ISBN 978-1-922957-98-6
PAPERBACK
Can We Do Better?
All Don’s books are about hope for us humans to do better than a mishmash of historical and current issues and harms that arise from misguided, dysfunctional and destructive expressions of masculinity. As clarified in all the poems — misguided, dysfunctional, harmful masculinity is not by all men, or even by most men, but is too-often manifested here, there and everywhere by too many men, in too many realms, over too long a time.
The poems weave a detailed network of patriarchal issues in culture, religion, politics, institutions, communities, families, and relationships. They highlight the impact of manmade harms to the earth, First Peoples, women, children, and other often-disempowered societal groupings.
Some men might struggle with this unusual and confronting anthology. In contrast, it is likely that a good proportion of women will sigh and nod as they work their way through the poems and the themes.
The poems advocate that societal evolution is contingent upon a critical mass of us facing key facts, truths and realities about wayward masculinity. The anthology concludes with a range of powerful and hopeful invitations that may help us humans do better than our history of man-made harms to ourselves, our kindred species, and the earth … our Mother.
ISBN 978-1-923156-08-1
PAPERBACK
Are We Better Than?
ARE WE BETTER THAN? is the fourth in series of books that tackle pervasive and perplexing human issues. It is the scaled-down, abridged little-sister version of Can We Do Better? … which is the first and by the far the largest of the series. Comprising about half the number of pages of Can We do Better? … Are We Better Than? is less daunting and more manageable. This will appeal to people who prefer a smaller, easier, more compact read.
All Don’s books are about hope for us humans to do better than a mishmash of historical and current issues and harms that arise from misguided, dysfunctional and destructive expressions of masculinity. As clarified throughout the book, misguided, dysfunctional, harmful masculinity is not by all men, or even by most men, but is too-often manifested here, there and everywhere … by too many men, in too many realms, over too long a time.
Are We Better Than? weaves a detailed network of patriarchal issues in culture, religion, politics, institutions, communities, families, and relationships. It highlights the impact of man-made harms to the Earth, First Peoples, Women, Children, and other often-disempowered societal groupings. Some men might struggle with these unusual and confronting themes. In contrast, it is likely that a good proportion of women will sigh and nod as they read.
Are We Better Than? concludes with a range of powerful and hopeful invitations that may help us humans do better than our history of man-made harms to ourselves, our kindred species, and the earth … our Mother.
About the Author
Don Morris is a family man and a retired veteran social worker. His professional background integrates counselling, program management, organisational improvement, cultural change, leadership development, teaching at university, and running his consultancy business.
Don is people-focused, a big-picture thinker, and a change agent. He is dedicated to promoting social justice and critical analysis of human issues. Don is perceptive, an original thinker, and solution-focused. He tackles issues with clarity, focus and determination.
In this anthology, Don is a ‘conscious dreamer’ and a mindful visionary. He is lucid about respective and combined influences of religion, populism, political machinations, pop-psychology, junk-science, conspiracy madness, internet misinformation, and social media inanity. In the face of these, Don is committed to educational processes that give voice to facts, truths and realities. He is also committed to possibilities for us to do better than so much unhelpful stuff that dumbs us down and holds us back.
In all his books, Don drills down into ‘inconvenient truths’ and synthesizes diverse macro and micro issues. He proposes ways for us to build a conscious blend of awareness, dignifying values, rationality, integrity, and accountability. Don reminds us that these interrelated priorities apply to individuals, relationships, institutions, communities, cultures, and governance. They are also crucial to our care and custodianship of human and environmental ecologies.
Don is person of mind, heart and hand. He is thinker, a lover, and a doer. His books encourage readers to think intelligently, rationally and strategically … to feel sentiently, passionately and earnestly … and to act purposefully, constructively and hopefully.