The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet

Jeff Goodell is an American journalist and author who has spent much of his career investigating the intersections of climate change, energy, and the environment. He is known for his work at Rolling Stone magazine, where he has been a contributing writer since the 1990s.

Growing up in Silicon Valley, California, Goodell was exposed to both the technological optimism of the region and the environmental transformations occurring around him, from droughts to wildfires. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied English, and he later earned a master of fine arts in fiction writing at Columbia University. Goodell’s professional journey as a journalist began with covering a wide range of topics, but he became increasingly drawn to energy issues in the 1990s. His early books reflected his fascination with both technology and environmental consequences. One of his most notable works from this period is Sunnyvale: The Rise and Fall of a Silicon Valley Family (2000), in which he explores the history of his hometown and critiques the American dream as embodied by the rise of Silicon Valley. This early book reveals Goodell’s interest in the social and environmental impacts of technological advancement.

Goodell’s shift to environmental journalism took more specific focus with his 2006 book Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future.