It was a large brown paper envelope with a stamp saying ‘Rebublique Francaise’. Rebublique Francaise? France? What could this be I thought as I pried open the seal. Out tumbled a book and a note.
I hadn’t remembered the email exchanges some months back, exchanges about permaculture. Nor had I remembered that Richard Wallner had said he would send me a copy of the book as I had contributed a photograph and information.
What surprised me on opening the book was the quality and clarity of the profuse illustrations through it. This makes it something of a visual delight and contributes to the claim on the accompanying note that it is ” …an effective support tool in enabling others to discover permaculture in a clear manner”. Richard and his crew have done a good job with this new book on permaculture, Methodologie et outils clefs du design en pemaculture.Â
Essentially, the book is a guide to understanding and implementing permaculture design. Between the covers are design concepts that experienced permaculture practitioners will be familiar with and that those new to the design system would do well to learn so they, too, can join the ranks of the experienced.
A growing literature
Once, there were few books on permaculture. Now, towards the end of the second decade of the Twenty First century and 39 years after permaculture made its first literary appearance with Bill Mollison and David Holmgren’s Permaculture One (1978, Transworld Publishers), there are many. Once, permaculture books were published only in English. Now, they appear in multiple languages including the French of this volume.
This publication diversity signifies the globalisation of permaculture, a global spread both intellectual and practical, for in permaculture the two are not separate and we need their combination to build things of social value. Permaculture has started to act like the global social movement that it is.
Translation?
Visually, Methodologie et outils clefs du design en pemaculture appears a comprehensive and useful book, a worthy edition to the growing global library of permaculture titles. I say ‘visually’ because… well… the book is in French and I read not a word of that language.
I’m hoping for an English edition so that we living beyond the francophile world can learn how people there perceive and implement the global design commons we all know as permaculture.
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Authors
Benjamin Broustery is a natural areas manager who was educated in permaculture “by the founders of the concept of permaculture, in Australia” according to the biographical note.
Christiphe Cucri is an architect and permaculture designer.
Benjamin and Christophe manage the design office, Permaculture Design.
Methodologie et outils clefs du design en pemaculture, 2017; Broustery B, Cucri C; Imagine Un Colobri, France.