• The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram
  Explores the deep, embodied connection between humans and the natural world.

• The Web that has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted J. Kaptchuk
  A comprehensive introduction to the philosophy and practice of Chinese medicine, emphasizing balance and interconnectedness.

• Vital Nourishment: Departing from Happiness by Francois Jullien
  The philosophical tradition in the West has always subjected life to conceptual divisions and questions about meaning. Although this process has given rise to a rich history of inquiry, it proceeds too fast, contends François Jullien. In its anxiety about meaning, Western thinkers since Plato have forgotten simply to experience life.

• Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
  A fascinating exploration of the hidden world of fungi and how they shape ecosystems, health, and culture.

• The Third Plate by Dan Barber
  A visionary perspective on sustainable agriculture and the future of food, focusing on harmony with natural systems.

• Cooked by Michael Pollan
  Investigates the transformative power of cooking and how it connects us to culture, nature, and each other.

• The Book of Miso: Food for Mankind by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi
  A detailed guide to the history, cultural significance, and practical methods of making miso.

• The Noma Guide to Fermentation by Rene Redzepi and David Zilber
  A groundbreaking guide to fermentation, sharing techniques and recipes from one of the world’s top restaurants.

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
  Explores how trauma affects the body and mind and offers tools for healing through body-based practices.

• The Art of Somatic Coaching by Richard Strozzi-Heckler
  Integrates somatic awareness into coaching practices, emphasizing the connection between body and mind for transformation.

• Cooking Apicius: Roman Recipes for Today by Sally Grainger
  Adapts ancient Roman recipes for the modern kitchen, revealing the historical and cultural richness of Roman cuisine.

• Tasting Food, Tasting Freedom: Excursions into Eating, Power, and the Past by Sidney W. Mintz
  Explores the cultural and historical significance of food and its relationship to power and freedom.

• Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History by Sidney W. Mintz
  Examines how sugar has shaped global economics, politics, and culture.

• The Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate
  Investigates addiction and its roots in trauma, exploring pathways to healing.

• Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Prenatal Nutrition by Lily Nichols
  A science-based approach to prenatal nutrition, emphasizing nutrient-dense whole foods.

• Reinventing the Sacred: A New View of Science, Reason, and Religion by Stuart A. Kauffman
  Proposes a new scientific worldview where nature and creativity are seen as sacred.

• From Being to Becoming: Time and Complexity in the Physical Sciences by Ilya Prigogine
  Explores the nature of time and complexity in the physical sciences.

• Interdependence: Biology and Beyond by Kriti Sharma
  Examines the interdependent relationships in biology and how they shape our understanding of life.

• One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka
  A foundational text on natural farming, advocating for harmony with nature and minimal intervention.

• Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint: A Food System for the Future by Douglas McMaster
  A guide to creating sustainable food systems and zero-waste practices.

• Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual by Bill Mollison
  The definitive guide to designing sustainable, self-sufficient agricultural systems.

• Natural Health After Birth: The Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness by Aviva Jill Romm
  A comprehensive guide to postpartum wellness, blending herbal remedies with modern health practices.

• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig
  Challenges conventional nutritional wisdom, advocating for traditional diets based on whole, natural foods.

• Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way by Ursula K. Le Guin
  A poetic and insightful interpretation of Lao Tzu’s teachings on the way of life and nature.

• Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
  Explores myths and stories about the “wild woman” archetype, inspiring reconnection with instinctual wisdom.

• Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based Fermentation by Rich Shih and Jeremy Umansky
  A comprehensive guide to the art and science of koji fermentation, unlocking its transformative culinary power.

• Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World’s Smells by Harold McGee
  An exploration of the science and cultural significance of smells, from food to the environment.

• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
  Highlights the critical need for children to reconnect with nature to combat “nature-deficit disorder.”

• This is Mold: Designing the Future of Food

• Atmos

• The Preserve Journal

• Emergence Magazine

• Slowness

• The Plant Magazine

• Daniel Schmachtenberger’s Talk at Emergence
  Insightful discourse on systems thinking and ecological responsibility.

• The Emerald by Joshua Schrei
  Explores myth, culture, and ecology. Recommended episodes: “Embodiment Means Being Torn Apart and Flying Away,” “No One Here Gets Out Alive (The Death Episode),” and “Animism is Normative Consciousness.”

