Michael Tobias is a global ecologist, author, and filmmaker. He obtained his Ph.D. in the History of Consciousness at the University of California-Santa Cruz and has lectured widely. In 1996, Tobias received the “Courage of Conscience Award” for his commitment to animals. In 2004 he was awarded the Parabola Focus Award for his lifetime body of work. Tobias is married to artist, ecologist, and co-author and filmmaker, Jane Gray Morrison.
Tobias is the author of 45 books (including several edited anthologies of both fiction and non-fiction). Some of his better-known works include: World War III: Population and the Biosphere at the End of the Millennium, Preface by Jane Goodall; Voice of the Planet; A Vision of Nature: Traces of the Original World; Nature’s Keepers: On the Frontlines of the Fight to Save Wildlife in America; A Day in the Life of India; Deva; After Eden: History, Ecology, and Conscience; The Mountain Spirit (co-edited), Mountain People (ed.), Voices From the Underground: For the Love of Animals; Deep Ecology (ed.) Environmental Meditation; Life Force: The World of Jainism; Jan & Catharina; Rage & Reason; Donkey – The Mystique of Equus Asinus (co-authored with Jane Gray Morrison); A Naked Man; Chateau Beyond Time; Sanctuary -Global Oases of Innocence (co-authored with Jane Gray Morrison); Dubai -24 Hours; Kinship With Animals (co-edited); The Soul of Nature (co-edited); A Parliament of Science: Science For the 21st Century (co-edited); A Parliament of Minds: Philosophy for a New Millennium (co-edited) and A Parliament of Souls: In Search of Global Spirituality (co-edited).
Tobias has written, directed, and produced well over 125 films–including TV series, documentaries and dramas, most pertaining to environmental, cultural, social or scientific issues. Some of those works include the 15-part series A Parliament of Minds, the 28-part series A Parliament of Souls, the ten-hour dramatic miniseries Voice of the Planet, and such other works as Ahimsa: Non-Violence, Black Tide, Antarctica: The Last Continent, A Day in the Life of India, A Day in the Life of Ireland, World War III, The Sky’s On Fire, River of Love, America’s Great Parks, Element One, The Cost of Cool, Cloudwalker, Kazantzakis, and three recent feature films, Mad Cowboy, No Vacancy and Hotspots, a six-hour trilogy for public broadcasting.
In addition to his ebooks published by Zorba Press, Tobias has contributed an illuminating essay to Zorba’s new book: The Terrestrial Gospel of Nikos Kazantzakis. Tobias was the first to Direct a film on the life of Kazantzakis, for PBS, narrated by the late actor, George Peppard, starring Eleni Kazantzakis, Kimon Friar, Ghika, Melina Mercouri, Anthony Quinn, Jules Dassin and Michael Tobias himself — playing the role on screen of Kazantzakis.