Kindle
$13.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$14.17
Paperback
$14.10
Kindle Price: $13.99

Save $4.01 (22%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Johan Eklöf
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life Kindle Edition

by Johan Eklöf (Author), Elizabeth DeNoma (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 61 ratings
See all formats and editions
Named a Best Book of 2023 by Scientific American

This timely and captivating look at the hidden impact of light pollution is “rich in revelation and insight…lyrical” (The Wall Street Journal) and urges us to cherish natural darkness for the sake of the environment, our own well-being, and all life on earth.

How much light is too much light? Satellite pictures show our planet as a brightly glowing orb, and in our era of constant illumination, light pollution has become a major issue. The world’s flora and fauna have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and night. But in the last 150 years, we have extended our day—and in doing so have forced out the inhabitants of the night and disrupted the circadian rhythms necessary to sustain all living things, including ourselves.

In this “well-researched and surprisingly lyrical” (The New Statesman, UK) book, Swedish conservationist Johan Eklöf urges us to appreciate natural darkness, its creatures, and its unique benefits. He ponders the beauties of the night sky, traces the errant paths of light-drunk moths and the swift dives of keen-eyed owls, and shows us the bioluminescent creatures of the deepest oceans. As a devoted friend of the night, Eklöf reveals the startling domino effect of diminishing darkness: insects, dumbfounded by streetlamps, failing to reproduce; birds blinded and bewildered by artificial lights; and bats starving as they wait in vain for insects that only come out in the dark. For humans, light-induced sleep disturbances impact our hormones and weight, and can contribute to mental health problems like chronic stress and depression. The streetlamps, floodlights, and neon signs of cities are altering entire ecosystems, and scientists are only just beginning to understand their long-term effects. The light bulb—long the symbol of progress and development—needs to be turned off.

“Urgent…vivid…eye-opening” (Publishers Weekly), and ultimately encouraging, The Darkness Manifesto outlines simple steps that we can take to benefit ourselves and the planet. In order to ensure a bright future, we must embrace the darkness.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    265 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Scribner
  5. Publication date
    February 14, 2023
  6. File size
    2010 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wide-ranging exploration of humanity’s troubled relationship with darkness, and the damaging effects of our drive to overcome it.” —The New York Times

“Though the book is written as a sort of Silent Spring manifesto against the ecological devastations of light pollution, its considerable charm depends on the encyclopedic intensity with which he evokes the hidden creatures of the night. . . . Eklöf’s book is made most memorable by the sometimes wild eccentricities of the life-forms it chronicles.” —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“Though Mr. Eklöf loves both bats and darkness, his sensibility is more good-natured than gothic, rendering night not as an ordeal but an odyssey, rich in revelation and insight . . . lyrical.” —Wall Street Journal

“As a Swedish conservationist, Johan Eklöf urges us to think of light pollution as more than a nuisance that obscures our starry skies. . . . well-researched . . . the book is a reflective reminder that our control of the world is as delicate as the smallest of species affected by it.”—Scientific American

“What is lost when darkness disappears? Stargazing, flowers that unfold by moonlight, phosphorescence in the sea, and something deeper yet. With extraordinary insight, Johan Eklöf explores the influence of night on nature, on cities, and in our connections to one another. . . . a scintillating read by a conservationist of true literary flair, who has spent long hours tuning his attention to twilight and nocturnal life.” —Rebecca Giggs, award-winning author of Fathoms

“A captivating, poetic call for greater awareness of the natural cycles of the world.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Well-researched and surprisingly lyrical. . . . a powerful contribution to our understanding of the harm we’re causing, and a clarion call for change: unlike many of the complex issues facing the planet, protecting the darkness is truly within our grasp.” —New Statesman (UK)

"[An] eye-opening treatise on light pollution. . . . Urgent and vivid, this account shines." —Publishers Weekly

“Poetic and philosophical . . . intimate and expansive.” —Daily Telegraph (UK)

“An urgent and erudite hymn to the night, composed by a scientist with the soul of a poet.” —Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of Clouds

“A superb book by a world-leading ecosystem ecologist, Eklöf takes us on an exciting journey spanning multiple fascinating areas of nocturnal biology. . . . This is a critically important must-read for all who have an interest in the health of our planet.” —Russell Foster, Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute and Head of the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford

About the Author

Johan Eklöf, PhD, is a Swedish bat scientist and writer, most known for his work on microbat vision and more recently, light pollution. He lives in the west of Sweden, where he works as a conservationist and copywriter. Eklöf has studied bats for almost twenty years and now has his own consultancy company, hired by authorities, wind companies, municipalities, city planners, and environmental organizations as an expert on bats, night ecology, and nature friendly lighting. The Darkness Manifesto is his second book to be translated into English.

Elizabeth DeNoma is a literary translator of Scandinavian languages, as well as a freelance editor and publishing consultant specializing in international literature. She’s the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship and the Swedish Women’s Educational Award, sits on the advisory board of the University of Washington’s Translation Studies Hub, and founded the National Nordic Museum’s Meet the Author series.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B3Y7YBHR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner (February 14, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 14, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2010 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 265 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1668000903
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Johan Eklöf

Johan Eklöf

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
61 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Happy Soul
5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, updated
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
It is a pleasure to read this book. I enjoyed the read and I will be sharing this book with others. Light pollution needs attention. Exposure to artificial light during the night is associated with an increased risk of cancer.
It is important to educate people on the need to protect darkness. Doing so supports wildlife and human health.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Angielena
5.0 out of 5 stars Awrsome read
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
Although it’s based in science it’s also beautifully written. I appreciate the down to earth writing
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kay Demlow
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is almost more a series of essays than a manifesto. But the writing is compelling and the issues described are brought into focus through a series of perspectives. I would almost say that the author is shedding LIGHT on the problems we create when we lose our night sky.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Elaine
5.0 out of 5 stars Turn lights off when ever possible
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I have always disliked bright lights at night. This book gave me a lot of information supporting my issues with light. We are taught from an early age to be afraid of the dark. When, in fact we should teach the benefits of ‘dark’. These book hopefully will help turn out the lights! Please read and pass it on.

