It's my pleasure to introduce Dylan Evans for an AMA at 12pm PST. Dylan's uncontrollable curiosity has led him in some weird and wonderful directions. He once led an experiment in post-apocalyptic living in the Scottish Highlands. On another occasion he made a film about Princess Diana for British TV which got banned. He has worked as an interpreter for a Marxist Catholic nun and a Zulu, trained as a Lacanian psychoanalyst in Argentina, and been censured for sharing a scientific paper about fruitbats He's also taught at various universities around the world, written several popular science books, and set up two companies. He also like messing around with electronic music. Ask questions in advance... :)!
I wondered why you didn't call the book Why Utopia Failed or Utopia Failed?
Anyway, my main question would be: What's going at utopia now? What does it feel like a few years out from it all and finally back on your feet? Do you think about the failure often or does it recede from your mind entirely?
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Hunter
@ryanholiday Now I've put some distance between me and the experiment I am able to look back at it with less anxiety and shame, and see the good things that came out of it. For a long time it was too painful to think about, but now I see it for the deep learning experience that it was. I do think about it often still, and I continue to draw lessons from the experience and to meditate it on the whole story.
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Hunter
@ryanholiday That would have made a great title, Ryan! I'll consult you when choosing a title for my next book. Anyway, regarding your main question: some of the volunteers are still there. Nobody lives on site any more, but some of the volunteers have bought or rented places nearby, and continue to pop down every day or so to tend the vegetable gardens. Others have gone back to their former places of residence, but visit Utopia once or twice a year to lend a hand with the crops. When they visit they stay on site. So it's not really a post-apocalyptic experiment any longer, but more of an organic farm. It's more low-key, but more real. I'm glad there is some kind of ongoing legacy.
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Hunter
@ryanholiday Thanks for all your support, by the way!
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Hunter
Thanks for all your questions, folks! The book isn't available in the US yet, but hopefully will be soon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/produ...
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Rich Roll Podcast 197 - Jesse Itzler