Alan AtKisson, author of the best-selling book, Believing Cassandra: An Optimist Looks at a Pessimist's World, international consultant as well as a songwriter, pays tribute to the legacy of Donella Meadows, and maps out an optimist's strategy for changing the systems that are endangering the Earth. Copies of Believing Cassandra will be available for purchase and signing at this event.

"Alan AtKisson is the freshest and wisest voice to emerge from the sustainability movement in many years. Believing Cassandra manages to be incisive, humorous, and hopeful. It renews our sense of the possible and expands the dimensions of our collective intelligence, transforming our sense of the future from a curse to a blessing."
-- Paul Hawken, author, The Ecology of Commerce and co-author, Natural Capitalism

Believing Cassandra:
An Optimist Looks at a Pessimist's World

Beautiful Cassandra was gifted with prophecy but cursed with never being believed -- even though she could accurately predict the future. Her mythological story frames the real story of our times, as humanity confronts a rapidly accelerating environmental disaster. Will we "believe Cassandra," or continue to ignore the evidence of science and our own senses? Will we continue down the road to a near-certain collapse -- or will we transform our economies, radically speed up innovation, and prosper in ways we can still barely imagine?

A 1999 best-seller on Amazon.com after just four months in release, Believing Cassandra takes the reader on a guided tour of global trends, and explains how people in business, government, and every walk of life can turn the tide. Author Alan AtKisson never shies away from the stark truth -- but he presents it in a fresh and compelling format that will leave you both informed and inspired to take action.

Alan AtKisson

Consultant, raconteur, and musical performer, AtKisson is a true citizen of the world, whose work has led him to crisscross the globe. He has been the executive editor of In Context magazine, senior fellow with the policy institute Redefining Progress, and co-founder and chair of Sustainable Seattle, a collaborative project to design model-city plans for America's hippest town. He is presently president of AtKisson + Associates, a consulting firm focused on sustainable development and innovation. He divides his time between Seattle, Boston, Stockholm, and travel.

This event is cosponsored by the UCSB Bookstore, Environmental Studies Program, Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, and Sierra Club - Santa Barbara Group.