Today's show is a little different and I highly recommend that you listen to the audio to get the full effect of the topics discussed but here are the cliff notes.

Without Land Favorite Parts

• Character development and the ability to feel for their circumstances.

• The descriptions made you feel like you are part of the story and causes you to ponder what you would do in a similar circumstance.

• The microcosmic view entrenches you in the story and keeps you wondering what is going on in the world.

2017 Concerns

• A year of change and the unknown. A new administration brings change, and it is worth watching how it plays out.

• Will the United States hold together with the amount of division we are facing?

• Personal freedom for you means personal freedom for me, and it comes with great responsibility.

• American exceptionalism does not mean we are better than the world. It means we are free to think, and we must be aware and responsible for our actions.

• Are Americans living in a vacation or dream world?

• Where does the national debt go from here?

• What is fake news, and how do we tell good information from bad?

• Are we as individuals and as a society headed toward a collapse from overload?

• Getting involved in your community: get uncomfortable to make a difference.

• The prospect of a cashless society. Stay vigilant, and weigh the convenience against the privacy and personal liberty you give up.

• Are people on every side speaking up or staying quiet, and does social media pile on whatever you say?

• Should an international body make laws that override the laws of individual nations?

• Modern day slavery deserves our focus.

• Are we too comfortable to see clearly? Have we forgotten our values?

Personal Plans for 2017

• Spring planning. Garden planning. What do you want to grow? Do you have a suitable area to do that? Starting to garden now gets you prepared for the ups and downs that every farmer has.

• The State of your State. What can you do to make it a better place?

• Learn how your state government works. Know what power your state has to keep the federal government in check.

• Will we ever be at peace as a human race? Only if you can remove greed but you never will.

• Could space exploration be the key to avoiding collapse?

Thank-you for listening to Season two of The Changing Earth Podcast. We will be back next week as we begin Season three. The featured novel is The Walls of Freedom and you can look forward to some great interviews this season.