Review One of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2022“This biography of Stewart Brand, the creator of the ‘Whole Earth Catalog,’ explores the varied career of a ‘quixotic intellectual troubadour.’ . . . What emerges is a view of an insistently holistic thinker unafraid to pursue idiosyncratic ideas and possessing ‘an uncanny sixth sense for being in the right place at the right time.’” —The New Yorker“An illuminating biography that captures Mr. Brand’s rich and varied life . . . It is a challenge to capture the essence of a protean life while the subject is still writing the script, but Mr. Markoff, a longtime tech journalist for the New York Times, has done it beautifully.” —Wall Street Journal “Stewart Brand was, and remains, actively and undeniably present . . . participating in and shaping events and organizations that coalesce around him. From the first Grateful Dead shows to 21st-century TED Talks, Brand is there . . . Markoff’s biography will likely be the last word on Brand for some time.” —Los Angeles Review of Books “Whole Earth has a level of authoritative detail that’s a testament to Markoff’s profound understanding of Silicon Valley from covering it since 1977. . . . Brand’s story offers revealing glimpses into the process of innovation, creation, and cultural change through the narrative of a life at the frontier of many of the social, technological, and business movements of the last 60 years.” —Charter “Markoff gives readers a well-researched account of Brand’s life, from his early start in 1960s counterculture, to founding the famous Whole Earth Catalog, to his influence on Steve Jobs. . . . It’s an insightful account of the Zelig-like figure.” —Library Journal“A sturdy, readable study of a fellow who’s had considerable press devoted to him—but who can still surprise.” —Kirkus “Markoff's telling of Brand's strange and busy life is compelling—the book version of opening a time capsule filled with unexpected and one-of-a-kind items.” —Booklist“A fascinati