Sand Talk audiobook

Reading Tyson's book is like dropping a mentos into a bottle of coke. That coke is never going to be the same again.I'd recommend taking this book as slow as you need to really get a handle on the many concepts covered. Also, pass it forward. Once you've finished give this as a gift to a friend or loved one or local politician. Help get this genie out of the bottle.

Tyson Yunkaporta examines ways of using Indigenous Australian knowledge to gain wisdom and a better understanding of how the world works. He provides ides for different thinking about the inter-connectedness of everything and suggests how contemporary living endangers the natural order of things.It is a very philosophical book written with a lot of heart but if you don’t come at it from a position of respect for this ancient culture it will not be an easy read. There is some wonderful knowledge here that I am still coming to grips with. This is an important book that I will no doubt be reading again.

This is an awful lot to take in. It's accessible written, but Yunkaporta challenges the fundamental ways in which most of us see the world. I bristled against parts of this, especially the sections on gender, but found so much of it hugely compelling. Everyone should read it.

Tyson Yunkaporta seems to have grown up at the chaotic edge of Settler's Australia and Indigenous Australia, which perhaps places him in a position to comment on inter-perspectival understanding.Note: according to his culture he can speak 'of' aboriginal life and history but he cannot speak 'for' it. He appears to make some effort to consult elders, primitivists, feminists, and other compatriots when their wisdom is needed.--How does he think Indigenous folk will view the current global civilization?For starters, we seem to tolerate a high degree of rampant narcissism: people who believe they are better or deserve more than others are running around trying to make it so and perhaps even being encouraged for it!They see knowledge as highly interactive, grounded in social relations to people, places, or living 'objects'. As English teachers say, one must know one's audience. Thus symbolic writing in fixed terms seems quaint and limited: "What? I have to say it the same way for a hundred thousand unique individuals in different life circumstances?! We're not robots yet, yo!"Moreover, learning is best done in a hands-on manner rather than done via "rote memorization" as in many of our Western schools. Probably true. As a society passing down stories via trusted knowledge keepers for tens of thousands of years, our civilization looks quite young, like in the Tower of Babel. They know that people need to be ready to move and adapt to changing climates and seasons, just as many animals in nature do. They see that we funnel resources from ecosystems into garbage dumps, which must crumble eventually given the circular nature of the world and her finite resources. When time is thought of as non-linear or circular, the need to, in my own words, "leave the environment better than we find her," becomes obvious.They purportedly respect and value the contribution of every perspective: the ground's, the ants, or even Flat Earthers'.There are plenty more goodies I'll save for Yunkaporta's mouth. I highly recommend the audiobook version if you have easy access ;-)

This book is extraordinary. I've never read a book that actually challenged the internal workings of my brain. I just kept turning the pages and new ideas jumped into my mind one after the other. I need to read it again slowly, with a highlighter pen, and take proper notes. Every chapter covers a different topic, and each topic is presented from a perspective I've never thought of, or heard anyone else talk about. It makes me feel like we are missing out on so much by not having this profound, but simple way of thinking and being part of our everyday lives. The parts about community and connection made me cry with yearning for what we are missing out on in our human lives and the loneliness we have created in society. The book is funny and humble and feels very intimate, particularly because it is not first-person or third, or even second-person but 'us-two' are on a journey of learning together. The weirdest thing is that when I first bought the book, I put it aside because I thought it was difficult to read. Then, a year later, I picked it up again. In the meantime, I had gone through the most difficult time of my life, which probably changed the way I was able to receive it. When I picked it up again a few weeks ago, that was it, I couldn't put it down. I would love to see the carvings Dr Yunkaporta talks about in the book. I will keep my eyes peeled in case he ever decides to show them in a gallery.

Overcame my resistance to Yunkaporta's tendency to generalize--not always accurately--about the nature of "Western" thinking in part because he's got a good sense of humor about it and owns some of his simplifications as simplifications.As long as you can get past that, this is a great, important book, which flips the usual treatment of indigenous (in this case aboriginal) thought to focus on what that tradition can tell the outside world about itself rather than serving up touristy tidbits.The core is the notion of "yarning"--talking through issues in a collective setting, something like the African American practice of call and response. In each chapter Yunkaporta yarns with other thinkers--most but not all aboriginal--and the natural world via making objects with cultural significance from local materials. He describes the dynamics of yarning in ways that resemble the theories of teaching I developed over forty years or so; I wish I'd had Sand Talks in the mix to help me clarify what I was working towards. He's also compelling when he talks about the nature of different "minds"--ancestral, kin, dreaming, etc. You could generalize the message into a set of fairly familiar concepts shared with Native American traditions: sustainability, relationship, respect, but the angle isn't quite like anything I've read before. One of the best books I've encountered in quite a while.

