Two impressions while reading this:
1. It is impressive that these were written in the 80s-90s with a head full of knowledge about the prior decades, and yet they could have been written yesterday. We got the same problems as before: war in the middle east, community and environmental destruction related to globalism, capitalism, and US imperialism, etc. Ugh, I wish I could say this was no longer relevent. Because little has changed and we are still in the thick of it, these essays are an incredible mirror and insight into the way our society works and what our values as a culture are.

2. The author has a political stance that would not fit in either of the two political parties we know today. I don't know if he was an old school republican -- I remember a time when republicans cared deeply about the environment and natural respurces -- or if he was always a bit of an outlier. Even if you don't agree with all of his beliefs, I think you can respect a unique, passionate, and logical thinker. The other day my friend Jeevan and I were lamenting how little room there is for variations in belief nowadays. There is no spectrum within the parties. It is sad we are so intolerant and have so little respect for others. Ironically, or perhaps not, this book addresses that problem too.