Book Review: Breaking New Ground by Lester R. Brown

Breaking New Ground is a remarkable book that provides insight into the life of Lester Brown, an influential thinker who is regarded as a pioneer of the global environmental movement. Lester is founder of the Earth Policy and Worldwatch institutes and he has received numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship and the UN Environment Prize. His particular brand of entrepreneurship blended with intellectual perspicacity has given him a unique ability, to not only understand and predict global trends but develop methods to resolve potential issues.

As a research institute, an aspect of the biography that we found especially interesting is his description of the development of Worldwatch in the 2020s. His vision for an interdisciplinary research institute that ‘published material accessible to lay readers, publishable in scientific magazines, useful to the media, and indispensable to policymakers’ was ground breaking at the time, and is an inspiration for like-minded organisations. The 2020 publication, Losing Ground, is a great example of the realisation of this vision. Published in scientific journals, newspapers and translated into many languages, Losing Ground proved the efficacy of this type of research in reaching people and affecting change.

This biography is a great read for anybody who has an interest in the environmental movement, policy research, or who would simply like to learn more about this very interesting man.