The Wizard and the Prophet explores the central question plaguing agriculture and conservation today: what should be humankind's role in sustaining both the planet and our own species? While considering how to feed tomorrow's world, Charles Mann provides historical scaffolding for understanding a suite of modern environmental crises by creating a spectrum for environmental solutions bound by the poles of techno-optimism and ecopessimism. Cleverly labeling these poles as the Wizard and the Prophet, Mann distinguishes how the Wizard relies on technological innovation to surpass environmental limits, whereas the Prophet prioritizes respecting ecological constraints. In doing so, Mann distills a multitude of complex issues into a simple framework while transcending the dichotomy of environmental despair and technocentric panaceas. The end product is an illustrative framework that applies nuanced lessons of history to inform solutions for tomorrow.
The book is broadly organized into sections about the past, present, and future. To begin,...