Shade

“Shade is my favorite kind of book: a history of something seemingly niche that secretly explains the entire world. Sam Bloch connects the decisions made by people hundreds and thousands of years ago to our present planetary crisis of heat and does so in a way that’s both informative and super entertaining. I never thought I’d enjoy learning so much about shade!”—P. E. Moskowitz, author of How to Kill a City“This is a delightful book, driven by boundless curiosity and a serious sense of injustice. Sam Bloch succeeds in rehabilitating the reputation of the shadows, and a hot sunny day will never look the same again.”—Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise“Shade is the book we need now. Through detailed research, Sam Bloch shows how the simple presence—or absence—of shade provides keen insight into our communities and their deep-seated disparities, and how it could be the key to a better, more resilient and equitable future. I have been trying to make this point for years now, and I finally have the ammunition.”—Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class“A fascinating and detailed look how we cool the world around us—a question that’s never been more urgent or important. Sam Bloch offers a riveting exploration of the unheralded shadows that shelter us from the sun.”—Megan Kimble, author of City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways“Both a comprehensive history and an impassioned rallying cry, Shade is an eye-opening globe-spanning guide to our most underappreciated natural resource.”—Benjamin Lorr, author of The Secret Life of Groceries

Sam Bloch is an environmental journalist. Previously a staff writer at The Counter, he has written for L.A. Weekly, Places Journal, Slate, The New York Times, CityLab, and Landscape Architecture Magazine, among others. Bloch is a graduate of the Columbia Journalism School, and a former MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow and Emerson Collective Fellow. He is based in New York City.