Whole Earth Catalog

[Dover]

I'm guessing anyone of ....ahem....a certain age remembers the Whole Earth Catalog. It was kind of the 60's generation's Sears Catalog, and I for one spent hours pouring over every page. I actually miss it and wish there was some equivalent because between those pages were many of the dreams of the life we wanted to build together, holistic values and expanded connection to one another across the whole planet.
I wish I could articulate more eloquently what it meant to me, because I'm curious to hear from those who are now in their 20s if they have any equivalent that really feeds their dreams and offers them the tools to manifest them. Maybe the internet in general is literally this generation's 'whole earth catalog'.


On edit:
Well maybe it's still around afterall and has e-volved into a form conducive with the worldwide web...

http://www.wholeearth.com/history-whole-earth-catalog.php
http://www.openculture.com/2009/01/the_whole_earth_catalog_is_now_online.html

[flamingdem]

1. I was into it as well - now we have "Utne Reader" and some other alternative press

but it's not the same.

Steve Jobs mentioned it in a talk he gave ..

[haikugal]

2. Totally remember it

it was a book of dreams with a little bit of everything in it. I too wish there were something equivalent for the young. Maybe someone will publish another one. It would be full of wonderful things that didn't exist back then.

[burrowowl]

13. Yes I remember

[PoliticAverse]

3. For those that want background info...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Earth_Catalog

http://www.wholeearth.com/index.php

[Dover]

4. Check this out

Also just added this to the OP -

http://www.wholeearth.com/history-whole-earth-catalog.php

http://www.openculture.com/2009/01/the_whole_earth_catalog_is_now_online.html

[PoliticAverse]

5. I read Kevin Kelly's "Cool Tools" blog...

It's similar to the 'best tools' part of the Whole Earth Catalog

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/

Kelly is the former editor of the Whole Earth Review.

[Dover]

6. Oh wow, thanks for the link. I had no idea Kelly was doing this...n/t

[haikugal]

18. Thanks for the link!!

[Luminous Animal]

7. I used to love to shop at the Whole Earth store in San Francisco. I actually cried when it closed.

[lutefisk]

10. I was going through my basement last night and found a German alarm clock I bought there

It still works- and it brought back good memories.

:hi:

[Luminous Animal]

11. Nice!

[pa28]

8. That brings back memories.

My parents had this on the shelf and one day I picked it up and I think that was the end of my kidhood. I don't even know how many hours I spent with that book but it was an eye opener.

[lutefisk]

9. Thanks for the post! I still have my Whole Earth Catalog and Last Whole Earth Catalog!

The Whole Earth Catalog was one of the most influential early texts in my life. I'm not kidding!

Now that I think about it, Stewart Brand was my "Steve Jobs".

http://web.me.com/stewartbrand/SB_homepage/Home.html

:hi:

[Dover]

12. Hang onto those copies! I saw some listed on ebay and they are clearly

valuable to collectors. I have one too and cherish it. There is no price that would get me to part with it.

[lutefisk]

14. Mine are well worn, but still inspirations for how we could live our lives.

Well, the original is more worn than the "Last Whole Earth Catalog", but I don't think I could sell either one, either.

[Dover]

15. I think I'm gonna be buried with mine.

Like a time capsule...lol. They'll dig me up in 1000 years and will be able to tell so much about me, my culture, etc.

[onethatcares]

16. I learned how to build a Yurt

by reading mine.

It disappeared along with my dreams of living in a yurt years ago.

what an amazing catalog.

[Gregorian]

17. I had totally forgotten about this. I've just been reminded of a part of my past.

Before the internet. Before CD's. Before everything, there was the catalog. Man, those were the days.

Steal This Book was in it if I remember. But I don't remember anything. Now I wonder what else I've forgotten about. I want to remember.