What Would Nature Do?: A Guide for Our Uncertain Times

The future is uncertain, and fear and doubt have replaced certainty about the course of civilization. Ruth DeFries argues that life has evolved strategies to survive, such as investments in diversity, redundancy, self-correcting feedbacks, and decisions based on bottom-up knowledge. By applying these strategies to modern life, we can withstand uncertain and perilous times and reorganize for a safe and prosperous future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2020
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The future once appeared predictable, but now uncertainty reigns supreme. Raging fires, devastating storms, political upheavals, financial collapse, and deadly pandemics loom on the horizon, casting a shadow of fear and doubt over civilization. The world seems more enigmatic and perilous, leaving individuals, businesses, and governments at a loss for how to navigate the treacherous waters ahead.

In this challenging landscape, Ruth DeFries emerges as a beacon of hope. She argues that a surprising set of time-tested strategies from the natural world can guide humanity through these crises. Through the eons of trial and error, life has evolved astonishing and counterintuitive tricks to survive. DeFries delves into how a handful of fundamental strategies—investments in diversity, redundancy over efficiency, self-correcting feedbacks, and decisions based on bottom-up knowledge—enable life to persist amidst unpredictable, sudden shocks.

By drawing insights from the intricate network of veins in a leaf and the "circuit breakers" modeled after planetary cycles in the stock market, DeFries reveals the power of these approaches for modern life. She demonstrates that with humility and a willingness to apply nature's experience to our human-constructed world, we can endure uncertain and perilous times.

In her book, "What Would Nature Do?" DeFries offers timely solutions for civilization to reorganize for a safe and prosperous future. She encourages us to embrace complexity, recognizing that it is the very essence of life on Earth. By emulating nature's strategies, we can build resilient systems that can withstand the shocks and challenges of the 21st century.

The book provides a roadmap for individuals, businesses, and governments to navigate the uncertain waters ahead. It encourages a shift towards sustainability, resilience, and interconnectedness, recognizing that our survival depends on our ability to work together and adapt to changing circumstances.

In conclusion, the future once seemed predictable, but now uncertainty reigns supreme. However, by drawing lessons from nature, we can navigate the treacherous waters ahead and build a safer and more prosperous future for ourselves and future generations. "What Would Nature Do?" offers a timely and insightful perspective on how we can reorganize for a safe and prosperous future.

Weight: 432g
Dimension: 148 x 223 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231199421