A Language Older Than Words

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

At once a beautifully poetic memoir and an exploration of the various ways we live in the world, A Language Older Than Words explains violence as a pathology that touches every aspect of our lives and indeed affects all aspects of life on Earth. This chronicle of a young man’s drive to transcend domestic abuse offers a challenging look at our worldwide sense of community and how we can make things better.

Reviews and Praise

  • "Singular, compelling and courageously honest, this book is more than just a poignant memoir of a harrowingly abusive childhood. It relates the extraordinary journey of one man striving to save his own spirit and our planet's . . . His visceral, biting observations always manage to lead back to his mantra: 'Things don't have to be the way they are.'"--Publishers Weekly

About The Author


About Derrick Jensen

Derrick Jensen is the prize-winning author of A Language Older than Words, The Culture of Make Believe, Listening to the Land, Strangely Like War, Welcome to the Machine, and Walking on Water. He was one of two finalists for the 2003 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, which cited The Culture of Make Believe as "a passionate and provocative meditation on the nexus of racism, genocide, environmental destruction and corporate malfeasance, where civilization meets its discontents." He writes for The New York Times Magazine, Audubon, and The Sun Magazine among many others.  He is an environmental activist and lives on the coast of northern California.

Author Videos

Books By Derrick Jensen

Pages:418 pages
Size: 6 x 9 inch
Publisher:Chelsea Green Publishing
US Pub. Date: March 1, 2004
UK Pub. Date: March 1, 2004
Paperback: 9781931498555

Available In/Retail Price

Paperback, 418 pages, $24.95USD, £18.99GBP