james lovelock books

James Lovelock

Originator of Gaia theory and inventor of the electron capture detector

Category: Books

A rough ride to the future.

A Rough Ride to the Future is a Lovelock book which discusses humanity’s role in maintaining the Earth during this period of extensive climate change. As usual his writing is framed within his Gaia theory and is designed to provoke discussion.

The Revenge of Gaia

The Revenge of Gaia is a scientific book by esteemed scientist James Lovelock which discusses the effect human activity is having on the planet and what (if anything) can be done to halt the damage we have already caused. Lovelock proposes radical theories that contrast markedly with ‘traditional green’ thinking as well as forecasting in stark detail what may occur if action is not taken promptly.

The Greening of Mars

The Greening of Mars is a science-fiction tale written by James Lovelock and Michael Allaby that tells the story of how humans colonised the Red Planet. What sets this ‘story’ apart from other novels in the same genre is how the exact processes of transforming the planet to a livable condition are richly detailed, using technologies that were perfectly viable at the time of publication (1984).

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Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth

James e. lovelock.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

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"postulates that the physical and chemical condition of surface of the Earth, of the atmosphere, and of the oceans has been and is actively made fit and comfortable by the presence of life itself. This is in contrast to the conventional wisdom which held that life adapted to the planetary conditions as it and they evolved their separate ways."

René Dubos has powerfully expressed the concept of man as the steward to life on Earth, in symbiosis with it like some grand gardener for all the world. It is a hopeful, optimistic view and a liberal one. In contrast to Dubos, Garrett Hardin apparently sees man as acting out a great tragedy which may lead not only to his own destruction but to the that of the whole world. He suggests that our only means of escape is to renounce most of our technology, especially nuclear energy, but he seems to doubt whether we have free choice."