Why read Burning Planet?

Book cover of Burning Planet

Book description

Raging wildfires have devastated vast areas of California and Australia in recent years, and predictions are that we will see more of the same in coming years, as a result of climate change. But this is nothing new. Since the dawn of life on land, large-scale fires have played their…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Burning Planet as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

John D. Bailey

Author

Humans are a fire species living on a fire planet; we always have been and it is fundamental in our evolution and the development of our civilization.

This book takes the longest and most global perspective on fire, which Scott argues (correctly) will be fundamental to understanding any solution to the wildfire crisis. I am always struck by how dependent on fire we have been and still are for our lives and standard of living (think “internal combustion” engines and energy production); yet, how we have forgotten how to balance our co-existence after generations of thinking we can control it.

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From John's list on The best books for understanding our emerging wildfire crisis.