The Scene That Became Cities, Caveat Magister Benjamin Wachs
The Scene That Became Cities, Caveat Magister Benjamin Wachs
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The Scene That Became Cities
What Burning Man Philosophy Can Teach Us about Building Better Communities

Author: Caveat Magister (Benjamin Wachs)

Narrator: Steve Wojtas

Unabridged: 10 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/10/2019

Synopsis

A practical and irreverent guide to Burning Man, its philosophy, why people do this to themselves, and how it matters to the world

Over 30 years Burning Man has gone from two families on a San Francisco beach to a global movement in which hundreds of thousands of people around the world create events on every continent. It has been the subject of fawning media profiles, an exhibit in the Smithsonian, and is beloved by tech billionaires and boho counterculturalists alike. But why does it matter? What does it actually have to offer us? The answer, Caveat Magister writes, is simple: Burning Man's philosophy can help us build better communities in which individuals' freedom to follow their own authentic passions also brings them together in common purpose. Burning Man is a prototype, and its philosophy is a how-to manual for better communities, that, instead of rules, offers principles. Featuring iconic and impossible stories from "the playa," interviews with Burning Man's founders and staff, and personal recollections of the late Larry Harvey--Burning Man's founder, "Chief Philosophical Officer," and the author's close friend and colleague--The Scene That Became Cities introduces readers to the experience of Burning Man; explains why it grew; posits how it could impact fields as diverse as art, economics, and politics; and makes the ideas behind it accessible, actionable, and useful.

About The Author

For the last ten years, Caveat Magister, aka Benjamin Wachs, has been actively writing about Burning Man culture and engaging with Burning Man at the cutting edge of its philosophy, composing over 250 articles about it for the Burning Man website. By 2015, this work had made him, outside of Larry Harvey and his fellow founders, one of the leading interpreters of Burning Man within its own culture. In 2015, Larry Harvey asked Caveat, along with Burning Man's Director of Education, Stuart Mangrum, to sit on a committee, officially called the "Philosophical Center" of the Burning Man nonprofit.Steve Wojtas is a prolific voiceover artist who has provided narration for national commercials, audiobooks, corporate explainers, podcasts, and video games. He also performs on stage, specializing in Shakespeare, and in a recurring role on television's Chicago Fire and Chicago PD.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Laurie

Burning Man has gone from two families on a beach to a huge annual gathering of artists, spiritual seekers, partiers, sex-positive groups, volunteers, and much, much more. I don’t think you could possibly call it any one thing; it contains multitudes. I wanted to know more about it, so when this boo......more

Goodreads review by Annelies

Chaotically crystallized wisdom from old maniacs in the desert. Ben’s here to let us know we need not attempt to rebuild cities via utopian ideals to create community. Yeah, I must concur, these jaded pseudo hippy’s are truely community connoisseurs. How do I join?! (Oh right, get a fucking ticket a......more

Goodreads review by Theo

Step 1. Go to Burning Man once, twice, or eight times. Step 2. Read about it. Safety third. I feel like this book did a good job of tying a nice bow around my experiences going to Burning Man 8 times. I happen to be philosophically inclined so am more down than most to discuss Burning Man philosophy a......more

Goodreads review by Myszka

My utopia, Burning Man ethos as a reality, is contained within this insightful and explorative text. Practical ideas on how to make our temporary cities impact on our everyday lives, which was perfectly timed before the pandemic, to carry us through! For anyone who does not know Burning Man in its p......more

Goodreads review by Linda

All I know about Burning Man is what I got from obsessively visiting the exhibit at the Oakland Museum and this book. It's a fascinating look at how a community formed and functions and continues to evolve. It also provided an opportunity to reflect on the communities to which I belong and my relati......more

Quotes

“Burning Man—the annual event in the Nevada desert that has been described as an experiment in community and art—has spawned, if not a philosophy and practice, a worldview and movement.”
—Publishers Weekly 

“This wise and insightful book by Caveat Magister, one of Burning Man founder Larry Harvey’s muses, takes us on a sublime and illuminating journey that helps explain why the world needs Burning Man and its Ten Principles more than ever.”
—Chip Conley, author of PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow
 
“Deeply personal yet accessible, The Scene That Became Cities is a first of its kind in the genre of Burning Man literature. The wide-ranging, exemplary discussions thoughtfully cover topics from whether Burning Man truly facilitates individual transformations, to its relevance in the political sphere, to how to translate the principle of radical inclusion, to what Burning Man can offer broader society.”
—Katherine K. Chen, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, The City College of New York

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