World-renowned Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh champions a more mindful, spiritual approach to protecting nature and limiting climate change—one that recognizes people and planet as one and the same. While many experts point to the enormous complexity in addressing issues ranging from the destruction of ecosystems to the loss of millions of species, Thich Nhat Hanh identifies one key issue as having the potential to create a tipping point. He believes that we need to move beyond the concept of the “environment,” as it leads people to experience themselves and Earth as two separate entities and to see the planet only in terms of what it can do for them. Here, Thich Nhat Hanh points to the lack of meaning and connection in peoples’ lives as being the cause of our addiction to consumerism. He deems it vital that we recognize and respond to the stress we are putting on the Earth if civilization is to survive. Rejecting the conventional economic approach, Thich Nhat Hanh shows that mindfulness and a spiritual revolution are needed to protect nature and limit climate change. Love Letter to the Earth is a hopeful book that gives us a path to follow by showing that change is possible only with the recognition that people and the planet are ultimately one and the same.

After wandering through his teenager years with no goals or purpose in life, in 1974 Steve experienced a conversion to Jesus that altered his course in life. With a new and intense excitement to serve God, he pursued the ministry at full speed, graduating from Pacific Christian College (today, Hope University) and Fuller Theological Seminary. Shortly thereafter, Steve became an ordained pastor with American Baptist Churches USA. After serving numerous churches, he was commissioned in 1988 to start Cornerstone Community Church, a new church in Southern California. Ironically, it was during that time that serious doubts arose within his faith, resulting in his leaving the ministry and the faith altogether. Within a year of leaving Cornerstone, Steve earned his teaching credentials and has successfully been teaching for nearly thirty years. In 2012 he was bestowed the honor of becoming San Bernardino County’s teacher of the year. Steve lives in Southern California with Cathy, his high school sweetheart and wife of forty years, and their severely disabled son, Jason. He has one other son, Dan, and three grandsons. As Steve prepares for retirement from teaching, he is perfecting his boating and fishing skills, reading like a machine, and honing his writing skills. Feel free to contact him at stevetuttleauthor.com.

My thanks to everyone that has supported me in this continuing adventurewriting about topics that my readers are interested in. I hope to continue for a long timewriting about love, holidays, and modern topics.