The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World
About
A work of narrative nonfiction by Charles C. Mann (author of 1491 and 1493) that frames todays environmental debates through two opposing twentieth-century scientists: Norman Borlaug, the Wizard who believed technology and innovation could expand what the planet provides, and ecologist William Vogt, the Prophet who argued humanity must cut back to live within Earths limits. Mann uses their clashing visions to explore how a projected ten billion people might live sustainably, presenting both sides without taking one.
Why it’s great
Can technology grow our way out of scarcity, or must we learn to live within the planet's limits? Charles Mann builds this acclaimed book around two real scientists who answered that question in opposite ways: agronomist Norman Borlaug, the optimist who reengineered crops to feed billions, and ecologist William Vogt, who warned that endless growth leads to ruin. Even-handed and gripping, it gives high schoolers a powerful framework for thinking about food, agriculture, and the future of a crowded world.
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