Cache: Creating Natural Economies, by Spencer B. Beebe, photography by Sam Beebe

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Carpe Diem Books in exchange for an honest review.]

The last words of this book, before the epilogue, give a good picture of the meaning of the book’s somewhat unusual title: “Such stories are the true source of wealth. You might call them our “cache (233).”” As far as books go, this is a book that serves as part memoir of the author’s life with its unusual career arc from local Northwestern conservationist to international advocate of the well-being of rural communities in Latin America to a pioneer in environmentally-focused finance that seeks to balance long-term economic viability with environmental viability, and part a cri de coeur that pitting people against nature makes both losers, ultimately, and that anything that sustains an area ought to also sustain the people who are a part of the context of that community. As is the case in general with the books from this publisher [1], the book is not only well-written, but is also itself an artistic product, with a striking texture to its paper, luscious photographs in a profusion of greens and blues, browns and grays. Also of interest is the fact that the author’s book, titled Cache because it seeks to present a view of creation as containing the storage capacity for mankind’s enduring well-being as stewards of God’s creation (although the author does not phrase it that way), has on its cover a series of paintings about creation with the same title created independently of each other, but both providing the same message in different mediums. It ought to go without saying that the paper used in this book is locally produced in the Pacific Northwest from 100% post-consumer pulp, and manufactured entirely with renewable energy—that is the sort of book this is, one that attempts to live according to the principles it represents.

In terms of its content and structure, the book blends a chronological and topical approach that fits someone whose career, if nontraditional by any standpoint, nonetheless focused on different aspects at different times. The book has a foreword by Tom Brokaw, a preface and introduction that discuss the connections between the artist whose paintings grace the book’s cover and the urbanist Jane Jacobs whose wisdom was reflective of what the author has been trying to do in his unusual approach to conservation. Five chapters make up the first part of the book, which covers the author’s career from 1974 to 1991, detailing his efforts to preserve land in two rivers in the Pacific Northwest, his involvement with two ranches, his efforts in Mexico to release local energy for conversation, the political drama of “loyalty oaths” in the District of Columbia, and the success of obtaining a lot of protected land in Bolivia during the author’s time with the Nature Conservatory and the International Conservatory. An interlude discusses the author’s earlier life experiences as a falconer, Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, and as an amateur boat-builder with his wife who learned as he went. The second part of the book examines the author’s experiences in Ecotrust, helping to save the Kitlope temperate rain forest for local indigenous peoples in British Columbia, struggling with the resource curse in Willapa Bay, learning about generalities and differentiation in hindsight, helping start up the world’s first environmental bank in Illwaco, creating a living building in an abandoned Portland warehouse, encouraging efforts at slow food and slower forests, and praising indigenous leadership in ways that appear perilously close to heathen nature worship.

There is a lot to praise about this book, although there are at least some aspects of the book that are worthy of criticism. It is clear in some respects that the author is whitewashing his own past and seeking to justify his work to support the well-being of people, which he appears to see as something that requires a defense, accounting for a certain apologetic tone. The author’s frequent references to evolution, presumably as a way of burnishing support with a beleaguered community of scientists, are contradicted by the clear and evident examples of intelligent design that fill this book and its approach. Likewise, a lot of the author’s celebration of indigenous ways appears like a serious case of white guilt. One can imagine that this is the sort of author who listens to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis while walking his golden retriever to the office. Beyond this obvious sociopolitical difficulty, which is nearly inevitable in a project like this one, there is a lot to praise about the book, not least the way the author celebrates the way that people and areas develop through differentiation, becoming a niche brand rather than a bland and low-value commodity. It is through celebrating our quirks and oddities, and finding the places where were fit best, and that serve our best interests and the interests of those around us, as well as the interests of the world in which we live, that we all find an enduring success. Despite the book’s occasional flaws, this is a noble and worthy effort and is certainly a thought-provoking book that deserves to be read.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/book-review-one-tough-mother/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/book-review-passion-for-pinot/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/book-review-inspired-pragmatism-an-illustrated-history-of-linfield-college/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/book-review-lit-by-the-sun/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/book-review-mcallister-towing-150-years-of-family-business/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/25/book-review-queen-mary-2/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/book-review-through-the-seasons-with-dulcy/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/book-review-back-in-the-garden-with-dulcy/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/19/book-review-americas-wildlife-refuges/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/03/17/book-review-the-kentucky-derby/