ASKING FOR THE EARTH was first released in 1995 after the author led the international mission to Kuwait to assess damages from Operation Desert Storm. This book is even more timely today as we face the possibility of further warfare and destruction. James George presents the convincing argument that our planet is suffering from twin crises, ecological and spiritual, with a common source in our deep separation from nature and from each other. Inspired by the teachings of Gurdjieff, Thomas Merton, Tibetan Buddhism, and other contemplative traditions, the author shows that to avoid disaster we must wed scientific truth to an awakening of consciousness and acceptance of responsibility. Preface by His Holiness the Dalai Lama; foreword by the Secretary General of the United Nations conference on Environment and Development (the "Earth Summit") in Rio de Janeiro, 1992.