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The Wizard and the Prophet: Two remarkable scientists and their dueling visions to shape tomorrow’s world, by Charles C. Mann, read by Bronson Pinchot.

I usually listen to audiobooks while doing chores. This is one of those audiobooks that inspires me to do more chores, just so I can listen to it.

The Wizard and the Prophet starts off by asking: Can our Earth support a population of ten billion people—a number we are predicted to reach before too many more years—and if so, how?

The book is structured around the competing philosophies of two twentieth-century scientists. Norman Borlaugh, who launched the “green revolution” represents the technological or “hard” path. William Vogt, whose philosophies still energize much of the conservation movement, represents the “soft” path. There are many subtleties, but the hard path generally involves large, expensive, earth-changing (or gene-changing) engineering, while the soft path involves adapting ourselves and our lifestyles to live gently with the natural world.

Charles C. Mann—author of 1491—is a fantastic writer. I especially enjoy the way he looks at each of his subjects in a historical context. He does not hide their faults, and he looks at both the positive and the negative aspects of their contributions to the world.

Mann also looks in detail at what he sees as the four key challenges of our future: food, water, energy, and climate change.

The book was first published at the start of 2018. Mann lays out the unknowns of climate change at that time, including the question of when we will begin to see direct and undeniable effects. Of course here in 2021, we are seeing those effects, and it’s up to us, as a society, to respond responsibly, to ensure a livable world for future generations.

Posted on: Monday, October 4th, 2021 at 5:15 am
Categories: Audio Books, Reading, Recommended Reading.
Tags: Charles C. Mann, The Wizard and the Prophet