What do you think?
Rate this book
We Belong to Gaia
In twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.James Lovelock's We Belong to Gaia draws on decades of wisdom to lay out the history of our remarkable planet, to show that it is not ours to be exploited - and warns us that it is fighting back.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.
96 pages, Paperback
Published August 26, 2021
34 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
About the author
James E. Lovelock
29 books311 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James Ephraim Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS, is an independent scientist, author, researcher, environmentalist, and futurist who lives in Devon, England. He is known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, in which he postulates that the Earth functions as a self-regulating system.
James Ephraim Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS, is an independent scientist, author, researcher, environmentalist, and futurist who lives in Devon, England. He is known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, in which he postulates that the Earth functions as a self-regulating system.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 19, 2022
This is a difficult book to rate, because the author is correct in so many ways and yet if you believe this book humanity appears to have gone past the point of no return. Suggesting that the ideal population of the planet is 80% less than it currently is suggests we've expanded too much and there's no redemption for us.
The irony is that billions of years ago, carbon dioxide and methane (24 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide) would have kept our planet warm enough for the promotion of life and now those same gases are having the opposite effect.
This book indicates we are fighting against Gaia rather than working with Gaia to promote the good health of the planet.
James Lovelock also makes a great point when he says that he wishes religion could turn to the concept of Gaia and recognise that human rights are not enough and that the Earth is part of God's creation and that those with faith could be troubled by its desecration.
The irony is that billions of years ago, carbon dioxide and methane (24 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide) would have kept our planet warm enough for the promotion of life and now those same gases are having the opposite effect.
This book indicates we are fighting against Gaia rather than working with Gaia to promote the good health of the planet.
James Lovelock also makes a great point when he says that he wishes religion could turn to the concept of Gaia and recognise that human rights are not enough and that the Earth is part of God's creation and that those with faith could be troubled by its desecration.
April 18, 2022
Really compelling stuff. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read some of Lovelock's work, and I expect I'll eventually go in search of more.
The was lots of good content here that more than justified the small package.
But I can't stop going back to this riff, where Lovelock begins by pointing to Napoleon's failure to recognize that, in 1812, he should have retreated "so that his army could remain intact to fight another day.... The British remember with pride the successful withdrawal of the army from Dunkirk in 1940, and do not see it as an ignominious defeat.... The time has come when all of us must plan a retreat from the unsustainable place that we have now reached through inappropriate use of technology.... Like Napoleon, we have too many mouths to feed and resources diminish daily while we make up our minds.... We need the people of the world to sense the real and present danger so that they will mobilize and unstintingly bring about an orderly and sustainable withdrawal to a world where we can try to live in harmony with Gaia."
Yes.... and yet....
This content assembled here was originally published elsewhere, more than 15 years ago. Republished as a standalone here, this slender volume is installment 16 - and one of the more tightly wrapped offerings - in the Penguin Green Ideas collection, which I'm finding well worth the investment ... and the minor hassle of acquiring it... Sadly, as my local independent bookstore confirmed, it is not available for sale (in the slipcase collection) in the U.S. What a shame! (Fortunately, thanks to our modern, global economy, it's not that difficult to order it from a UK supplier). Having now reached the three-quarter point, I'm ecstatic that I found and bought it. Well worth the effort, money, and time. Frankly, I can't recommend the collection (warts and imperfections and all) enough.
The was lots of good content here that more than justified the small package.
But I can't stop going back to this riff, where Lovelock begins by pointing to Napoleon's failure to recognize that, in 1812, he should have retreated "so that his army could remain intact to fight another day.... The British remember with pride the successful withdrawal of the army from Dunkirk in 1940, and do not see it as an ignominious defeat.... The time has come when all of us must plan a retreat from the unsustainable place that we have now reached through inappropriate use of technology.... Like Napoleon, we have too many mouths to feed and resources diminish daily while we make up our minds.... We need the people of the world to sense the real and present danger so that they will mobilize and unstintingly bring about an orderly and sustainable withdrawal to a world where we can try to live in harmony with Gaia."
