Bitter Shade: The Ecological Challenge of Human Consciousness.

"Bitter Shade: The Ecological Challenge of Human Consciousness" by Michael Dove explores the concept of perspectivism and mimesis in South and Southeast Asian cultural ecology. The book delves into various cultural practices and beliefs, such as the Dayak horticulturalists' rituals involving pigs, the use of bird omens by the Dayak people in Borneo, and the Javanese perception of Mount Merapi volcano as a spirit world. The second half of the book focuses on agricultural systems, including the perception of tree shade by rural Pakistanis and the contrasting horticultural systems in Java. The book concludes by discussing the importance of perspective and resemblance in human thinking about morality and ecology. While the book lacks in-depth personal narratives, it offers valuable insights into cultural ecology and perspective. [Extracted from the article]