Book Log 2019 #4: The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles Mann

I was very much looking forward to this book by the author of 1491, which was a tremendous account of what science, history, and archaeology can tell us about life in the Americas prior to the arrival of Columbus. Unlike that book, though, this tells the story of specific individuals - agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug and environmentalist William Vogt - and their very different approaches to how humans should use the Earth. Borlaug dedicated his life to finding ways to increase what we can get from the planet, while Vogt argued that overuse could lead to long-term problems that would threaten humanity.

The verdict is still out on which man was right, assuming that there is a right answer here. 

I will say that while I liked this book, I was a little disappointed given how much I loved 1491. I probably anticipated this one too much, with a result that it was never going to live up to expectations. It's also a very different book from 1491, being more of a historical and philosophical work. All that being said, I would say if you've not read 1491 you should do so before reading this one. Not because it will add anything to the reading experience for this book; I just think 1491 is the better of the two.