Elaine aka Cookie
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Laura Roche
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Ecology Book I’ve read in decades
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
Read this and you will be changed for the better. It is beautiful prose about an ecological issue that gets little attention.

Read this, you’ll thank me.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
D. Hollingsworth
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent case for reclaiming darkness
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Easy read and great examples of the impacts of light pollution and the impacts on our environments. Must read for anyone who cares about climate change.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Gordon L. Meredith
4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough treatment of the environment's loss of natural darkness
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a very timely work as the natural darkness or dark-sky movement transitions from a niche environmental issue to one of equal standing and importance with global warming. Although the author has primarily worked with bats, what he has seen and written about may prove that bats are the "canaries in the coalmine" for all life on earth impacted by the loss of the night.

This work was translated from Swedish to English, so some phrases seem odd to the American ear.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
B. Capossere
4.0 out of 5 stars strong content and good voice, structure a little distracting
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
The Darkness Manifesto: On Artificial Light and the Threat to Our Ancient Rhythm, by Johan Eklöf (translated by Elizabeth DeNoma) is a solidly informative book that raises some serious questions and challenges us to think differently about how we might live our lives, though it suffers somewhat from its structure.

Eklöf is an ecologist who specializes in bats, so one can see where he might get his fondness for the darkness of night. The thrust of his book, supported by a myriad of examples from the natural world and our own human experiences, is that the constant illumination of our lives is disrupting the circadian rhythm of all creatures, including ourselves, and that these disruptions are not only harmful to the beings themselves but have cascading effects that harm entire ecological systems and our own ability to sustain our existence, let alone that of those creatures so unlucky as to share this planet with us.

Insects, for instance, are facing a stunning drop in populations and while much of that can be attributed to climate change, habitat destruction, monocultural agriculture, and pesticide use (more on this btw can be found in the excellent if depressing The Insect Crisis by Oliver Milman), we’ve all seen how insects react to light, making it clear that our full-time illumination is also a contributing factor, not only making them easier prey for predators (like Eklöf’s bats) who hang out around street lights for the night’s buffet, but also making it more difficult for them to navigate and to reproduce. As moths are major pollinators (yes, moths), this is a problem that ripples beyond the moth population.

Birds as well are facing their own population decline, and like insects, they too are being harmed by how we light up the nighttime sky, causing them to crash into window, fly in circles amidst the light until they literally drop out of the sky from exhaustion, and making it more difficult if not impossible for them to navigate their way along their migratory paths.

Meanwhile, the host of problems constant light bombardment causes humans is well documented and include, but are not limited to, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, and obesity. And while the shift to LED bulbs has been of great benefit to our energy efficiency, as Eklöf points out, that savings has often been plowed back into more lighting, so the energy savings are pretty much a wash while we blast the sky with ever more lights.

While Eklöf specializes in bats, one can see from the above examples he ranges widely across the animal kingdom, covering lights effects on insects, birds, baby turtles, coral reefs and more. He also crosses disciplines to explore human eyesight, explaining how our nighttime vision compares to other animals and why even the smallest moment of light can so fully disrupt that vision once our eyes, as they’re meant to adapt to lower light levels. He also dips into evolutionary biology, fitting the development of eyes into the “arms race” of the Cambrian Explosion and showing how modern-day creatures are changing their behavior to adapt to the newly lit world they now move in.

Eklöf’s prose (with a nod to the translator of course) is always clear and smooth, with an occasional dip into the lyrical, though less often than one might perhaps expect given the topic. And rather than acting as a detached observer or an aloof conveyor of facts, his use of personal experience combined with his clear passion on the topic makes him a personable tour guide to the night,

The one issue I had with the book is its structure. Rather than being a seamless non-fiction narrative, Eklöf presents us with a series of quite brief mini-essays. On the one hand, if you’re the sort who likes to dip in and out of a non-fiction work, taking a week or more to read it, than this might be to your liking. If, like me, you prefer to become immersed in the information and the speaker’s voice, the structure may strike you as more than a little choppy (it did me). And more than once I felt like the essays either ended abruptly or introduced a subject or raised some questions without fully delving into them, leaving me feeling better informed but also a bit disappointed. I would have preferred either a different structure or longer essays, but that’s really my only complaint here (a relatively minor one), making The Darkness Manifesto an easy recommendation.
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Light Collective
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly book about a very important subject
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
I would recommend this book to anyone who cares about the environment and our eco-system. Light Pollution is one form of environmental damage that we can all do something about. This book covers the impacts of light on nature in a really thought provoking, poetic and responsible way. Everyone should read it and take action. If, like me you remember the days when your car windscreen was covered in bugs after every journey, then you have to believe that our impact on the ecosystem is one of the things that has changed that - light pollution is a big but reversible factor.
3 people found this helpful
 Report
Mad Hatter
5.0 out of 5 stars Why light pollution is so harmful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love looking at stars and constellations in the night sky, a view that in many places is sadly disappearing because of artigici
One person found this helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report