Carbon

A fascinating exploration of life through the lens of carbon, the most versatile element on the planet, by New York Times bestselling author Paul Hawken.

Carbon animates the entirety of the living world. Though it comprises only a tiny fraction of Earth’s composition, our planet would be lifeless without it. From the intricate microscopic networks of fungi in the Earth’s soils to the tallest trees of the forests to every cell in every animal, the very fabric of life on Earth is shaped by carbon. Though it is much maligned as a driver of climate change, blamed for the possible demise of civilisation, that is only one part of its story.

In this stirring, hopeful and deeply humane book, Paul Hawken illuminates the omnipresence of this life-giving element and the possibilities it provides for the future of human endeavour, inviting us to see nature, carbon and ourselves as exquisitely intertwined and inseparably connected.

Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur and bestselling author, and one of the leading voices calling for the regeneration of nature and humanity. He has written and edited eight books, which have been published in thirty languages in over fifty countries and sold over two million copies. They include Drawdown, Blessed Unrest and Regeneration. He is a renowned lecturer and consults with NGOs, governments, and corporations on environmental issues worldwide.

‘Recently I asked a number of people what they thought of when I mentioned the word carbon. “Carbon credits” said one, though he didn’t know what they were. “Coal and charcoal”, said another. “Diamonds?” queried a third. Yes, and so much more. Paul Hawken, writing with his usual clear and often poetic style, explains that without carbon our planet would be a dead moonscape, devoid of life. Carbon: the Book of Life is absolutely fascinating, and I urge you to buy and read it.’ Jane Goodall

‘Paul Hawken writes beautifully about the situation we face here on our planet. Using carbon, life’s central elements, as a major theme, his eloquence and point of view are insightful, powerful, and important.’ Jeff Bridges, Academy award-winning actor and co-author of The Dude and the Zen Master

‘Imagine putting on a pair of glasses that suddenly revealed the world as a fabric woven of miracles. Carbon reads like an extended love poem about life’s most basic chemical. Here, carbon’s dance of life does not take sides; it is never right or wrong. In Paul Hawken’s telling, carbon might just be the sexiest element, “available, loyal, and fickle in its versatility”. In Hawken’s hands and in these pages, the chemistry is always right.’ Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel and Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

‘I work on climate solutions, electrification, and the decarbonisation of our energy economy because I had the privilege of being raised on reefs and rivers, farms and fields, mangroves, and bird hides…Carbon endows the climate and environment movement with beauty, magic, majesty, and wonder, not just a carbon budget.’ Saul Griffith, PhD and author of Electrify, An Optimist’s Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future

‘Carbon is an enormously hopeful book—hopeful about the creatures we live among and about our innate human capacities.’ Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction

‘Endlessly, endlessly fascinating!...There’s information, and then there’s wisdom—and this book is a compendium of the latter.’ Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature