Under a White Sky is focused on the various kinds of environmental crises created by the Anthropocene and different degrees of technological solutions available to humanity to address them – while also being critical of full-blown techno-solutionism.

[2][3] The title refers to the most extreme climate change mitigation strategy, solar geoengineering, designed to reflect sunlight from the earth.

The Washington Post praised it for "expertly mix[ing] travelogue, science reporting, and explanatory journalism, all with the authority of a writer confident enough to acknowledge ambiguity.

"[4] The New York Times review focused on how the book explores the ambiguities of our current environmental crisis.

[6] The book made the long list for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.