Down to Earth

Down to Earth examines the connections between climate change denial, the rise of authoritarianism, and economic deregulation. Latour argues that these phenomena stem from elites' abandonment of shared terrain - both literal and metaphorical. The book analyzes political developments like Brexit and Trump's election through an environmental lens, presenting them as symptoms of a broader crisis. Latour traces how different groups respond to ecological threats, from outright denial to various forms of escape or withdrawal. Through a series of essays and arguments, Latour proposes new ways to conceive of politics, territory, and human relationships to the Earth. He introduces key concepts and frameworks for understanding current global challenges. This work presents climate change not just as an environmental issue, but as a force reshaping geopolitics and human society at every level. The text argues for a fundamental reimagining of how humans relate to both political systems and planetary systems.

Readers found Latour's analysis of climate politics and modernization thought-provoking but dense. Many noted the book offers a fresh perspective on climate change denial and globalization. Likes: - Clear diagnosis of why some reject climate science - Links between migration, deregulation, and climate change - Creative use of geometric diagrams to explain concepts - Translation from French maintains Latour's distinctive voice Dislikes: - Complex academic language makes key points hard to follow - Repetitive arguments in middle chapters - Some readers wanted more concrete solutions - Political framework feels Eurocentric As one Goodreads reviewer wrote: "Important ideas buried in unnecessarily complicated prose." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (150+ ratings) The London Review of Books called it "intellectually demanding but rewarding." Several academic reviewers praised its theoretical framework while noting it may be inaccessible to general readers.

Vibrant Matter by Jane Bennett This philosophical work explores how non-human forces and physical matter shape politics and ecology in ways that parallel Latour's analysis of nature-culture networks.

We Have Never Been Modern by Bruno Latour This earlier work by Latour establishes the foundational concepts about the intersection of science, nature, and society that inform Down to Earth.

The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Tsing Through the lens of matsutake mushrooms, this book examines the relationships between humans, non-humans, capitalism, and ecological systems.

How Forests Think by Eduardo Kohn This anthropological study demonstrates how human and non-human beings form semiotic relationships in the Amazon rainforest, expanding our understanding of ecology and consciousness.

A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History by Manuel DeLanda This work reframes human history through the lens of material flows and networks, showing how physical, biological, and social forces interweave through time.

🌍 Bruno Latour wrote this book as a direct response to Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017, seeing it as a pivotal moment in the relationship between politics and climate change. 🤔 The book introduces the concept of "New Climatic Regime" - a fundamental shift in how humans must think about their relationship with the Earth, suggesting we can no longer act as if we're separate from nature. 📚 Though primarily published in French as "Où atterrir?", which literally means "Where to land?", the English title "Down to Earth" was chosen to emphasize the book's central theme of reconnecting with terrestrial reality. 🌿 Latour challenges traditional political divisions of Left and Right, proposing instead that the key political axis now runs between those who acknowledge climate change and those who deny it. 🔄 The book presents a unique argument that globalization as we knew it has ended, replaced by what Latour calls "the terrestrial" - a new way of understanding our relationship with the planet that encompasses both human and non-human actors.