This is a difficult book to rate and perhaps it's one I need to reread. Many of the concepts just don't come naturally to the way my brain thinks. In indigenous culture people were only entrusted with deeper learning once they were assessed to be ready for it and that could take some time. I suspect in my case, it certainly will take some time. Some of the authors more radical ideas, he admits himself, are a bit playful and tongue-in-cheek.But an interesting read nonetheless.Will borrow from the library again some time in the future.

3.75. There is much I appreciated about Sand Talk, and I am so glad that a book club I am a part of chose to read it together. Yunkaporta's ways of discussing Indigenous knowledges -- how they are frequently treated (not in good ways), and some of the ways that they function, their processes, oral culture context -- is absolutely captivating. His epistemological insights - including critiques of notions of 'objectivity' that demand scientists "remove all traces of themselves from experiments, otherwise their data is considered to be contaminated" and his reflections on land-based knowledges - are incredible. His reflections on sustainability, and so many of his yarns, have left me with much to think about. I appreciate his calling out the ways that racist settler narratives have painted Indigenous men as inherently or more violent, and the ways that gender roles in Indigenous cultures have been horribly misrepresented. All this said, I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are some real issues with gender binary thinking here. Yunkaporta cites Germaine Greer approvingly (which may explain some of the problems I have with how he speaks of sex and gender), and makes some unjustifiable sweeping generalizations about men and women.

A book of great knowledgeI learnt a lot about Aboriginal culture reading this book. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to understand Aboriginal psychology. I just wish it went a little deeper into its claims. The tone was too colloquial and not erudite enough for me.More soon.

This book does a good job of showing that there are fundamental differences in philosophy, worldview, and perspective between indigenous / aboriginal peoples and the rest of the world. It’s fair to say that differences exist between any two different cultures, but the argument is that these are deeper and more profound. Said differences run from how one visualizes abstractions to how one views and interacts with nature to one’s go-to pronouns. What the book does not do, not by any means, is honor its sub-titular promise to show how changing to aboriginal modes of thinking would save the world. It doesn’t even strongly demonstrate that the world needs saving. Instead, it relies heavily on the looming sentiment among many in the modern world (myself included) that the world is FUBAR [if needed, please look it up.] That sentiment is what draws people to the book in the first place. (And to others, e.g. Daniel Quinn’s “Ishmael” books, that argue for overturning modernity in favor indigenous ways.) While I, too, feel the imminent fall of modernity on a visceral level, I also recognize that this inevitable collapse is a combination of fact and fiction, and that its bases are as well. So, in some sense, Yunkaporta’s book is an exercise in preaching to the choir. Because of this, it only tweaks and clarifies the reader’s philosophy and mode of thinking (sometimes in clever and fascinating ways,) but it doesn’t vastly overturn a reader’s thinking. But even if it did completely change modes of thought and philosophies, those things don’t automatically change behavior. And saving the world (if the world needs saving) requires changes in behavior. Ultimately, one needs to know whether, how, and to what degree incentives change. (FYI – the importance of incentives is not lost on Yunkaporta, as he discusses them himself in another context.) That said, there were many ideas that resonated with me, and in which I found deep truths. I’ll go straight to what may be the most controversial idea in the book and that is that modernity’s discomfort with – and desire to do away with -- every form of [non-state sanctioned] violence has not been without cost. Yunkaporta is not justifying domestic violence (although the perception – justified or not – that such acts are out-of-control in aboriginal populations is likely an impetus for bringing up the subject.) What he seems to be arguing is that what seems like a disproportionate problem of violence in aboriginal populations derives from looking at what is happening in tribal communities through the lens of modernity, and the resultant tinge blows things out of proportion while missing part of the truth of the matter. I’ll elaborate how I came to have a similar view through the study of martial arts. For example, when I’ve traveled to Thailand, I’ve always had mixed feelings about child Thai-boxing. On the one hand, I recognize a reason for concern about concussions in a brain that’s not fully developed. On the other hand, those children display a combination of emotional control, politeness, and self-confidence that seems in decay in much of the world. On a related note, I think that the lack of coming-of-age ritual might be failing the kids in the modern world because they skip a step that puts a bedrock of self-confidence under their feet. As a result, it’s not that they all end up milquetoast, some end up murderous because they can’t process challenging emotions effectively, they have a feeling of powerlessness gnawing at them, and they have no grasp of how to moderate their response under challenging conditions. As far as ancillary matter is concerned, it’s mostly line-drawn diagrams that are used to show how aboriginal people depict various concepts under discussion. I enjoyed the book and found many new ideas to consider. I’d recommend it for individuals interested in approaches to thinking and problem solving – and for those who want to learn more about indigenous populations. Just don’t think you’ll have a map to fix the world at the end.