Yes.... and yet....
This content assembled here was originally published elsewhere, more than 15 years ago. Republished as a standalone here, this slender volume is installment 16 - and one of the more tightly wrapped offerings - in the Penguin Green Ideas collection, which I'm finding well worth the investment ... and the minor hassle of acquiring it... Sadly, as my local independent bookstore confirmed, it is not available for sale (in the slipcase collection) in the U.S. What a shame! (Fortunately, thanks to our modern, global economy, it's not that difficult to order it from a UK supplier). Having now reached the three-quarter point, I'm ecstatic that I found and bought it. Well worth the effort, money, and time. Frankly, I can't recommend the collection (warts and imperfections and all) enough.
October 31, 2022
It’s not looking good brev. I like the idea, but then he rambled on about how we should write a new Bible and he lost me.
September 30, 2022
um so gaia theory is cute but then the second half of this book is racist ignorant white ecology ✋️ he's like lol let's write a book of knowledge for the survivors for the end of the world cos i don't want a wind turbine in my ends. was having quite extreme reactions considering im on the tube. annotations of this book include: 'huh', 'eh', 'stupid', 'racist alert' & '... wrong'.
June 11, 2023
Lovelock posits that the earth is actually a sentient (?) system capable of something like choice and reaction, and essentially — it is going to fucking murk us if we keep driving cars and breeding cattle.
As I read, I was struck by Lovelock’s ideas and how they (coincidentally? or because of him?) seem to crop up in other works of fiction I’ve seen with a climate-oriented message. The Gaia system is a real scientific theory — Lovelock was a scientist, there is some evidence that supports it, and there seems to be a growing number of scholars who endorse it. But I think it’s going to be a tough sell. I was intrigued but frankly not gagged by this information.
More important, I think, than the Gaia theory itself is Lovelock’s assertion that metaphors and rhetoric may be more important in transforming human attitudes toward the climate emergency than any individual act or change we can do to lessen our carbon footprint (but also — keep doing this, too!). I really wanna replay Horizon Zero Dawn after reading this?
As I read, I was struck by Lovelock’s ideas and how they (coincidentally? or because of him?) seem to crop up in other works of fiction I’ve seen with a climate-oriented message. The Gaia system is a real scientific theory — Lovelock was a scientist, there is some evidence that supports it, and there seems to be a growing number of scholars who endorse it. But I think it’s going to be a tough sell. I was intrigued but frankly not gagged by this information.
More important, I think, than the Gaia theory itself is Lovelock’s assertion that metaphors and rhetoric may be more important in transforming human attitudes toward the climate emergency than any individual act or change we can do to lessen our carbon footprint (but also — keep doing this, too!). I really wanna replay Horizon Zero Dawn after reading this?
October 31, 2021
A must-read for anyone who want to open their consciousness on a future relationship with Earth. Some of his specific ideas are to be evaluated, he gives personal ideas without much backup, but the general intention of this book, its metaphor and concept, opens up a new space in our perception of Gaia. It opens a new chapter, of distruction and of instinctual regeneration. I had never felt it so close, so possible.
July 12, 2022
Compelling argument for the Gaia hypothesis. Not so sure about the plan for a universal book of knowledge.
February 14, 2024
A difficult one to rate; I kept going back and forth between 2 or 3 stars, so will settle on 2.5.
The first half of the book was at times overwhelming with the scientific based metaphors, but overall introduced the ideas well and cemented the authors experience and knowledge. I was especially intrigued by the main argument of the Earth as a living being and the call to regain connection in intuition, thus challenging Cartesian dualism.
