The Living Building Challenge: Roots and Rise of the World's Greenest Standard delves into the profoundly rigorous certification program recognized by the green design-build movement as the most inspirational and sustainable standard in the world. Author Mary Adam Thomas explores the history and ideas that influenced visionary designer Jason F. McLennan to develop the Challenge, reports on its dramatic launch, illuminates Living Building pioneers and projects, and summarizes the global attention the Standard generated in its first ten years. Dozens of industry notables add their voices to this history, rounding out a rich and engaging overview of the past, present, and highly anticipated future of the Living Building Challenge. I am watching Living Buildings move from mission zero to what I call mission generous: this idea that you do not just meet your own needs on the site. Now we are moving into giving the surplus goodness away, which is what ecosystems do. --Janine Benyus, Biomimicry 3.8 Mary Adam Thomas has captured the essence of the LBC within these pages. I am thrilled to see this critical chapter of the green building movement properly chronicled as it moves into the second decade of its incredible transformational story. --Jason F. McLennan, International Living Future Institute One of the beautiful things about the designs of Living Buildings is how they make visible the integral relationship between humans and nature. These designs make concrete what otherwise may appear abstract. --David Korten, Author, Activist Mary Adam Thomas is an award-winning writer who has been helping tell the story of the Living Building Challenge since 2006. She is the author of two titles in the Living Building Challenge Series, The Greenest Building: How the Bullitt Center Changes the Urban Landscape (2016) and Building in Bloom: The Making of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (2013) . She collaborated with Jason F. McLennan on his collection of essays, Zugunruhe: The Inner Migration to Profound Environmental Change , and contributed the introduction to his follow-up book, Transformational Thought: Radical Ideas to Remake the Built Environment . In addition, she provided editorial support for Living Building Education: The Evolution of Bertschi School s Science Wing and Busby: Architecture's New Edges . Mary is also the collaborative author, with Andrew Schorr, of The Web-Savvy Patient: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Internet When Facing Medical Crisis .