OUT NOW
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book 3/2, shaping
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entanglements & silence
Take a peek at the second part of book 3 and read snippets from each of the seven chapters >
In the second part of book 3, personal entanglements take centre stage and you can witness a case of what happens if we can’t, for whichever reasons, talk with each other openly.
Keeping each other in the dark is a recurring theme in this part and an invitation to shake the head and consider to find ways to talk to each other no matter how much courage that requires.
To quote the first chapter:
‘If we learned to suffer together just like we laugh together, if it became natural to share all the different shades of the human experience, we would probably be healthier, happier and stronger.’
Meanwhile the teams complete their final draft for the town, and there is a wonderful chapter with Alice, Andy and chickens. Mind you, Daria bursts the bubble, but Raiden has the idea that gets them back on track – with chickens. And yes, this could be particularly interesting for readers from the US.
After days of all-teams meetings in the atrium, the plans for the town are finally complete, and Leo’s team send them out far and wide to countries who might be interested in hosting the town experiment.
In the evening, the teams come together for a final and memorable winter party before the winter break.
And then there was silence.
Christmas Eve falls into this silence for Alice.
But the Christmas chapter starts with Andy and in an unlikely place, in a setting, we haven’t seen him in before. With his scene a chapter unfolds which is woven from five different stories and allows glimpses into many more.
I dedicate the Christmas chapter to everyone who has trouble with that night or with all Christmas days. And I hope that the many layers and the very different stories, can bring some soothing and some smiles to many.
After Christmas, Alice, still on her own, is faced with the fact that no one has made an offer for a town site.
The New Year passes, the teams begin to return, and still no offer. That’s when a big question begins to loom above all their heads: Where do we go from here?
Get yourself a copy and let me know what you think.
Charlie Alice Raya, 12 March 2025
book 3/1, shaping
The first day alone is packed with encounters of all colours and vibes, allowing the reader to dive straight into the heart of the town project and also into the hearts of some of the main characters.
book 3, shaping
Buy the complete book 3, shaping. Receive the first two parts of book 3, shaping, now, and pre-order book 3/3 in one go.
Go all in books 1-3
Buy all published easy town books: book 1, beginning, book 2, travelling and book 3, shaping, parts 1&2 and pre-order the third parts of book 3, which will be published in spring 2025.
easy town books
rethinking – well, everything
The easy town story
The overall story of the easy town books is simple: a town experiment is planned in several stages, the town is built, the town gets into trouble, and some of the main characters mess things up.
But eventually, the town emerges as an intriguing model on all counts: society, economy, environment and governance.
The single stories are more complex and include everything from digging deep into the big questions of our time to adventures, love stories, conflicts, traumata, and a lot more.
Maybe more importantly, this story illustrates ideas which might be worth testing in the real world for a real future.
What to expect?
An exploration into what is and what could be, filled with questions, ideas, visions and proposals.
The books are an invitation for everyone to join the exploration to rethink what it is we are doing to ourselves, to our fellow humans and to our planet – in a constructive way that has always room for playfulness, humour and the odd adventure.
If you are a nurse, an architect, a business manager, a craftsperson, a doctor, an admin person, a scientist, a programmer, an employee, a homeless person, a town planner, an entrepreneur, an ecologist, a journalist, a billionaire, a landscape architect, an artist, a freelancer, a politician, a philosopher, a designer, an adventurer, you will find ample inspirations, thoughts and questions which can aid you in your work.
‘What I’d like to propose is to build a town from scratch and run it as an experiment. In the experiment, we would treat every aspect of life as a variable, as something we can put to the test, as something we can adjust until it makes more sense than our present systems. We would question every theory we know. We would question how we do business, how patients are treated, how the town is composed in terms of people, businesses, educational and cultural offers, or its layout. And we would try to find out whether we can’t do better if we use our imagination, and hang our complacency in the closet.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning
easy town books
book 1, beginning
book 1, beginning
or drafting a town experiment
by Charlie Alice Raya
Alice Adler, a Berliner, sets out to convince the US billionaire Tom Holbon to build a town experiment. The aim of the experiment is to rethink — well, everything.
‘I hope he’s curious enough to take a walk with me through the ideas. And I hope he’s sensible enough to mull over the ideas before taking any decisions.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning
easy town books
book 2, travelling
book 2,
travelling
and we (still) need to talk about sex
by Charlie Alice Raya
Travelling around the world, Alice and her team build an international network for the Easy Town Project.
