The Nature Delusion - by Tom Oliver (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A one-of-a-kind book offering a unique perspective on how our connection with nature relates to the current environmental crisis.

Does the future of humankind lie in colonising a new planet, or uploading our minds to a digital metaverse?

Listening to certain billionaires and technophiles, you might think these are our best bets for escaping the increasingly hostile world we've made for ourselves. The Nature Delusion dismantles these ideas. It shows why technological and economic 'fixes' alone cannot solve the existential threat of climate change, and why they remain out of reach for most people. Instead, this book uncovers the root causes of our environmental crisis - from our disconnection from nature to our focus on short-term, self-centered priorities - and offers a hopeful vision for the future.

As the environmental crisis deepens, it's easy to feel powerless or overwhelmed. The Nature Delusion invites you to see humanity's place in the world in a radically new way and demonstrates how transforming our mindset can create a healthier, more resilient world.

Review Quotes

"We are Homo deludians, a selfish species lost inside a dark technosphere. The Nature Delusion illuminates a pathway out of this cave and offers reconnection to Earth, nature and life." Glenn Albrecht, philosopher

"A rigorous and compelling analysis of impending global crises and the proposed responses, with a bracing realism on the problems of each." Michael Foley, author of The Age of Absurdity

"Billionaires aren't going to rescue us from the climate crisis. The real change we need must come from ordinary people. This excellent book helps us to better understand how we can trigger a positive transformation in our culture, and ourselves." Russell Warfield, Head of Communications at climate charity Possible.

About the Author

Tom Oliver is Professor of Applied Ecology and Research Dean for Environment at the University of Reading. He is a prominent systems thinker, advising both the UK government and the European Commission. His first book The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of Our Connection to Each Other and the Natural World (W&N, 2020) was published to critical acclaim and translated into Korean and Italian.