In terms of influence over my imagination and trajectory of thought, this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’ve read a lot of great books, but there are a select few that have shaken and restructured my sense of belonging in the world in such a foundational way that I will never really be the same reader, student, or person. This isn’t just a book on the topic of indigenous culture or wisdom; it’s a work that in itself pulls its readers into new pathways of comprehending and imagining wisdom, knowledge, and being while simultaneously delivering its content. It’s one of the most unique reads I’ve encountered, and I will likely be recommending it to most people in my circles for many years to come.

Feels shallow reducing this one to a few words. Was inclined to not leave a review. Yet I think that's the type of book that deserves a 5 star.It stretches your thinking and your individual presuppositions, all with deep respect. I havnt been someone that usually checks on my morals/life ethos - this book provides story from the deep time perspective on what it means to be a human. Refreshing

Deeply powerful and re-orientating. One of the most important books I've read.

This book is an extraordinary look into the way one Aboriginal views Western culture and governance through the lens of Indigenous culture, lore and law. The book starts with a hook, but then seemed to slow down to the point that I may have considered the introduction to be long-winded. I say may, because as I read on, I came to realise that the introduction wasn’t long-winded, I was simply being impatient.Using an unusual method from my perspective, the author explores what many may consider to be contentious issues through what he calls yarns. In other words, by debating these topics with other indigenous people from various places around the world, to get their perspective on them. He then systematically explains how the Western approach differs to the Indigenous approach, whilst documenting the destruction that has been caused along the way.I have to admit that one needs to be thick skinned to not take offense, regardless of whether you are Indigenous or not. Since I am not only thick skinned but love truth told through a good rant, I could not get enough of what he was saying. That’s not to say I agreed with everything that was said, but I appreciated him having the guts to say it. Given the vast scope of topics covered, the only thing I found strange was that he did not discuss the destruction that dualism has created.I think this book has made an incredible contribution to literature and it should become a mandatory text for all people and institutions who have a stake in indigenous affairs. I would recommend it to all who have an open mind and an ability to absorb information through a different style.

Im not an eloquent writer or speaker and i'm dyslexic; however here is my 2 cents. This is one of those books i would like to give 4.5 stars but yet again i had to choose between 4 & 5. Despite the few issues i had with the book over all it is a book i would love everyone to read. I think it is VERY good, a book most people will learn & benefit from reading. And a great bookclub read. I listened to it (which i highly recommend) but i plan to buy the physical copy too. It is obvious the author has put a great deal of passion and heart into this book and project. It reads like science-fiction but it is NOT. I was wowed by it over & over. As a yogi i also found many coalitions between the "thinking" expressed in this book and what I've learned through my study of yoga & it's sister science ayurveda. Over all this is a very moving book. I highly recommend everyone read it. PS for the record i DID find some cons but i will keep those to myself in an attempt to encourage more people to read it.

Sand Talk ist ein außergewöhnliches Buch, weil es mir neue Perspektiven geboten und mir ab und zu meine Gedanken verknotet hat. Tyson Yunkaporta bietet dem Leser einen neuen Blick auf die Welt, indem er ihm die Betrachtungsweisen und Lebenswirklichkeiten der Aborigines näherbringt. Es geht in seinem Buch um Komplexität, Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaftssysteme, Umwelt und Umweltschutz, aber auch um das Denken, Verstehen und Betrachten der Welt. Dieses Buch ist grandios, weil es zeigt, wie wichtig es ist, anderen zuzuhören, offen zu sein und zu versuchen eine andere Perspektive einzunehmen, denn dadurch kann man nicht nur sehr viel lernen, man bekommt auch einen anderen Zugang zum Lösen von Problemen.

A contemporary look at Indigenous views through the eyes of someone who identifies deeply as Indigenous (from the continent we now call Australia) yet who also operates in the Western, industrialized context. He has deep insights and a very engaging, open writing style. I've read a lot about Indigenous world views recently and this book stands out as relevant, deliciously irreverent, profound, and refreshing.