However, the second half was rife with ignorance and - dare I say - racism (with a hint of sexism for good measure too). There is no fruitful discussion regarding the colonial, capitalistic, neoliberal ideologies that are at the very core of the planetary breakdown through continued exploitation and exhaustion. This seems entirely unconsidered by the author who continues a metaphor of an active war against nature throughout this second half too. He also continued the harmful practice of assigning a gendered Earth that demonstrates a lack in challenging problematic binaries that further contribute to dominant societal norms. Then, despite repeating the importance of metaphors in transmitting crucial understanding, fails to make any comment on the potential of literature and instead recommends an Earth science version of a bible? I know this is a small book composed of extracts from a larger work, but boy did this second half take an ignorant turn for the worst.
The first half of the book was at times overwhelming with the scientific based metaphors, but overall introduced the ideas well and cemented the authors experience and knowledge. I was especially intrigued by the main argument of the Earth as a living being and the call to regain connection in intuition, thus challenging Cartesian dualism.
However, the second half was rife with ignorance and - dare I say - racism (with a hint of sexism for good measure too). There is no fruitful discussion regarding the colonial, capitalistic, neoliberal ideologies that are at the very core of the planetary breakdown through continued exploitation and exhaustion. This seems entirely unconsidered by the author who continues a metaphor of an active war against nature throughout this second half too. He also continued the harmful practice of assigning a gendered Earth that demonstrates a lack in challenging problematic binaries that further contribute to dominant societal norms. Then, despite repeating the importance of metaphors in transmitting crucial understanding, fails to make any comment on the potential of literature and instead recommends an Earth science version of a bible? I know this is a small book composed of extracts from a larger work, but boy did this second half take an ignorant turn for the worst.
September 16, 2021
This is an odd little book. As part of Penguin's new 'Green Ideas' it appears to be a heavily abridged version of Lovelock's 'The Revenge of Gaia' (2006). Yet with no context provided by the publisher, no notes, no reference, no preface, or about section, it is very hard to place making it a frustrating read (one chapter references the Fukushima nuclear disaster, so it is clearly not all text from 2006).
The first chapter 'What is Gaia' is informative and offers a good overview of Lovelock's headline concept, but the quality deteriorates in subsequent chapters. The third chapter offers Lovelock's "Personal View of Environmentalism" which would otherwise be interesting if the context of when this had been written was clear. The fourth and final chapter devolves into very 'old man yells at cloud' energy, where having railed against wind turbines and offered nuclear power as the only panacea, Lovelock seems to suggest that we need to prepare for rebuilding civilization following apocalypse by mass producing durable encyclopedias..
The first chapter 'What is Gaia' is informative and offers a good overview of Lovelock's headline concept, but the quality deteriorates in subsequent chapters. The third chapter offers Lovelock's "Personal View of Environmentalism" which would otherwise be interesting if the context of when this had been written was clear. The fourth and final chapter devolves into very 'old man yells at cloud' energy, where having railed against wind turbines and offered nuclear power as the only panacea, Lovelock seems to suggest that we need to prepare for rebuilding civilization following apocalypse by mass producing durable encyclopedias..
February 19, 2023
I’ve been gradually reading all the books in the Green Ideas box set and this is the best by far as Lovelock’s Gaia ‘model’ (because that’s all it is) offers a way of looking at the environmental crisis that enables us to grasp the problem rationally and emotionally and spiritually (In it’s loosest sense) in such a way that the problem is clear, our trajectory obvious but there is a narrative of hope we can act within.
The problem with the Gaia model is, as Lovelock explains, is very difficult to grasp on a purely intellectual level. This is the reason it has been widely dismissed in scientific circles. However for that very reason it could work to reconcile the split of humanity from nature, scientific from spiritual (being part of something larger than yourself and a framework for good living).
The book ultimately ends on a pessimistic note but for me of all the books I’ve read about the environmental crisis this small, readable book offered me more hope than all the others combined.
I would highly recommend.
The problem with the Gaia model is, as Lovelock explains, is very difficult to grasp on a purely intellectual level. This is the reason it has been widely dismissed in scientific circles. However for that very reason it could work to reconcile the split of humanity from nature, scientific from spiritual (being part of something larger than yourself and a framework for good living).
