Book Review: Soil, Soul, Society

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Reviewed by Tamanna Patel, Content Cultivator, Cultivate Central

"I decided to explain to my audience that the name of LSE should be changed to LSEE because in my view the economy is completely dependent on ecology.“

What is it about?

Satish Kumar’s book is a distillation of connected insights that he has gained from the teachings of enlightened being Buddha, peace activist Gandhi, poet and playwright with a penchant for nature - Rabindranath Tagore, and contrarian economist Shumacher. In eloquent and simple terms, he summarises the wisdom of each and underlines how they culminate in his ecophilosophy and the trinity of words he puts forth: Soil, Soul and Society.

Simply put, soil represents nature in its entirety - land, water, air, animals (including humans as he says we should not separate ourselves from nature) and the endless interactions of all. Soul represents each individual and their contentment with themselves, an inner peace, if you would. Society represents how these individuals interact with each other as a collective (neighbourhood, town, state, country, continent, world) and how they value and appreciate nature.

Satish presents this trinity to counteract the trio of words that were at the core of the French revolution: "liberté, égalité, fraternité", and in the American Declaration of Independence: "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, as he feels those are too egocentric and such beliefs have led to the current state of the world - misuse of natural resources, human relationships breaking down, wars and the many other "violences"”" we are witnessing today. He proposes "Soil, Soul, Society" as an ecocentric approach where land is given priority, labour comes second, and capital (in his interpretation - money and profits) comes third and is a result of caring for the former two.

Should you read it?

Well, this really depends on what you’re looking for and what you enjoy in a book.

First, I’d say if you are willing to keep an open mind, be patient, and consider what he is presenting AND you don’t mind engaging in a more philosophical and spiritual perspective I’d say read the book.

Second, if you are the type who likes to reflect on the bigger picture, seek alternative narratives to the mainstream, are looking for some answers or solutions to the chaos in life or some meaning in life, and are wondering what is needed to move our society in the direction of more earthcare, people care and fair share, then read it

Finally, if you’re curious about the works and lives of the 4 individuals that have inspired his journey and informed the ideas laid out in this book, then read it because it’s a decent summary of their life work.

If none of the above piqued your interest then I’d suggest you wait for our next book review.

What really resonated with me…

As someone who feels she is on a journey to return to a simpler life that prioritises a connection with nature this book has a strong resonance.

It’s definitely one where you need to take pauses and see how what he says could apply to your life or how it could apply to society at large. At one point, I even found myself pondering the role of AI in our lives when Satish wrote, "The machine is an aid to human hands, not a replacement of them. The machine is welcome as a tool, as a servant, but not as a master,” which was unexpected when reading a book such as this.

Satish Kumar’s words also gave me a sense of peace, a sense that I am indeed heading in the “right”(arguable, yes) direction, and that what we do at Cultivate Central is truly all about soil, soul, and society.

Happy reading!

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If you do end up reading the book, let us know what you thought of it via Instagram and if his review inspired you to read it or had you thinking, “No, thank you!”.