Dark Laboratory
On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis
By Tao Leigh Goffe | Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
About the book
'An exhilarating, urgent work . . . [Dark Laboratory] threads together ecological and human crises in an original, glittering web’ Afua Hirsch
From award-winning writer and theorist Tao Leigh Goffe, an urgent investigation into the intertwined history of colonialism and the climate crisis – and the lessons we can learn to fight for a better world.
Our planet is on the precipice of ecological breakdown and climate despair is at an all-time high. But there are many communities who have survived beyond the environmental destruction wrought on them by colonialism – and they hold the solutions for climate repair.
Using the Caribbean as a case study, Tao Leigh Goffe traces the history of the islands back to the arrival of Christopher Columbus, when the Caribbean became the subject of Western exploitation. Charting the ecological forces that have shaped the islands – from guano to coral reefs, sugarcane to mongooses – and learning from Black, Indigenous and Asian island histories, Goffe makes the argument that the extractivist capitalism that is the origin of the climate crisis is borne from colonial thinking – and that to fight one effectively is to fight both.
Treating the Caribbean as both a warning and a guide, Dark Laboratory is a lyrical, vibrant and urgent investigation into the greatest threat facing humanity.
‘Noble and necessary’ New York Times
'A work of searching curiosity and intelligence' Ekow Eshun
'Necessary, compelling and utterly unique' Monique Roffey
'Relentlessly engaging . . . shows us new ways to live' The Atlantic
Editions of Dark Laboratory
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780241628553
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780241998526
- EBook
- ISBN 9780241998519
Read an Excerpt
'An exhilarating, urgent work . . . [Dark Laboratory] threads together ecological and human crises in an original, glittering web’ Afua Hirsch
From award-winning writer and theorist Tao Leigh Goffe, an urgent investigation into the intertwined history of colonialism and the climate crisis – and the lessons we can learn to fight for a better world.
Our planet is on the precipice of ecological breakdown and climate despair is at an all-time high. But there are many communities who have survived beyond the environmental destruction wrought on them by colonialism – and they hold the solutions for climate repair.
Using the Caribbean as a case study, Tao Leigh Goffe traces the history of the islands back to the arrival of Christopher Columbus, when the Caribbean became the subject of Western exploitation. Charting the ecological forces that have shaped the islands – from guano to coral reefs, sugarcane to mongooses – and learning from Black, Indigenous and Asian island histories, Goffe makes the argument that the extractivist capitalism that is the origin of the climate crisis is borne from colonial thinking – and that to fight one effectively is to fight both.
Treating the Caribbean as both a warning and a guide, Dark Laboratory is a lyrical, vibrant and urgent investigation into the greatest threat facing humanity.
‘Noble and necessary’ New York Times
'A work of searching curiosity and intelligence' Ekow Eshun
'Necessary, compelling and utterly unique' Monique Roffey
'Relentlessly engaging . . . shows us new ways to live' The Atlantic
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dark Laboratory about?
'An exhilarating, urgent work . . . [Dark Laboratory] threads together ecological and human crises in an original, glittering web’ Afua Hirsch
From award-winning writer and theorist Tao Leigh Goffe, an urgent investigation into the intertwined history of colonialism and the climate crisis – and the lessons we can learn to fight for a better world.
Our planet is on the precipice of ecological breakdown and climate despair is at an all-time high. But there are many communities who have survived beyond the environmental destruction wrought on them by colonialism – and they hold the solutions for climate repair.
Using the Caribbean as a case study, Tao Leigh Goffe traces the history of the islands back to the arrival of Christopher Columbus, when the Caribbean became the subject of Western exploitation. Charting the ecological forces that have shaped the islands – from guano to coral reefs, sugarcane to mongooses – and learning from Black, Indigenous and Asian island histories, Goffe makes the argument that the extractivist capitalism that is the origin of the climate crisis is borne from colonial thinking – and that to fight one effectively is to fight both.
Treating the Caribbean as both a warning and a guide, Dark Laboratory is a lyrical, vibrant and urgent investigation into the greatest threat facing humanity.
‘Noble and necessary’ New York Times
'A work of searching curiosity and intelligence' Ekow Eshun
'Necessary, compelling and utterly unique' Monique Roffey
'Relentlessly engaging . . . shows us new ways to live' The Atlantic
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Dark Laboratory?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Dark Laboratory?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780241628553
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Dark Laboratory?
Tao Leigh Goffe
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Dark Laboratory is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780241628553) and paperback(ISBN 9780241998526) and ebook(ISBN 9780241998519)
Where can I buy Dark Laboratory online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Dark Laboratory?