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A review by tristanpej
Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto by Stewart Brand
5.0
There is a lot I like about this book, and a lot to question. Stewart Brand is my favourite type of thinker, he is sceptical, non-ideological, and sees things in the long term. This books is simply another iteration in his philosophy.
Whole Earth Discipline is about taking a pragmatic, holistic, and non-ideological approach to the climate crisis. His major chapters of meat are investigations of avenues to tackle climate change that the green movement has irrationally opposed. I think the most poignant idea I took away from the book is his discussion on engineers and romantics. How we need to abandon our romantic view of nature, and instead become engineers.
My criticisms of Brand are minor, but most come from the ideological bias. He claims to be acting as a completely non-political entity in his approach to climate change, but there is plenty of evidence in the book that he is still locked in the ideological boundaries of the liberal capitalist world. His engineering approach skirts around the social issue of climate change. Namely, how the way our economy works fundamentally, and the way we relate to each other has its role. I know that for the sake of selling a book he wouldn't be able to say that part of the problem is fundamental issues with capitalism as an idea, but I consider it another holistic angle we need to take in order to face this crisis. If we invent our way out of the climate crisis, then the next crisis brought about by capitalism's need for constant growth on a finite planet will show itself.
Still, many of the things Brand says in this book are important, and need to be shouted from the rooftops worldwide. If you are interested in really tackling the crisis of our era, and overcoming the major hurdle between a type 0 and type 1 civilization, you should read this book.
Whole Earth Discipline is about taking a pragmatic, holistic, and non-ideological approach to the climate crisis. His major chapters of meat are investigations of avenues to tackle climate change that the green movement has irrationally opposed. I think the most poignant idea I took away from the book is his discussion on engineers and romantics. How we need to abandon our romantic view of nature, and instead become engineers.
My criticisms of Brand are minor, but most come from the ideological bias. He claims to be acting as a completely non-political entity in his approach to climate change, but there is plenty of evidence in the book that he is still locked in the ideological boundaries of the liberal capitalist world. His engineering approach skirts around the social issue of climate change. Namely, how the way our economy works fundamentally, and the way we relate to each other has its role. I know that for the sake of selling a book he wouldn't be able to say that part of the problem is fundamental issues with capitalism as an idea, but I consider it another holistic angle we need to take in order to face this crisis. If we invent our way out of the climate crisis, then the next crisis brought about by capitalism's need for constant growth on a finite planet will show itself.
Still, many of the things Brand says in this book are important, and need to be shouted from the rooftops worldwide. If you are interested in really tackling the crisis of our era, and overcoming the major hurdle between a type 0 and type 1 civilization, you should read this book.