LISTEN to Daniel Pinchbeck’s Better World Books podcast

From Better World Books
by Dana Barrett
October 30, 2010

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Daniel Pinchbeck is out there.  Maybe even way out there, depending on where you are, but he is also most definitely a man of action.  As a young man living in New York City and working as a journalist, Daniel faced what he calls a spiritual crisis.  Many people in his situation might have just weathered the storm, maybe taken up yoga or found a hobby like bungee jumping.  But not Daniel.  He wanted answers.

So he went on a journey – both physically and psychically.  The journey led him to Shamanism, psychedelic drugs, Mayan culture and more – and led him to believe (to know – in his words) that these things had meaning, were real and tangible and should and could be applied to the economic and environmental challenges of today .

His journey into Shamanism and psychedelics is chronicled in his first book: BREAKING OPEN THE HEAD.  His second book 2012: THE RETURN OF QUETZALCOATL (which I was afraid to pronounce in the podcast – even though I really practiced ahead of time!) digs deep into the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar and what that really means in terms of the year 2012 and the immense change he believes is already underway.

His latest book NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES is a series of essays Daniel wrote since the publication of 2012.  It touches on topics from the environment to the economy to monogamy and psychic ability.

As a man of action – Daniel is not afraid to call it like he sees it.  Daniel quotes Einstein and others in the book who say “You don’t solve problems with the kind of thinking that created them” – and whether you buy into his solutions or not, you have to admit that sentiment rings true.

Interviewing Daniel was a challenge to be sure!  He’s a smart guy who backs his thinking with lots of research.  Give it a listen, then check out the books and form your own opinion.

– Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

Preview: NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES

Whether or not you believe that something will occur in 2012 or that we stand on the precipice of great spiritual, ecological and financial change, there’s no denying the fact that a growing number of people are tuning in to these possibilities—and that New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pinchbeck has become a leading voice for this cultural movement.

Often referred to as a Timothy Leary for our current age, Pinchbeck is known for examining current issues from an intelligent and countercultural perspective. In Pinchbeck’s highly anticipated new book, Notes From the Edge Times, he explores the “edge realms,” touching upon topics ranging from the financial collapse to our need for a new media paradigm to the meaning of 2012. Provocative and unflinching, Notes From the Edge Times not only critically examines the state of modern society; it offers a way forward in this transitional time.

Read an essay from NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES

Join the conversation…Meet Daniel on his book tour:

New York City: October 18th, Barnes & Noble, Tribeca

Denver: October 20th, Tattered Cover, LoDo

Boulder: October 21st, Barnes & Noble

Baltimore: October 22nd, Breathe Books (event with Graham Hancock)

Atlanta: October 25th, A Capella Books

Portland: October 27th, Powell’s

Seattle: October 28th: East West Bookshop

Los Angeles: November 4th, Barnes & Noble, Santa Monica

Oakland: November 7th, Diesel Books

San Francisco: November 8th –City Lights Bookstore

NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES
Daniel Pinchbeck
Tarcher/Penguin hardcover, on-sale Oct 14, 2010
$23.95, ISBN 978-1-58542-837-3

New Release from Daniel Pinchbeck: NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES

Whether or not you believe that something will occur in 2012 or that we stand on the precipice of great spiritual, ecological and financial change, there’s no denying the fact that a growing number of people are tuning in to these possibilities—and that New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pinchbeck has become a leading voice for this cultural movement.

Often referred to as a Timothy Leary for our current age, Pinchbeck is known for examining current issues from an intelligent and countercultural perspective. In Pinchbeck’s highly anticipated new book, Notes From the Edge Times, he explores the “edge realms,” touching upon topics ranging from the financial collapse to our need for a new media paradigm to the meaning of 2012. In the process, he challenges readers to consider some pressing questions:

• “[A]t a time when war has become a ‘permanent social relation,’ and the planet’s life support systems are in jeopardy,” can we really cut ourselves off from political and societal involvement?

• Does our monetary system require a fundamental redesign?

• How can the millions of us who currently practice disciplines such as Buddhism, yoga and Shamanism apply our spiritual ideals in a social movement?

• Can we overcome deeply ingrained cultural stereotypes to spark a new sexual revolution defined by self-awareness and acceptance?

Provocative and unflinching, Notes From the Edge Times not only critically examines the state of modern society; it offers a way forward in this transitional time.

About the Author:
Daniel Pinchbeck is the bestselling author of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl and Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism. He is the coeditor of Toward 2012: Perspectives on the Next Age. Pinchbeck’s articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Wired, The Village Voice, LA Weekly, ArtForum, Arthur, and many other publications. He is the editorial director of RealitySandwich.com, cofounder of the community website Evolver,  and one of the creators of 2012: Time for Change, a documentary currently debuting in cities across the nation. He lives in New York City.

NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES
Daniel Pinchbeck
Tarcher/Penguin hardcover, on-sale Oct 14, 2010
$23.95, ISBN 978-1-58542-837-3

Order the book now:

New Book from Daniel Pinchbeck: Notes from the Edge Times

Tarcher will publish a new book from counterculture icon Daniel Pinchbeck on October 14, 2010. The first book since his 2006 New York Times bestseller 2012, NOTES FROM THE EDGE TIMES collects his most compelling writings on sex, money, beliefs, culture, & the looming question of 2012. Check out the release announcement here.

Read Daniel Pinchbeck’s blog on RealitySandwich.com and stay tuned to the Tarcher Books Video page for our upcoming Tarcher Talks episode with Fishers of Men author Adam Elenbaas and Jonathan Talat Phillips, writer and community director at RealitySandwich.com, as they discuss ayahuasca and holistic health.

Order Notes from the Edge Times: