Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight Term Paper

Total Length: 750 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1

Page 1 of 3

Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Waking Up to Personal and Global Transformation by Thom Hartmann. Specifically, it will consist of a brief summary of the reading, a summary of the main points, and end with thoughts, questions, and a critique of the book. "Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" is an inspirational book about our planet, and what we can do to save it from environmental and social decay.

The book uses poetic and eloquent language to describe how the balance of life on Earth works so perfectly, if only we will let it. Hartmann takes a look back in time to illustrate why we are the very way we are, then explains how we have ravaged the Earth, and what is our hope for the future. The book is broken down roughly into thirds, with each third following this format of past, present, and future. Hartmann's thesis is simple: hope for the future. He believes by understanding how we made the Earth such a mess, we can make the right choices to make it better in the future, because we already have all the essential tools. The book is at once hopeful and frightening, soothing and motivating.
The author makes it quite clear that we, as a people, have taken a great gift and ruined it. He contends we will continue to ruin it unless we change our way of thinking globally, not just nationally. Hartmann covers the problems globally, illustrating the difference in cultures that have learned to live off the land, such as the San Bushmen of the Kalahari, and the rest of our cultures, which have learned to exploit the land without returning vital necessities. The author then cites some solutions for returning to a world dependent on "ancient sunlight" rather than fossil fuels and abundance. He uses the lives of monks, defines real "wealth," and "enough," while making some compelling arguments against our current "first-world" lifestyle that is so destructive and demanding.

The author's main ideas are laid out simply and with great thought. Foremost is the idea that we all come from ancient sunlight. He writes, "In a very real sense, we're all made out of sunlight. Sunlight radiating heat, visible light, and ultraviolet light is the source of….....

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Latest APA Format (6th edition)

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"Last Hours Of Ancient Sunlight" (2004, March 10) Retrieved May 22, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/last-hours-ancient-sunlight-166161

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

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"Last Hours Of Ancient Sunlight" 10 March 2004. Web.22 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/last-hours-ancient-sunlight-166161>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Last Hours Of Ancient Sunlight", 10 March 2004, Accessed.22 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/last-hours-ancient-sunlight-166161