http://newsdesk.tjctv.com/2015/06/up-close-ashlee-vance-and-robin-wall-kimmerer This week on "Up Close," our human ambitions have brought our civilization to literally unprecedented heights -- but with great damage to the world we live in. Where do we go next? To Mars, argues Silicon Valley billionaire Elon Musk. who's the subject of a book by Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Ashlee Vance discusses his book on Musk, "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for Fantastic Future."

But in an approach that's literally more down to earth, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer suggests that Native American heritage can guide us to a better coexistence with nature. Her book is "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants," which is now out in paperback.