Touching the Jaguar

New York Times bestselling author John Perkins tells the dramatic story of how his experiences with shamans in Ecuador and Guatemala transformed him from an economic hit man to a dedicated decolonizer--and how anyone can overcome fear and take action.As a young Peace Corps volunteer dying in Ecuador, John Perkins was saved by a shaman who taught him to "touch the jaguar"--to change his perception of what he feared and transform it into energy for positive action. Then he became an "economic hit man," convincing developing countries to build huge projects that put them perpetually in debt to the World Bank and other US-controlled institutions--a new form of colonialism. Returning to the Amazon and seeing the damage foreign companies had done opened his eyes to the destructive impact of his work. In this book, for the first time, Perkins details the powerful influence shamanism had on his transformation to decolonizer. He discusses his work with native people in Latin America, including a previously uncontacted Amazonian tribe that touched the jaguar by uniting with its traditional enemies against invading oil and mining companies. Perkins also provides a strategy for us to overcome our fears, decolonize our minds, and collaborate in new ways to heal the wounds inflicted on our planet.

“" Touching the Jaguar connects the dots between Amazonian shamans and the modern world of materialistic overconsumption. This eloquent book inspires us to create a new reality of what it means to be human on this magnificent planet." --Deepak Chopra "Because of John's work, I traveled deep into the Amazon. The Achuar taught us about altering reality by changing perceptions. This marvelous book transports you on a similar journey and empowers all of us to transform failing systems into successful ones." --John Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus "John is a brilliant storyteller. Touching the Jaguar chronicles one of the greatest and most fascinating true stories of our time. It will touch you, lift your spirit, engage you, and deepen your heart. It is magical, riveting, and true. John's masterwork." --Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money and cofounder of the Pachamama Alliance "Once again, John Perkins takes us on an extraordinary voyage that includes issues that not only shake the world but transform ourselves in the process." --Thom Hartmann, America's #1 progressive talk show host and author of The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight " Touching the Jaguar is a heartfelt exploration into the powers to change ourselves, transform businesses, and renew society--powers indigenous shamans have cultivated for millennia and we must embrace to dream the world in a new way." --Alberto Villoldo, PhD, bestselling author of One Spirit Medicine and Shaman, Healer, Sage "Perkins is a master storyteller. In this story of deceit, divided loyalties, and ultimate redemption, he draws us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the possibilities of a human rebirth and brings us together on the path to a future that works for the whole of life." --David Korten, author of Change the Story, Change the Future ; The Great Turning ; and When Corporations Rule the World "How do we transform a destructive Death Economy into a sustainable Life Economy? What actions can you take to be your best you? These questions John answers in this powerful, fun-to-read, and groundbreaking book." --Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason and coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul " Perkins is an amazing writer, storyteller, and adventurer who has written a really great read, another provocative bestseller." --Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, founder of Blue Spirit Costa Rica and Omega Institute "John's life story is an important lesson for those embedded in the malfunctioning mainstream economy. John empowers us to shift the economic hit man/growth metrics into those that focus on a Life Economy." --Hazel Henderson, author of Building a Win-Win World and Paradigms in Progress and CEO, Ethical Markets Media”

"An inherently fascinating and deeply personal story that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking…an extraordinary contribution to our on-going national dialogue." —Midwest Book Review
 
"The best kind of non-fiction is told in story form, right? Touching the Jaguar is just such a book….Very entertaining, the book is filled with humor and told from a self-deprecating point of view. Together, the stories become a series of lessons in an ‘evolving education about the US government work and the way we abuse our privileges.’” —Clean Technica

“Touching the Jaguar connects the dots between Amazonian shamans and the modern world of materialistic overconsumption. This eloquent book inspires us to create a new reality of what it means to be human on this magnificent planet.”  
—Deepak Chopra

“Because of John’s work, I traveled deep into the Amazon. The Achuar taught us about altering reality by changing perceptions. This marvelous book transports you on a similar journey and empowers all of us to transform failing systems into successful ones.”
—John Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

“John is a brilliant storyteller. Touching the Jaguar chronicles one of the greatest and most fascinating true stories of our time. It will touch you, lift your spirit, engage you, and deepen your heart. It is magical, riveting, and true. John’s masterwork.”
—Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money and cofounder of the Pachamama Alliance

“Once again, John Perkins takes us on an extraordinary voyage that includes issues that not only shake the world but transform ourselves in the process.”
—Thom Hartmann, America’s #1 progressive talk show host and author of The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight

“Touching the Jaguar is a heartfelt exploration into the powers to change ourselves, transform businesses, and renew society—powers indigenous shamans have cultivated for millennia and we must embrace to dream the world in a new way.” 
—Alberto Villoldo, PhD, bestselling author of One Spirit Medicine and Shaman, Healer, Sage

“Perkins is a master storyteller. In this story of deceit, divided loyalties, and ultimate redemption, he draws us to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the possibilities of a human rebirth and brings us together on the path to a future that works for the whole of life.”
—David Korten, author of Change the Story, Change the Future; The Great Turning; and When Corporations Rule the World

“How do we transform a destructive Death Economy into a sustainable Life Economy? What actions can you take to be your best you? These questions John answers in this powerful, fun-to-read, and groundbreaking book.”
—Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason and coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul

“Perkins is an amazing writer, storyteller, and adventurer who has written a really great read, another provocative bestseller.”
—Stephan Rechtschaffen, MD, founder of Blue Spirit Costa Rica and Omega Institute

“John’s life story is an important lesson for those embedded in the malfunctioning mainstream economy. John empowers us to shift the economic hit man/growth metrics into those that focus on a Life Economy.”
—Hazel Henderson, author of Building a Win-Win World and Paradigms in Progress and CEO, Ethical Markets Media 

John Perkins is a founder and board member of Dream Change and the Pachamama Alliance, both nonprofit organizations that partner with indigenous people to protect environments and offer global programs to turn the "death economy" into a "life economy." He was formerly chief economist at a major international consulting firm where he advised the World Bank, United Nations, IMF, US Treasury Department, Fortune 500 corporations, and governments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Since then, his books on economics and geopolitics have sold more than 1 million copies, spent many months on the New York Times and other bestseller lists, and have been published in over thirty languages.

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