Travelling with them are the past, personal demons and unwittingly the issue of sex.
‘How is Alice?’ Anthony asked when he and Jazz went for a break in the morning, coffee cups and wrapped sandwiches in their hands.
‘I think she’ll be okay. She’s not afraid to talk, or to analyse what happened. That’s good. Though, she has more things to untangle from her past than I expected.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 2/1, travelling, San Francisco
easy town books
book 3, shaping
Charlie Alice Raya
book 3, shaping
The first day alone is packed with encounters of all vibes, allowing the reader to dive straight into the heart of the town project and also into the hearts of some of the main characters.
Book 3 will be published in three parts. The first part book 3/1 was published on 22 Dezember 2024.
‘True power — if you think about God — true power is in creation, not in destruction, oppression or tyranny. A true and powerful leader will create not destroy.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 3, shaping
easy town books
book 4, building
Charlie Alice Raya
book 4, building
Tom is angry. Everyone acts as if building the town is a certainty even though so far they only have half a deal. Just a few days ago, he told Alice: ‘Don’t you know that you haven’t won yet? The town will never be built unless the government agrees, or unless you forego the experiment.’
‘I know.’
‘You know how people tend to say: “But who will pay for all this?” I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that from now on my response will be: “So long as you find the money for subsidies, state receptions, the entertainment industry, the military, or for bribes for political and economical gain, and for all the other kinds of ambiguous expenses, I will not think about this question again.” And I might add: “Probable fun fact: if we build our town and do a good job with our experiments, then many government expenses won’t be necessary any more.”’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 4/1, building
About the author
Someone once said to me that she had never met a person who encompassed so many contradictions.
Unfortunately, I didn’t ask what exactly she meant. I was very young back then. And that remark makes me chuckle. I never think in terms of getting older, but I always look back, shaking my head about how terribly young I was in my twenties, thirties, forties. And I felt so grown up, especially in my twenties. How little I knew. At least, I had already read Socrates, the Apology, so I had some understanding about knowing what I don’t know. But still, I was so young. And yet, I am not a bit old now. A bit wiser, maybe. But mostly, I am just me, age doesn’t feature. But there is a sense of extension. The child in me is wide awake and so is the adventurer, though he is ageless and yes, he is male. Then there is the wise old woman. I don’t think she has fully materialised, but her seeds are in me.
I have to laugh. The above sounds so mythic, but I’m not at all a spiritual person and I don’t believe in gods. Mind you, they might exist, but they clearly have no interest in humanity. As for the universe, I sometimes wonder whether it plays a game with me, the universe or fate – but if either do, then I’d like a word in private. I sometimes joke: if fate has anything to do with my life, then fate is a bastard.
Mind you, I am stubborn enough, and I have all those contradictions which enrich my world. I will keep going.
Maybe, I shouldn’t write these text in the evenings, I can never get quite serious at this time of the night.
You see, I have a playful, life-loving soul, a curious, rarely resting mind and a body that says I’ve been sitting too long, today.
And then there is my dedication to explore how we can do better, for ourselves, for our fellow humans and for our planet.
Next time, I attempt to write for this section, I’ll make sure to be more awake and more serious. But I hope, you enjoyed reading it, and found something to smile about.
More on the still incomplete about the author page >
Have a great evening
Charlie Alice Raya, 30 October 2024
‘At its core the Easy Town experiment is about being curious, about trying out visions, about exploring and playing around with ideas, testing the limits of the possible, daring to try out the unconventional, questioning the inevitable, allowing for complexity.’
© Charlie Alice Raya, book 1, beginning
More news
including from the other Charlie Alice Raya projects
Back
I’ve been off since May 2023, but now I’m back and bring news. For starters there are additional projects & websites to discover.
For an overview of all projects & offers visit the new website: charlie-alice-raya.org
Which isn’t to say that there are good reasons to stay on this website where you can dive into the easy town books.
universe
The end of all wars is a new project and the first book of that series was published on 28 September 2024.
Find out more on the website the-end-of-all-wars.net
breastless
breastless is another new project and deals with overwork, cancer, gender and other trifles.
Find out more on the website: breastless.net
Get in touch
Get in touch via this form or write directly to contact@easy-town-books.com
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