Corporate capitalism has ravaged the planet the way HIV ravages the human body, triggering a Critical Mass of cascading environmental, economic, social and political crises. Economic and climate instability, collapsing ecosystems, peak fossil fuels and devastating resource wars-if Earth were a patient, her condition would be critical. Life Rules offers a comprehensive analysis of our present circumstances combined with a holistic treatment protocol for restoring health to vulnerable human and natural communities. Predicting that Life will last but, if we don't make some fundamental changes, life as we know it-and a lot of us-won't, Life Rules identifies natural laws that have allowed non-human communities to thrive and prosper for several billion years, including: Local self-reliance Mutual interdependence Reliance on non-fossil sources of energy Resource conservation, sharing and recycling Co-operation and co-intelligence Radically democratic self-organization and governance. This sobering yet essentially optimistic manifesto is required reading for anyone concerned about our ability to live well and also within Earth's means. A powerful tool for community transition and cultural transformation, Life Rules offers a solution to our global challenges that is at once authentically hopeful, deeply inspiring and profoundly liberating.