The book ultimately ends on a pessimistic note but for me of all the books I’ve read about the environmental crisis this small, readable book offered me more hope than all the others combined.
I would highly recommend.
September 13, 2023
more scientific than i was expecting from the name
had my hopes set for more of a poetic description of our relationship with the earth
but the guy chatted some valid stuff
you could very much feel his opinions though, quite biased but not much i would argue with
and the description at the end of a book that holds all valuable knowledge for future survivors of mass extinction sounded soooo dystopian great idea for a novel tbf
had my hopes set for more of a poetic description of our relationship with the earth
but the guy chatted some valid stuff
you could very much feel his opinions though, quite biased but not much i would argue with
and the description at the end of a book that holds all valuable knowledge for future survivors of mass extinction sounded soooo dystopian great idea for a novel tbf
March 17, 2023
he had me, then he lost me. overall a good argument but some questionable ways of defending it.
November 15, 2023
As someone who tends to believe that we are Earthlings to our core, and who is looking for a different approach to get out of this mess we're in, I had to read the "father" of Gaia theory, James Lovelock. And I'm glad I did!
That said, I had to keep reminding myself that this book was originally published in 2006, because much of it feels outdated. The last chapter, in particular, feels completely out of step with where we are today. For example, Lovelock appears to promote nuclear energy as a "clean" form of power--without any mention of the impossibility of safely storing nuclear waste. That didn't sit well with me, but again, it was nearly 20 years ago so perhaps he has changed his mind!
Would be interested to hear what he has to say today.
That said, I had to keep reminding myself that this book was originally published in 2006, because much of it feels outdated. The last chapter, in particular, feels completely out of step with where we are today. For example, Lovelock appears to promote nuclear energy as a "clean" form of power--without any mention of the impossibility of safely storing nuclear waste. That didn't sit well with me, but again, it was nearly 20 years ago so perhaps he has changed his mind!
Would be interested to hear what he has to say today.
January 31, 2023
- personal rant-
This book gives insight in the thoughts of James Lovelock, who is a scientist and has written a lot about the Gaia Theory. He says we should look at the Earth as a single self-regulating system that sustains all life. I agree with that, but I also feel - especially in the last two chapters - how his views are still quite shaped by growing up in the West, being white. Brushing off native people as people who also just claimed pieces of earth and not acknowledging their view of being with the natural world. It feels a bit icky in this sense, also to have him say how we need to preserve farmlands, while farmlands are quite also part of the problem, right?
He does mention how 'Greens' range in their means to the goal and there are a lot of different opinions shared on the same subject. And he does mention that the problem might've been the discovery of fire to use for our own means. Which I agree with.
I find it intriguing how he want the solution to be a book. Like the Bible, which is just again, his growing up in the world shaping his ideas. But he also is aware of that.
I don't know, there are just interesting thoughts layed out in this book, but it's good to have a bit of a distance and not take it as a final truth. I like his saying we should use metaphors more.
This book gives insight in the thoughts of James Lovelock, who is a scientist and has written a lot about the Gaia Theory. He says we should look at the Earth as a single self-regulating system that sustains all life. I agree with that, but I also feel - especially in the last two chapters - how his views are still quite shaped by growing up in the West, being white. Brushing off native people as people who also just claimed pieces of earth and not acknowledging their view of being with the natural world. It feels a bit icky in this sense, also to have him say how we need to preserve farmlands, while farmlands are quite also part of the problem, right?
He does mention how 'Greens' range in their means to the goal and there are a lot of different opinions shared on the same subject. And he does mention that the problem might've been the discovery of fire to use for our own means. Which I agree with.
I find it intriguing how he want the solution to be a book. Like the Bible, which is just again, his growing up in the world shaping his ideas. But he also is aware of that.
I don't know, there are just interesting thoughts layed out in this book, but it's good to have a bit of a distance and not take it as a final truth. I like his saying we should use metaphors more.
