, the contribution this kind of searching brings to humankind is significant. And if by some miracle Paul’s determination results in finding a system that works… talk about a noble cause.