Restless and Relentless Mind of Wes Jackson

Robert Jensen is emeritus professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Plain Radical: Living, Loving, and Learning to Leave the Planet Gracefully, among many books.

This is a pithy yet deeply satisfying introduction to the life and work of ecological visionary Wes Jackson. Robert Jensen captures Jackson's 'restless and relentless' style of thinking but also shows him to be witty, passionate, and concerned. The ideas consolidated here offer a roadmap to overcome the tragic condition of humanity at this time in history, although the proposed shifts in consciousness may seem dauntingly out of reach." - Scott Slovic, university distinguished professor of environmental humanities, University of Idaho"Philosopher, farmer, scientist, teacher, prophet: Wes Jackson is, most importantly, the cocreator of a movement-what we now call environmental sustainability. To Jackson, we owe a new understanding of agriculture's mostly disastrous history and the radical rethinking required for its turn to a sustainable future. A timely tribute to the Sage of Kansas and the hugely influential Land Institute he founded. It's not too much to say that the future of the planet lies in the hands of those who would follow in his footsteps and read this book." - Gillen D'Arcy Wood, associate director, Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and the Environment, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"Even for those who know Wes Jackson well, this is an excellent introduction to the philosophy of one of America's most important environmental thinkers. We see how Jackson's life and personality helped shape a way of thinking that is much needed in these challenging times. The prose is refreshingly clear and entertaining. Reading this book is like spending a long afternoon walking with Wes over his beloved prairies." - Angus Wright, professor emeritus of environmental studies, California State University, Sacramento"Robert Jensen has given us a concise introduction to the thought of one of our seminal thinkers, Wes Jackson. Rather than synthesizing Wes's significant body of work, Jensen lets us look into the mind and imagination that produced it. Wes Jackson's searching and restless intelligence looks at the prairie and sees the future, not just as a metaphor but as the laboratory that nature itself produced. We are told to 'take nature as the measure' Jensen here tells us why." - Gerald Torres, professor of environmental justice, Yale School of the Environment and Yale Law School