The Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures reflect the enduring relevance of one of the most quietly influential philosophies of the second half of the twentieth century, a philosophy that is the culmination of the lifework of Fritz Schumacher. The series of lectures is given by thinkers and leaders from a number of disciplines and is presented annually by the E. F. Schumacher Society. They address such topics as sustainability, community, locally based economies of scale, education, the dignity of good work, intelligence applied to the exigencies of everyday living, the necessity of balance between human needs and the health of the natural world, and the dangers of corporate globalization. Underlying all these is the foundation of hope for a sustainable future that was characteristic of the message E. F. Schumacher worked tirelessly to bring to the world.

Since their inception in 1981 more than 40 visionaries--including Wendell Berry, Hazel Henderson, Wes Jackson, Ivan Illich, Jane Jacobs, Leopold Kohr, Thomas Berry, and John Todd--have spoken. Many of these lectures have been transcribed, edited and published by the E. F. Schumacher Society, and are available online and in pamphlet form from the society's publication service.

Yale University Press also just released People, Land and Community: The Collected E. F. Schumacher Society Lectures. Edited by Hildegarde Hannum, with introductions by Nancy Jack Todd, the book contains a selection of 21 of the lectures, and can be ordered through the society's publication service or purchased at local independent book stores.

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