If you are new to the subject of wildfires, not looking for a captivating narrative non-fiction or a scientific, technical study, but just want to get up to speed and understand what the heck is going on - and especially if you live in a fire-prone area - this book is a perfect choice. Written in very accessible language, it pulls together all the information on the causes of the current situation and gives advice on what you can do about it. It offers a crash course in the history of fire suppression in the US, but also explains why forest management is an essential tool in making our wildlands more resilient, and why we should learn from indigenous peoples. Finally, it offers a wealth of solutions and practical tips that can help keep you and your communities safe.

Thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury USA,, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

THIS IS WILDFIRE by Nick Mott and Justin Angle appears on the August Next Big Idea Book Club list. The authors, a journalist podcaster and a professor at the University of Montana College of Business, provide a balanced perspective into "How to Protect Yourself, Your Home, and Your Community in the Age of Heat." They begin with background history (e.g., sections on Public Land, Big Burn, and Yellowstone Fire) as well as information about Firefighters, the stress they face, and how to help them. Next, Mott and Angle describe Forest Management and various steps related to Fire Ecology, noting that some burns are needed in that they encourage ecosystem renewal and growth. At roughly two-thirds of the way into the text, the authors discuss "What You Can Do" in terms of contacting local or national authorities and adapting by changing people's behavior so as to live more resiliently with fire. They note, for example, "by 2010, about thirty million homes, occupied by sixty million people, were in the WUI" (wildland urban interface) and then describe the home ignition zones: immediate (within five feet), intermediate (six to thirty feet) and extended (thirty to one hundred feet). Their checklists (e.g., keep trees at least 10 feet from structures like fences or outbuildings) seem rather unrealistic given that many suburban lots are fifty feet or less in width. The authors themselves note the difficulty in instituting change, even providing an estimate that "it would cost $6 billion to replace all roofs in the WUI in the country with fire resistant materials." Some resources and web links are noted which may provide more targeted, practical information for the average homeowner.