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In this most unusual book, Donna Orange, formerly an important contributor to self psychology, intersubjectivity theory, and relational psychoanalysis, powerfully reveals her evolution not only as a psychoanalyst and philosopher, but also as a vulnerable human being with a broad range of knowledge in the humanities and social sciences. In this, her most recent publication, Orange attempts to transcend various individual disciplines and synthesize, in a concise and yet extremely personal manner, her firmly held belief that “radical ethics” (p. 99) is essential if we are to not only deeply grasp, but also powerfully change, the profoundly interconnected crises of massive social injustice and climate endangerment. She believes that those of us who are more socioeconomically advantaged are generally unaware of how our consumption of carbon and fossil fuels has further eroded both the quality of life of those providing for our lifestyle and the stability and livability of our physical planet. Furthermore, she maintains that those of us who indulge in a fossil fuel–rich lifestyle are especially unaware of the fact that those producing the labor upon which our lifestyle depends are much more adversely affected by climate change than those of us living more comfortably. In addition, because we do not have direct contact with those who make our lifestyle possible, we know little or nothing about their actual existence and are therefore incapable of truly empathizing with them as human beings of equal value with all other human beings, including ourselves.
As a philosopher, Dr. Orange has deep familiarity with the Judeo-Christian philosophers who have argued that “radical ethics” means that the other person comes before themselves. She sees this as in direct conflict with the dominant value system of the Western world, where the needs of ourselves and our families are generally felt to be paramount, while the same human needs of those who are essentially strangers to us are in