A journey into the world of carbon, the most versatile element on the planet, by the New York Times bestselling author Paul Hawken Carbon is the only element that animates the entirety of the living world. Though comprising a tiny fraction of Earth’s composition, our planet is lifeless without it. Yet it is maligned as the driver of climate change, scorned as an errant element blamed for the possible demise of civilization. Here , Paul Hawken looks at the flow of life through the lens of carbon. Embracing a panoramic view of carbon’s omnipresence, he explores how this ubiquitous and essential element extends into every aperture of existence and shapes the entire fabric of life. Hawken charts a course across our planetary history, guiding us into the realms of plants, animals, insects, fungi, food, and farms to offer a new narrative for embracing carbon’s life-giving power and its possibilities for the future of human endeavor. In this stirring, hopeful, and deeply humane book, Hawken illuminates the subtle connections between carbon and our collective human experience and asks us to see nature, carbon, and ourselves as exquisitely intertwined—inseparably connected. Advance Praise for Carbon “Fascinating. . . . Illuminating. . . . Carbon ends with enchanting details about consciousness and ways forward as our climate changes.” — Booklist (starred review) “Paul Hawken invites us to see the connections that bind us to everything else on the planet. Carbon is an enormously hopeful book—hopeful about the creatures we live among and about our innate human capacities.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction “Endlessly endlessly fascinating! Human beings, over the millennia, have come up with a thousand ways to carefully observe the world around us, and Paul Hawken has managed to collect and synthesize these observations--from the sweat lodge to the satellite—in a way that helps us see what now must be done. There's information, and then there's wisdom—and this book is a compendium of the latter.” —Bill McKibben, author The End of Nature “Paul Hawken reminds us that this problematic molecule is the basis of life itself. Carbon, his very readable synthesis of life on our heating-up, beaten-up planet, begins with the molecule. . . . Hawken’s book contains much excellent natural history, including the good news that when we treat Earth right, it regenerates itself, even rather quickly. . . . The road to restoration begins with a fairly accurate assessment of reality, no matter how complex. Carbon gives us that. It also gives us reasons to hope.” —Priscilla Long, The American Scholar “Recently I asked a number of people what they thought of when I mentioned the word carbon. Carbon credits said one, though he didn’t know what they were. Coal and charcoal said another. Diamonds? queried a third. Yes, and so much more. Paul Hawken, writing with his usual clear and often poetic style, explains that without carbon our planet would be a dead moonscape, devoid of life. Carbon: The Book of Life is absolutely fascinating, and I urge you to buy and read it.” —Jane Goodall, author of The Book of Hope “Paul Hawken’s Carbon is a profound exploration of the most essential element of life and its impact on the planet. This book is not just about the science of carbon; it’s a call to action and a vision for how we can shift our thinking to embrace a regenerative, life-affirming path. With a deep understanding of ecology, economics, and the interconnectedness of all living systems, Paul masterfully illustrates how carbon’s journey through our biosphere is both a warning and an opportunity. For anyone passionate about the health of our planet and our collective future, Carbon is an essential read that will inspire and empower you to become a steward of the earth and a champion for change.” —Mark Hyman, MD, author of Food Fix and host of The Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast “ Carbon offers the heart and wisdom we need to live and love and repair our world in these wild times. Brilliant, scientific, poetic, warm and caring, visionary and tender, this is truly good medicine and nourishing food for our lives and the earth!” —Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart “Paul Hawken’s powerful new book mirrors the profound beauty that can save our world. Most books view carbon as a culprit. Hawken reminds us that carbon is the source of all planetary life. If you are looking for hope—for a way past climate denial and despair— Carbon is a must-read.” —Van Jones, CNN Host and New York Times bestselling author of Beyond the Messy Truth “Paul Hawken writes beautifully about the situation we face here on our planet. Using carbon, life’s central element, as a major theme, his eloquence and point of view are insightful, powerful, and important.” —Jeff Bridges, Academy award-winning actor and co-author of The Dude and the Zen Master “Deep into Carbon: