When a book is launched

When a book is launched into the world, it takes on, like a child who grows up and leaves home, a life of its own. If the book is lucky, it makes friends in far away places. The letter below is a from a reader in the United States and speaks for itself. I've asked the author if we could share it with you on the Urban Meltdown  blog and he has happily agreed. He captures in a direct and powerful way many of the feelings other readers have expressed to me upon reading the book.  Creating connections between like minded people can be a powerful tool for changing our city and national governments so that they will serve us better, and I offer the letter to you with this in mind.

Clive

Salutations,
          I am almost finished with your book, Urban Meltdown. I stumbled upon it quite by accident, but I don't believe it was any accident. I find myself in agreement with everything you say-as well as enjoying the poetry, personal recollections, and historical comparisons. I wish everyone could read it, but most people don't like reading today, don't like to think, and don't want to be without their cell phones, laptops, or autos for any length of time (they don't even listen to music anymore, unless it is from earphones as a background cacophony to accompany their daily activities).

I live in Cleveland, Ohio; I don't play hockey or skate or speak Francais, but your book was both comforting and startling in its familiarity.

I've been telling people for years that we here in the U.S. are somnambulistically treading the same path as the Roman Empire, but Americans have no historical perspective anymore--not even on Iraq. This is our downfall: we take pride and revel in our ignorance--hubris ad nauseum. I've been telling people for years that 'buying what you want-when you want' does not constitute democracy or liberty. They don't get it, or else they are too overwhelmed paying off debt and trying to make ends meet to care.

As a child, my father and I dug up artifacts from an ancient Erie village site near our home....the Erie erased by the Iroquois, the Iroquois erased by Europeans...the progression of human folly. I also lived in Europe for a few years and became enamored of a slower lifestyle and rail systems.

Cleveland, at one time, had a wonderful inter-urban and streetcar system. My stepfather tells of electric trolley rides for a nickel that would get him across town in 10 minutes. I wish we still had them....

And so much more~we forget we are merely guests on this orb, "living on the bubble".
I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration, I have quoted your book often on my blog/website (http://ezzofmatara.zaadz.com)

May good sense and love prevail over the current state of affairs, if we indeed have time.
blessings and peace,
Eric D. Vogt