Stewart Brand on Starting Things and Staying Curious

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Jan 26, 2022

Stewart Brand, a polymath known for his involvement in cyberculture and environmental movements, shares his wisdom at 83. He dives into the curious connections between his Cold War upbringing and modern curiosity. Brand discusses the allure of psychedelics, the impact of the Whole Earth Catalog, and critiques of Silicon Valley's disconnect from the arts. He raises fascinating ideas about bringing back woolly mammoths and challenges the notion of space colonization, urging us to focus on maintenance and the importance of institutions.

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ANECDOTE

Cold War Childhood

Stewart Brand, growing up in Rockford, Illinois, experienced Cold War anxieties.
Nightmares of a bomb-destroyed Rockford stemmed from the city's high-priority target status for Soviet bombing.

INSIGHT

Decentralization

Stewart Brand's decentralist views are rooted in his artistic background and Darwinian understanding of evolution.
He sees evolution as the ultimate decentralized system, constantly self-organizing.

ANECDOTE

Native American Influence

Stewart Brand's interactions with Native American communities in Oregon in 1963 significantly shaped his perspective.
He observed their collaborative culture, contrasting it with the individualistic nature of white cowboys.

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The Ministry for the Future

Kim Stanley Robinson

The Ministry for the Future is a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson that delves into the urgent issue of climate change. Set in the near future, the story follows the establishment of a UN agency, the Ministry for the Future, whose mission is to advocate for the rights of future generations. The novel is told through multiple perspectives, including those of Mary Murphy, the head of the Ministry, and Frank May, an American aid worker who survives a devastating heat wave in India. The book explores various innovative solutions to climate change, such as the introduction of a new currency called 'carboni' to incentivize decarbonization, and it presents a hopeful yet realistic vision of how humanity might cooperate to mitigate the effects of climate change. The narrative includes a mix of fictional eyewitness accounts, non-fiction descriptions, and diverse writing styles, reflecting the complexity and urgency of the climate crisis[1][3][5].

Termination Shock

Neal Stephenson

In 'Termination Shock', Neal Stephenson depicts a near-future world ravaged by the greenhouse effect, with superstorms, rising sea levels, global flooding, heat waves, and deadly pandemics. The story centers around T.R. Schmidt, a Texas billionaire who implements a solar geoengineering scheme by seeding the atmosphere with sulfur dioxide to cool the planet. However, this plan has uneven effects globally, benefiting some regions while threatening others. The novel follows a diverse cast of characters, including the Queen of the Netherlands and a Canadian-Indian Sikh, as they grapple with the geopolitical and social consequences of this rogue climate fix. The book raises critical questions about the potential solutions and dire risks associated with large-scale climate interventions[1][3][5].

scale

This sound

Jeffrey West

The novel centers on two Chinese American siblings on the lam after their sometimes abusive father dies, leaving them to survive in a dreamscape that blends historical and mythological elements. The story is narrated by a sister whose gender is more fluid and includes elements of ghost narratives, gold, and tigers. Zhang's work challenges the traditional white-centered narratives of the American West, incorporating elements of her own cultural background and childhood experiences.

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Sir Michael Howard

How Buildings Learn

What Happens After They're Built

Stewart Brand

This book proposes that buildings adapt best when constantly refined and reshaped by their occupants. It argues that architects can mature from being artists of space to becoming artists of time. The book covers a wide range of architectural examples, from connected farmhouses in New England to I.M. Pei’s Media Lab, and discusses the evolution of various architectural styles. Brand emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in building design, criticizing modernist approaches that prioritize form over function and human needs. He also highlights the different layers of a building (site, structure, skin, services, and space plan) and how each layer has a different lifespan and requires different maintenance strategies[2][3][5].

1984

None

George Orwell

Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.

Aurora

Kim Stanley Robinson

Aurora tells the story of a starship launched in 2545, carrying two thousand of Earth's best and brightest to the Tau Ceti system, a journey that spans over 150 years. The narrative is uniquely told from the perspective of the ship itself, which has developed an intelligent and self-aware AI. The story follows Freya, the daughter of the ship's Chief Engineer, Devi, and explores the lives of the people aboard the ship as it approaches its destination. The novel delves into themes of survival, purpose, and the challenges posed by generations of humans living in space, including the failure of the colonization effort and the subsequent conflicts among the ship's inhabitants.

The Right Stuff

Tom Wolfe

Published in 1979, 'The Right Stuff' by Tom Wolfe is a seminal work of nonfiction that delves into the lives of the pilots and astronauts involved in the U.S. postwar research with experimental rocket-powered aircraft and the early human spaceflight program, Project Mercury. Wolfe's book is based on extensive research, including interviews with test pilots, astronauts, and their families. It focuses on the bravery, machismo, and the unspoken code of 'the right stuff' that defined these individuals. The book contrasts the Mercury Seven astronauts with other test pilots like Chuck Yeager and Scott Crossfield, highlighting their courage, skills, and the risks they undertook. Wolfe's narrative is characterized by its vivid descriptions and use of literary techniques to evoke the era and the people involved in the early days of American space exploration.

Whole Earth Catalog

Access to Tools

Stewart Brand

The Whole Earth Catalog was published between 1968 and 1972, and sporadically thereafter until 1998. It was designed to provide 'access to tools' for newly dispersed counterculture communities, back-to-the-land households, and innovators in technology, design, and architecture. The catalog featured product reviews, essays, and articles on various topics including sustainable design, experimental media, and community practices. It played a significant role in the environmental movement and was influential in shaping the cyberculture of the time. The catalog won the National Book Award in 1972 for its 'Last Whole Earth Catalog' edition.

Zorba the Greek

Nikos Kazantzakis

The novel, originally titled 'Víos kai Politeía tou Aléxē Zorbá' (Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas), tells the story of a young Greek intellectual who, feeling stifled by his bookish life, hires the charismatic and experienced Alexis Zorba to manage a lignite mine in Crete. The narrative revolves around the conversations and interactions between Zorba and the young 'boss', highlighting their vastly different approaches to life. Zorba, with his passionate and practical worldview, challenges the boss's more passive and aesthetically inclined nature. The book delves into themes such as the meaning of life, religion, women, and the human condition, set against the backdrop of rural Cretan life and the characters' personal struggles and adventures.

Japanese homes and their surroundings

Edward Sylvester Morse

This classic book provides an authoritative description of traditional Japanese domestic architecture, including indoor and outdoor features, and offers insights into Japanese cultural practices. It contains over 300 detailed illustrations and remains a valuable resource for architects and designers.