May 28, 2024
First ten pages were iffy, but once you’re in you cannot turn back. You’ve journeyed into Lovelock’s Twilight Zone, where the tireless efforts sustainable development will never erase the damage we’ve done to Gaia and still means “human” development, meant to sustain a dying species. There are more funds going to cancer research than childhood disease. Similarly, there is more money funneling into “sustainability” while completely ignoring the fact that the entire system is based on the continuation of the human race, an effort to keep us growing even when Mother turns against us.
Humanity can no longer avoid our inevitable fates and I cannot wait till the day we are eradicated from this planet. Until then, we must build community, live locally and connected to each other and all life on this planet we SHARE, we must return to Gaia. Only then will our species truly be “sustainable.”
The last ten pages were not of this world. For me, it was a spiritual calling. A new Bible will emerge, one that will tell stories of our failures to the survivors of the climatic rubble.
Truly breathtaking.
Humanity can no longer avoid our inevitable fates and I cannot wait till the day we are eradicated from this planet. Until then, we must build community, live locally and connected to each other and all life on this planet we SHARE, we must return to Gaia. Only then will our species truly be “sustainable.”
The last ten pages were not of this world. For me, it was a spiritual calling. A new Bible will emerge, one that will tell stories of our failures to the survivors of the climatic rubble.
Truly breathtaking.
October 5, 2022
This is not a real review, just some thoughts I like to write down.
Das ist keine richtige Bewertung, nur ein paar Gedanken, die ich aufschreiben wollte.
Das berühmte Grundkonzept, dass die gesamte Erde als lebender Organismus betrachtet werden kann (witzig, dass ich parallel dazu gerade die Broken Earth Trilogie zu Ende gelesen habe), da sie nicht einfach nur da ist, sondern die Bedingungen fürs Leben schafft und erhält muss man positiv begegnen. Der gesamte Gedanke des Umweltschutzes lässt sich damit wunderbar verpacken. Andere Dinge in diesem halt auch wieder kurzen Ausschnitt aus seinen Werken lassen einem eher kopfschüttelnd zurück wie bspw., dass wir eine Überpopulation hätten, Windräder im Garten kacke sind oder wir sowieso verloren sind und uns auf die Apokalypse vorbereiten sollten, indem wir das gesamte Wissen in eine widerstandsfähige, überdauernde Form packen, damit es erhalten bleibt. Hier bin ich immer noch der Meinung, dass es noch nicht zu spät ist (die fucking Hoffnung darf mir nicht verloren gehen)...
Das ist keine richtige Bewertung, nur ein paar Gedanken, die ich aufschreiben wollte.
Das berühmte Grundkonzept, dass die gesamte Erde als lebender Organismus betrachtet werden kann (witzig, dass ich parallel dazu gerade die Broken Earth Trilogie zu Ende gelesen habe), da sie nicht einfach nur da ist, sondern die Bedingungen fürs Leben schafft und erhält muss man positiv begegnen. Der gesamte Gedanke des Umweltschutzes lässt sich damit wunderbar verpacken. Andere Dinge in diesem halt auch wieder kurzen Ausschnitt aus seinen Werken lassen einem eher kopfschüttelnd zurück wie bspw., dass wir eine Überpopulation hätten, Windräder im Garten kacke sind oder wir sowieso verloren sind und uns auf die Apokalypse vorbereiten sollten, indem wir das gesamte Wissen in eine widerstandsfähige, überdauernde Form packen, damit es erhalten bleibt. Hier bin ich immer noch der Meinung, dass es noch nicht zu spät ist (die fucking Hoffnung darf mir nicht verloren gehen)...
June 4, 2024
Lovelock is the originator of the Gaia principle, which asserts that the Earth behaves as a living organism. The planet’s systems work together to maintain conditions favourable for life, it is like a huge self-regulating system. Nevertheless, human activities are disrupting this equilibrium and have pushed the planet towards a crucial turning point. He suggests that Gaia will retaliate against the abuse she has been inflicted upon, leading to drastic and potentially irreversible changes. As a book belonging to the Green Ideas Series by Penguin, this excerpt from James Lovelock’s “The Revenge of Gaia,” published in 2006, elucidates the environmental challenges with a sense of awe. I was thrilled to learn about the Gaia principle, which seems so intuitive and beautiful.
https://redheadwithabrain.ch/index.ph...
https://redheadwithabrain.ch/index.ph...
