The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World by Charles C. Mann is a book that I read about in one of several liberal magazines I read (maybe, Mother Jones?).
Started: 3/6/2019
Completed: 4/8/2019
Recommendation: Recommended
Recommended By: A book Review
Review:
A scientific look at how to handle finite resources of the Earth. One (the wizard) argues that technology can lead to more efficient use, the other (the prophet) argues that what we have must be conserved and the Earth must be protected. Both came to these conclusions at the same place looking at the same data. Amazing. Both have become prominent in environmentalism (from high technology approaches to organizations that strive to conserve resources). Both are viewed as fundamental to the different approaches they envisioned.
It was fascinating to get the stories of these men's lives and the work that they did. How they both effectively destroyed their personal lives trying to make the world a better place. How each thought the other a fool. Yet, there is so much to learn from both of them and while there are true believers on both sides, there is a space where both ideas overlap and it feels like both will be needed. What a great book.
A scientific look at how to handle finite resources of the Earth. One (the wizard) argues that technology can lead to more efficient use, the other (the prophet) argues that what we have must be conserved and the Earth must be protected. Both came to these conclusions at the same place looking at the same data. Amazing. Both have become prominent in environmentalism (from high technology approaches to organizations that strive to conserve resources). Both are viewed as fundamental to the different approaches they envisioned.
It was fascinating to get the stories of these men's lives and the work that they did. How they both effectively destroyed their personal lives trying to make the world a better place. How each thought the other a fool. Yet, there is so much to learn from both of them and while there are true believers on both sides, there is a space where both ideas overlap and it feels like both will be needed. What a great book.
No comments:
Post a Comment