GETSEA Benda Book Read: October 16

We are pleased to announce our virtual Community Book Read with Adam Bobbette, author of The Pulse of the Earth: Political Geology in Java and winner of the 2025 Benda Prize.

Date and time: Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 3:00 pm ET
Registration:Register here

More information:  https://get-sea.org/events/

All participants should read the Preface and Chapter 1. Those interested in exploring further are encouraged to also read Chapter 3.

The Pulse of the Earth offers an innovative account of the intersections between geology, colonial history, and spiritual cosmologies. Bobbette reframes Java as a pivotal site for the development of geological knowledge, challenging Western-centric narratives of scientific history. Through attention to Javanese spiritual practices and their influence on geological thought, he shows how volcanology both shaped and was shaped by local cosmologies.

This work contributes significantly to the environmental humanities and political geology, offering timely insights into how climate crises have been addressed in the past and present.