Burning Inside Out

Lessons on Resilience Through Change

THE WORLD BURNS, FLOODS, DRIES UP, STARVES. 

Forests fall. Species vanish in the sixth mass extinction. We bear witness to war, school shootings, and a deluge of how-to books guaranteeing solutions. Yet no one talks about the personal price of being a changemaker.

In this survival guide for those hoping to make an impact in a world on fire, Natasha Stavros—a young, autistic female scientist—traverses the male-dominated world of megafire science and technology at NASA’s globally-famous Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In thirty lessons interwoven with stories from her own life, Stavros offers crucial advice for changing a broken system, even when the odds are stacked against you. Lasting change, she explains, is not impossible—it is intentional. We must change the world today before it is too late.

$30.00
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ISBN: 979-8-90026-186-7
Imprint: Amplify Publishing
SKU: 18-1625-01
Categories:Amplify Publishing, Self-Esteem and Personal Success, Memoirs and Biographies, Politics and Current Affairs

“By weaving together her brilliant expertise as a fire scientist and her own lived experience, Natasha Stavros delivers a uniquely powerful, deeply moving blueprint for tackling our world’s most ‘wicked’ problems.”

—VENETIA MENZIES, investigations correspondent, Insight Team, The Sunday Times

“Natasha’s deeply personal and powerful book joins a small literature on the human enterprise of science, with the beauty of human nature and its ugliness on full display, sharing insights about discovery, collaboration, and applying science and how that really happens.”

—DAVE SCHIMEL, climate scientist, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize IPCC Convening Lead Author

“If you’ve ever been told to stay in your lane, this book is for you. Natasha doesn’t just challenge conventional wisdom—she offers a road map for lasting change and gives voice to everyone courageous enough to keep trying. As a systems scientist, I found my own experience reflected on every page.”

—LINDA HIGHFIELD, PhD, systems scientist and epidemiologist

“Natasha understands a truth every changemaker eventually discovers: Solving hard problems requires changing systems, but sustaining change requires resilience. This is a thoughtful and deeply human guide for anyone determined to make a difference. Read it before frustration, exhaustion, or self-doubt convince you to settle for less than the impact you’re capable of making.”

—ALFRED E. NASH III, systems architect, educator, and facilitator of complex change initiatives

“Addressing wicked problems like wildfire takes guts—but more than that, it takes adaptability, compassion, and the type of hope that can only come from meaningful action. Natasha delivers on all fronts as she guides her readers through some of the most complex questions we’re facing as catastrophic megafires become more common across the world. [The book’s] many prescient lessons could be easily translated to the countless other wicked problems we’re facing, from homelessness to climate change. With an undertone of relentless hope rooted in collaborative understanding and action, Stavros’s book will leave even the most cynical readers ready to take meaningful, hope-inspiring action of their own.”

—AMANDA MONTHEI, writer, former wildland firefighter, and creator of Life with Fire Podcast

Natasha Stavros

Courageous, Intentional Leadership and Change Maker

Natasha Stavros, PhD, is a social facilitator for changing systems through holistic approaches. She developed the WKID Innovation framework to generalize processes for innovation using leadership techniques and NASA system engineering. Her background has primarily focused on environmental resilience. They have a BA in mathematics with a minor in computer science from University of Colorado Boulder (2008), an MS in environmental sustainability from the University of Edinburgh (2009), and a PhD in forest and fire ecology from the University of Washington Seattle (2013). Her experience spans technology transfer, facilitating collaborations across disciplines, business development, system engineering, and portfolio and project management. As founder and principal of WKID Solutions, they provide keynote services, conduct research, and offer leadership and strategic advisory.

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