Paradigms for Adaptation
By Walter Haugen
Independently published, Jan. 2024, 368 pp., paperback: $13.95.
The thought process with which Walter Haugen begins his book Paradigms for Adaptation is both elegant and logically unassailable. “[H]ow do we make change?” he asks. “We have to act. And how do we know what to act upon? We have to analyze the problem and frame a solution. And how do we frame a solution? We use paradigms. […] This is a book about making your own paradigms and using these paradigms to adapt.”
With this foundation in place, and drawing on his and his partner’s firsthand experiences as sustainable farmers and his unique insights as a trained anthropologist, Haugen proceeds to provide numerous practical examples of such paradigms in areas such as resource management, community resilience and ecological sustainability. The result is both a thoroughly engaging read and an invaluable guidebook for those seeking to build resilience in a world of diminishing resources.
Haugen states at the outset who his intended audience is, namely those who are already aware of the existential crises facing industrial civilization and are actively seeking solutions, rather than mere analysis of the problems. “There are already thousands of books on how bad the current political, social, economic and environmental crises are,” he writes, continuing, “This is not one of them.” He adds that his goal is not to provide ready-made solutions, but to empower readers to develop their own by building personalized paradigms inspired by his examples.
Haugen and his partner, fellow writer Toni Lyons, hail from Ferndale, Washington, where for more than a decade they ran a small-scale sustainable farm called F.A. Farm. In 2018, they left the United States for Europe and traveled extensively through Portugal, Spain, France, the Yorkshire Dales and Ireland before settling in southern France, drawn by the region’s rural landscape, economic stability and affordable living conditions. There, they established a new life in a village in the Ariège region, where they continue their sustainable farming lifestyle.
Paradigms for Adaptation is heavily autobiographical and its essays are arranged more or less chronologically, beginning with Haugen and Lyons’ move to Europe in 2018 and ending with Haugen’s reflections on their experiences in France up through last year. Many of the book’s paradigms reflect lessons Haugen and Lyons have learned in the course of their farming ventures. For example, there’s the “warehouse” paradigm—a counterpoint to the “just in time” delivery paradigm—which allowed Haugen and Lyons to weather supply disruptions that severely impacted other operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are 44 chapters, each a self-contained essay on a particular paradigm or post-collapse adaptation strategy. Much like entries in an encyclopedia or other reference work, they need not be read sequentially and can instead be consulted individually as one finds need of the insights and tips they contain. A glance at some of their titles offers a sense of their thematic diversity and tonal range: Titles like “The Variable Speed of Collapse” and “Yes, You DO Have to Live Like a Refugee” hint at the complex, daunting challenges of adapting to societal breakdown; while others, such as “The Chutney Paradigm” and “Thinking Like a Chef,” show a more personal, creative approach to everyday resilience.
The typical chapter has a wonderfully meandering quality, introducing a series of seemingly unrelated topics that converge in unexpected ways and culminate in a surprisingly incisive revelation at the end. “Death in the Afternoon” is a case in point, arriving—by way of the intricacies of human manipulation, the literary techniques of Ernest Hemingway and T. S. Eliot, and the effects of biological complexity on reproduction—at poignant insights into the economic and personal freedom afforded by reduced energy usage. Another example is “Class and Fish Cakes,” which goes from a charming village visit to the economics of train travel to reflections on food and class distinctions to a sharp insight about the mental models of class we all carry around with us.
Equally fruitful meanderings can be found in “Complex Societies,” “Classification,” “The Sheep Show” and “They Just Don’t Know,” which trace delightfully circuitous paths to profound insights into the fragility of complex systems, the challenges inherent in human categorization, the balance between genetic diversity and uniformity, and the power of collective awareness, respectively.
Of all the paradigms Haugen presents, the one he considers most foundational is the “stop paradigm,” which challenges readers to rethink their consumer habits and explore ways to live more sustainably. It calls for people to dramatically reduce their consumption by curtailing excessive energy usage, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, doing without new, high-end consumer goods like cars and computers, eating less and cutting back on foods that take a big toll on the environment. “Stop – just STOP,” underscores Haugen.
Other standout chapters include “Let’s Raise a Glass to the Hippie Days,” in which Haugen fondly remembers the simple-living values of the hippie era while preparing a home-grown meal of sautéed vegetables and leftover brown rice; “Fractional Reserve Banking,” in which he demystifies and trenchantly critiques the titular, dominant economic system and its implications for inequality; and “The Multiple Stages of Dismissal,” in which he confronts widespread denial about the collapse of industrial society and discusses the need for proactive, grassroots solutions to the climate crisis.
Paradigms for Adaptation is good on multiple levels. In addition to offering a solid framework for meaningful individual action to meet today’s most pressing crises, it abounds with practical guidance, erudite analysis, engaging anecdotes and fine prose. Whether you’re looking for hands-on strategies, a deeper understanding of the big-picture frameworks underpinning those strategies, or thought-provoking reflections on the current state of the world and its likely future, this book has something for you.
