Tending to Eden - a book worth checking out

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've participated in a "Blog Tour" - I love new blogging experiences! But that aside, I'm really excited about a new book that's just been published called Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People.

Tending to Eden is written by Scott C. Sabin, who is the Executive Director of Plant with Purpose, a Christian organization who recognize the link between poverty and the environment and are committed to sustainable solutions.

According to PwP, the book

"...offers a global perspective on the theological foundation for caring for the earth and its people. Throughout the book, Plant With Purpose Executive Director Scott Sabin recounts his personal journey of helping the poor and the environment and brings the reader into poor rural communities in Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, and Thailand through compelling language and eloquent story telling"

I really can't wait to read the whole book, as I'm genuinely excited to see organizations like this who are motivated by the gospel to engage in agricultural issues in places where there is poverty. One quote from the book that has particularly got me thinking is this:

"The lie of the world, reinforced by the media and believed by millions, is that the poor are worthless. The global economic system measures worth in dollars—you are paid according to how society values your contribution. The message is that as a Haitian farmer, no matter how bright you are, and no matter how hard you work, you will never be worth more than a few hundred dollars a year."

There's a huge fault in the traditional economic thinking that links worth and income; in reality, subsistence farmers can live with little or no income provided they have land, water, seed, etc. By taking someone's income as the measure of their worth, we can overlook some of these indicators of essential resources.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more to say on this book in the future - be sure to check it out.