Land

The author of The Professor and the Madman and The Perfectionists explores the notion of property–our proprietary relationship with the land–through human history,how it has shaped us and what it will mean for our future. Land–whether meadow or mountainsidedesert or peat bogparkland or pasturesuburb or city–is central to our existence. It quite literally underlies and underpins everything. Employing the keen intellectinsatiable curiosityand narrative verve that are the foundations of his previous bestselling worksSimon Winchester examines what we human beings are doing–and have done–with the billions of acres that together make up the solid surface of our planet. Land: The Ownership of Everywhere examines in depth how we acquire landhow we steward ithow and why we fight over itand finallyhow we canand on occasion docome to share it. UltimatelyWinchester confronts the essential question: who actually owns the world’s land–and why does it matter?