Stewart Brand - Whole Earth Discipline

Table of Contents

Praise for Whole Earth Discipline by Stewart Brand

If Mr. Brand is right, maybe some greens will rediscover the enthusiasm for technology expressed in his famous line at the start of The Whole Earth Catalog: We are as gods and might as well get good at it.

John Tierney, The New York Times

Brands scary analysis is the setup for a hopeful, though controversial message: All may still be well if we get really good at using tools many greens love to hate.... Brands case for parting ways with environmentalisms old guard rests largely on surprising developments that, he freely acknowledges, have shown some of his former views were wrong.... While some of his positions cry out for debate, no one has brought more breadth, clarity, and cogency to bear on the biggest issue of our time.

David Stipp, Fortune

Stewart Brand defines iconoclastic, and has now raised the bar with the most important work of his lifetime, likely one of the most original and important books of the century. As the title connotes, the writing is about disciplined thinking. Shibboleths, ideological cant, and green fetishes are put to the side with the clarity and expertise gained by years of research and forethought, a mindbending exploration of what humankind can and must do to retain the mantle of civilization. The highest compliment one can give a book is it changed my mind. It changed mine and I am grateful.

Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest

A thoroughly researched, highly entertaining manual that takes on many of the environmental movements biggest taboos, among them nuclear power and genetically modified food, and argues that, far from the scourges they are portrayed to be, they should be embraced wholeheartedly and as fast as possible. His message is, in short: get real.

Danny Fortson, The Sunday Times (London)

The twenty-first century has seen the emergence of a different type of green campaigner who embraces science as an essential tool for tackling the worlds environ- mental woes.... Now the new style of environmentalism has a worthy prophet, Stewart Brand, and a bible, Whole Earth Discipline.... You do not have to agree with Brand to enjoy [the book].... Overall the writing is so entertaining and thought- provoking that I can see it being quoted thirty years from now, just as the Whole EarthCatalog is today.

Clive Cookson, Financial Times (London)

This brilliant, elegant treatise by a veteran defender of the earths health will be a challenge to those parts of the environmental movement that loathe nuclear power, believe that cities are wasteful and dehumanizing, distrust GM agriculture and technological fixes in general. But anyone with an open mind and a free spirit will be deeply stirred by Brands passionate realism and measured optimism. There isnt much time, climate science keeps telling us. If that is the case, one urgent priority would be to read this deeply engaging book and be prepared to do some serious rethinking.

Ian McEwan, author of Atonement and Solar

True fans of the Whole Earth Catalog should have seen Whole Earth Discipline comingas Brand once gave space to organic farming as a tool to counter the ills of industrial agriculture, he now champions genetically modified crops to solve an impending world food crisis. In both cases, Brand begins with a goalmitigating climate change tops the listand finds the best way to get there, regardless of romantic green ideology. Brand sees himself as a pragmatic fox, in philosopher Isaiah Berlins formulation, open to change and evolution, compared with the hedgehogs of the environmental movement, blinded by old assumptions.

Bryan Walsh, Mens Journal

Brands book is thoroughly exhilarating, which is a slightly odd thing to say about a text that doesnt for a moment diminish the threat of global warming and which actually argues that weve already left things too late.... Its one of those books that you want to press on people and insist they read, partly because it exemplifies in action what it urges on its readers.... On nearly every page, its seems, received opinion is upended and dogmas examined at their foundationswhich are frequently found to be worm-eaten.... Whole Earth Discipline does not present itself as the only road map, but I doubt youll encounter a more entertaining or thought-provoking one.

Tim Sutcliffe, The Independent (London)

This extraordinary and provocative book resets the terms for the discussion about climate change. Its clever, concise, and cleara pleasure to readbut perhaps its greatest achievement will be to reframe this global crisis as an opportunity for civilizational regeneration.

Brian Eno, musician and artist

Brands new book builds up into a lucid big picture put together with experience, wisdom, and optimism. Brand tackles touchy issues such as the importance of urbanization, the potential of genetic engineering, and the practical case for nuclear power, fully aware that many of the environmentalist readers he hopes to reach will start out disagreeing with him. He refuses either to pander to their prejudices or to take delight in shocking them, preferring engagement, reason, and a leavening of wit. He simply argues persuasively, on the basis of wide reading, for the positions he thinks will best allow humans to shore up nature so that nature in turn can help preserve humanity.

Oliver Morton, Nature

Eclectically informative... Brand builds his case skillfully, weaving together a wealth of sources. The most novel material concerns cities, now home to more than half of humanity.... Brands arguments are good, and his mind-changing, lets-all-learn-from-my-mistakes rhetoric is pretty persuasive.... There will be long, impassioned arguments along the way, but this wise book is a great start.

Jon Turney, The Guardian (London)

This is a short course on how to change your mind intelligently. Stewart Brand is the master guru of following the early warning signals of first adopters and the rough edges of science wherever it might lead. In this book he reveals how this discipline has landed him at the very front of cultural change once again.

Kevin Kelly, author of What Technology Wants

In the face of climate change, a founding father of the greens argues the movement must embrace whatever workseven if that happens to be nuclear power, mass urbanization, or genetic modification.... The environmental left needs to view the world afresh. Once it has done so, Brand writes, it is likely to see that many of its most cherished notions are inconsistent with reality.

Mark Williams, Technology Review

Its not what Stewart Brand says that is important (and there is quite a bit I disagree with in the book). It is the open-minded and pragmatic way that he goes about questioning the down side of the romanticism that has dominated the environmental movement of the last forty-eight years. He points out where scientific environmental pragmatism and skepticism has been submerged by quasi-religious faith in big ideas that are often wrong. It is these wrong ideas that are now harming both people and harming the reputation of environmentalism.... Brands discussion of genetic engineering of crops and food production is perhaps the best single exposition for the intelligent general reader why genetic engineering is needed for pragmatic solutions of important environmental challenges.... Fortunately Brands wonderful book will not be ignored because it makes its statements in a highly direct controversial fashion.

David Tribe, Biofortified.org