David Hawk's new book, Human Nature and the Potential in Nurture, explores the intricate relationship between human relations and environmental decline, drawing on academic research and international collaboration. The work, rooted in Hawk's doctoral studies in systems sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, investigates how patterns of regulation, control, and strategic threats in human interactions extend to humanity's treatment of the natural world.
Developed in partnership with the Institute of International Business at the Stockholm School of Economics, the project involved twenty firms and six governments. Hawk argues that the same approaches used to govern people often shape our relationship with nature, leading to environmental deterioration. Rather than focusing solely on ecological outcomes, the book analyzes underlying social structures that contribute to environmental challenges, examining interpersonal relationships, organizational behavior, and public policy through a systems-based lens.
The book incorporates Hawk's extensive professional background in engineering, planning, architecture, leadership development, and higher education. His experiences inform the examination of how institutions develop responses to complex problems and how those responses can sometimes reinforce the conditions they seek to address. Hawk stated, 'The work grew from a desire to better understand the relationship between human systems and natural systems, and how patterns of behavior influence both.'
Human Nature and the Potential in Nurture is available through major online booksellers in print and digital formats, including Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Walmart. The book contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on environmental management, social organization, and long-term sustainability, offering insights for policymakers, researchers, and the general public interested in the connections between human behavior and environmental health.
Hawk, raised on a farm in Iowa, pursued studies in engineering, city planning, and corporate planning. He served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968 during his engineering education. His academic and professional career spans work in the United States, Sweden, Finland, Japan, England, China, and other international settings. Over several decades, he has contributed to projects involving urban planning, business management, public policy, engineering, and executive education, serving as a professor, academic administrator, and program developer.
