The Nature Delusion

A one-of-a-kind book offering a unique perspective on how our connection with nature relates to the current environmental crisis.

Does the future of humankind lie in colonising a new planet, or uploading our minds to a digital metaverse?

Listening to certain billionaires and technophiles, you might think these are our best bets for escaping the increasingly hostile world we’ve made for ourselves. The Nature Delusion dismantles these ideas. It shows why technological and economic ‘fixes’ alone cannot solve the existential threat of climate change, and why they remain out of reach for most people. Instead, this book uncovers the root causes of our environmental crisis – from our disconnection from nature to our focus on short-term, self-centered priorities – and offers a hopeful vision for the future.

As the environmental crisis deepens, it’s easy to feel powerless or overwhelmed. The Nature Delusion invites you to see humanity’s place in the world in a radically new way and demonstrates how transforming our mindset can create a healthier, more resilient world.

Author Biography

Tom Oliver is Professor of Applied Ecology and Research Dean for Environment at the University of Reading. He is a prominent systems thinker, advising both the UK government and the European Commission. His first book The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of Our Connection to Each Other and the Natural World (W&N, 2020) was published to critical acclaim and translated into Korean and Italian.