March 20, 2025
A very short read. Probably too short to be useful or truly informative. And at £4.99 a bit of a rip-off. To summarise:
The planet is a system.
The sun is getting hotter.
Humans are making the planet even hotter.
The planet can't cope.
We are rushing towards oblivion and it's probably too late to change.
Don't believe politicians or lobbyists.
Whoever ends up surviving will need a How To guide prepared in advance to help avoid making the same mistakes.
As an aside, I really don't get how some reviewers think he's racist or sexist - there's nothing in these 87 pages that supports that opinion.
The planet is a system.
The sun is getting hotter.
Humans are making the planet even hotter.
The planet can't cope.
We are rushing towards oblivion and it's probably too late to change.
Don't believe politicians or lobbyists.
Whoever ends up surviving will need a How To guide prepared in advance to help avoid making the same mistakes.
As an aside, I really don't get how some reviewers think he's racist or sexist - there's nothing in these 87 pages that supports that opinion.
July 24, 2023
Interesting for those who is willing to grasp the ideas on Gaia. However, weak in suggesting solutions and proposing explanations. Where is the politics, critique of Capitalism’s overproduction? With great power comes great responsibility 🕷️ so environmentalists should stop shaming and blaming individuals. Our individual actions are statistically meaningless. I greatly appreciate Gaia theory or hypothesis. However, without politics I see no real action. And Gaia could accompany political actions and consideration.
November 13, 2023
Quite an intriguing read about the earth itself. He discusses nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, methane- all things I haven't really considered before. He caught my attention when he used urine as a way to understand the gasses in this world, and how they interact with each other. Some of his other ideas I had heard from others: such as overpopulation. Well written. Gets to the point quickly and uses examples for the layperson.
January 10, 2024
Honestly think everyone should read this. Such an approachable balance of science and metaphor to understand the situation we are facing re climate change and the different ways we could approach it moving forward and the impacts they would have. I just wish the people who need to hear it most would listen but they’re all rich and selfish twats xoxoxox
November 27, 2021
James Lovelock at his best
A lot of my intuitions about how earth works were summarily changed after reading James Lovelocks books. Honest, humble, clear and best of all an independent scientist. I am waiting for his next masterpiece!
A lot of my intuitions about how earth works were summarily changed after reading James Lovelocks books. Honest, humble, clear and best of all an independent scientist. I am waiting for his next masterpiece!
January 3, 2023
A short book aboit a metaphor that captivates if in anything at least in its implications on ethics of geo engineering. I emjoy tje sincere writing of this controversial theorist because it drives a response that is more complex and holistic than othrr metaphors.
April 6, 2024
A honest read, not a happy read stating we are speeding up to catastrophy. I very much like the analogies in the book which make things even clearer. They make you think from different perspectives about the future of the planet we are living on. We do not own it, we should act like stewards.
August 5, 2024
Hovered between 3 and 4. It’s a nice short book and provided a new way, for me, to look at evolution and how we see the function of the earth. There were a couple of points I was unsure about, but thought provoking enough that it deserved to be above average for me.
November 22, 2024
I love it!!! Hard to understand at first with his metaphor but it actually so beautiful written and hard to accept because it's the reality!!!!, I read this because it's mandatory for my studies but I'm loving it
Read
December 25, 2024Me ha faltado contexto sobre esta edición. No me ha quedado claro si son fragmentos resumidos de otras obras suyas, si es una charla transcrita, si los capitulos están escritos en distintos momentos...
October 26, 2021
Very dry and dull writing
October 11, 2022
Quite an odd little book - I appreciated the first half far more than the second half.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews