Imagine a weird, wonderful world where there are recycling bins on every corner. Where the convenience store's "Need a penny, take a penny. Have a penny, leave a penny" idea extends to urban transportation: the city's commercial district has racks of bicycles free for the riding (and leaving when through riding). Restaurants and grocery stores feature fresh, organic food, grown locally whenever possible. Trees are revered to the point of almost being objects of worship. Women prove to be capable leaders.

Pure fantasy? Berkeley (CA)? Portland (OR)? Seattle's counterculture/hippie neighborhoods?

All of the above.

It's the premise of a 70s cult book called Ecotopia. And, of course it IS reality where people want it to be so.

Warning: this is not literature. The writing is weak and clumsy. The characters are, well, wooden. The dialog reads like condensed versions of the tedious speeches in Ayn Rand novels (google it yourself).

All of that said, the story is delightful. When you consider that it was written 35 years ago, it seems almost amazing how the author, Ernest Callenbach could predict some of what seems so commonplace today.... except the parts about fresh, organic food, grown loclly whenever possible and women as capable leaders.

How many more of Callenbach's gems are becoming reality? Think of this book as a primer for the inevitable tomorrow.