• Tara Brach
  Insightful talks on topics like ego-to-eco identity and sacred relationships. Recommended episodes: “From Ego to Eco-Identity – Homecoming to Sacred Relationship,” and “Desire and Addiction (Parts 1 & 2).”

• Emergence Magazine Podcast
  Storytelling at the intersection of ecology, culture, and spirituality.

• Wise Traditions by Weston A. Price Foundation
  Episodes on traditional nutrition, like “Build the Fourth Phase of Water in the Body with Gerard Pollack.”

• On Health: A Podcast for Women by Aviva Romm
  Focuses on women's health and integrative medicine with expert insights.

• Ursula K. Le Guin’s Passionate Defense of Art Over Profits
  A powerful talk on the value of art in modern society.

• On Being: Seeking Language Large Enough with David Whyte
  A deep exploration of language, imagination, and connection, featured on On Being.

• Lifeworlds by Alexa Firmech
  Intimate dialogues with our planet’s ecologies and those who act as bridges between the human and beyond-human.

• Zach Bush: Why All Health Issues Come Back to How We Treat the Soil
  Featured on the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, this episode connects soil health with human wellness.

• On Being with Krista Tippett
  Features thought leaders like Adrienne Maree Brown (“On Radical Imagination and Moving Towards Life”), Sara Hendren (“Our Bodies, Aliveness, and the Built World”), Cristina Figueres (“Ecological Hope and Spiritual Evolution”), and James Bridle (“The Intelligence Singing All Around Us”).

• Advaya: Transformative Learning 

• Farmer’s footprint Education 

• Lectures by Stephen Harrod Buhner at Schumacher College  

• The Fermentation School 

• Courses by Aviva Romm

• Foundational Practices by Reginald Ray from Dharma Ocean

• Masterclass

• The Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde

• In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki

• Wrinkled Time: The Persistence of Past Worlds on Earth by Marcia Bjornerud
  

• Like Water for Chocolate (1992, directed by Alfonso Arau)
  A sensual and magical realism-infused tale of love and cooking in early 20th-century Mexico.

• Kiss the Ground (2020, directed by Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell)
  A hopeful documentary on regenerative agriculture and how it can heal the planet’s soil and reverse climate change.

• The Scent of Green Papaya (1993, directed by Tran Anh Hung)
  A quiet, meditative film that explores memory, sensuality, and the rhythms of domestic life in 1950s Vietnam.

• Spirited Away (2001, directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
  A richly imaginative animated film about a young girl who enters a magical world, with themes of transformation and environmental respect.

• Omnivore (2022, directed by Lydia Tenaglia and Chris Collins)
  A docuseries exploring humanity’s relationship with food across different cultures and histories.

• Salt Fat Acid Heat (2018, directed by Caroline Suh)
  Based on Samin Nosrat’s book, this series celebrates the universal elements of delicious cooking through vibrant global journeys.

• Jeong Kwan Chef’s Table Episode (2017, Netflix, directed by David Gelb)
  An inspiring look at the spiritual philosophy and artistry of Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun and master of temple cuisine.

SONG OF THE TASTE by Gary Snider 

Eating the living germs of grasses

Eating the ova of large birds

  The fleshy sweetness packed 

  Around the sperm of swaying trees

The muscles of the flanks and thighs of 

Soft-voiced cows 

  The bounce in the lamb’s leap

  The swish in the ox’s tail 

Eating roots grown swoll

Inside the soil 

Drawing on life of living 

  clustered points of light spun

Out of space 

Hidden in the grape. 

Eating each other’s seed

Eating

Ah, each other. 

Kissing the lover in the mouth of bread:

Lip to lip. 

SLICING POTATOES by Rabia of Basria (c.717-801)

It helps

putting my hands on a pot,

on a broom,

in a wash pail.

I tried painting,

but it was easier to fly

slicing potatoes.

THE DREAM OF MY LIFE by Mary Oliver

The dream of my life

Is to lie down by a slow river 

And stare at the light in the trees—

To learn something by being nothing

A little while…

LOVE AFTER LOVE by Derek Walcott

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.