Ultrawild

An Audacious Plan to Rewild Every City on Earth

Steve Mushin

$34.99

Hardback

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English

Allen & Unwin
31 October 2023

Children's & Educational; People & places (Children's&YA); Social issues: environment & green issues (Children's&YA)

Join maverick inventor Steve Mushin as he tackles climate change with an avalanche of mind-bending, scientifically plausible inventions to rewild cities and save the planet.

Jump intohisbrain as he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometre), brainstorms biomaterials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems and develops a deadly serious plan to transform cities into jungles, rewilding them into carbon-sucking mega-habitats for all species, and as fast as possible.

Through marvellously designed and hilarious engineering ideas, Mushin shares his vision for super-high-tech urban rewilding, covering the science of climate change, futuristic materials and foods, bio reactors, soil, forest ecosystems, mechanical flight, solar thermal power and working out just how fast we could actually turn roads into jungles, absorb carbon and reverse climate change.

Developed over seven years, Ultrawild is an optimistic book about creative thinking, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and the potential for massive change. Filled with laugh-out-loud design-ridiculousness, it aims to empower and excite a new generation of designers, scientists, engineers and ultra-wild thinkers.

'If this book does not fire your imagination, nothing will. Steve Mushin doesn't hold back when thinking about our green future; humanity needs all the ideas it can get to bring climate change under control, and this book is packed with them!' Professor James Renwick, climate scientist

'Abrain-meltingly intricate and inspiring compendium of the gigantic ideas needed to repair the planet by rewilding every city on Earth. From compost-firing cannons to water-filtering sewer submarines, Mushin's bonkers, brilliant, boundary-breaking inventions give permission to eager 9+ conservationists to push their imaginations to the limit, rather than yield to despair.'The Guardian

'The most astonishing children's book I have read in ages. I am astonished by the wildness of ideas, the creative energy, the exuberant movement of thought, the feet in science and the YES in imagining. Enter the wilds of Ultrawild and you will see the world afresh because this book is a clear response to climate change, the loss of habitats, outdated power sources, a need to care for forest ecosystems, over-roading, resource depleting. It is like imagination gets political and the political gets imaginative.' Paula Green, Poetry Box NZ

'This visionary, intricate, outrageous road map for integrated thinking is mind blowing. It's funny, it's a melding of engineering, hi-tech, botany, zoology and pure creative thinking. Required reading for everyone, most especially political leaders and those feeling like we've run out of ideas: this book proves we really haven't.' Claire Mabey, The Spin Off, Aotearoa Books of the Year, 2023

'The ideas, conversations and inventions in Ultrawild belong in every school, home, waiting room, library, community house, bedroom, car and loo. The perfect gift for curious kids. Don't walk - RUN to grab your copy!' Kids' Book Review

'A visually impressive, large-format work of genius.' The Sapling (NZ)

By: Steve Mushin
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 330mm, Width: 276mm,
Weight: 882g
ISBN: 9781760292812
ISBN 10: 1760292818
Pages: 80
Publication Date: 31 October 2023
Recommended Age: From 9 to 99 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , Children / Juvenile
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Steve Mushin is an industrial designer, artist and inventor who collaborates with scientists and engineers to solve perplexing problems that no one else seems to know what to do about - like what can be done with explosive cow gas or how to make bikes fly or cities transform into jungles as fast as possible. Steve has exhibited large-scale design drawings and models around Australia and in Japan. He works between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and in 2015 received an Australian Design Honours award for his work in sustainable futures thinking. Ultrawild is Steve's first book.