Review of Surviving The Warming
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Natalie MT
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Review of Surviving The Warming
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Surviving The Warming" by Lorin Robinson.]
Surviving the Warming is a speculative work on what surviving global warming will require. The book comes complete with history lessons on how humanity got here and the author's priorities as we face the coming climate catastrophes. The author provides concrete examples of action items to take for a "multi-generational approach" to surviving the changing world.
This book features some exceptional writing and editing. Robinson is a journalist by trade, and his skill shines in this book. Early in the book he grapples with how to categorize this work. He points out that these events are speculative, educated guesses, but that there's no guarantee that this will be how things shake out. He feels uncomfortable calling this non-fiction, but fiction feels too light for this book. In this matter, it reminded me of another speculative book by a journalist: "Nuclear War: A Scenario," by Annie Jacobsen. Jacobsen's is a warning against another apocalypse told also through a series of on-the-ground scenarios that illustrate the consequences of the world not changing course on nuclear policy. Both authors are upfront about the speculative nature of the writing. I don't think Robinson needs to fret too much about the categorization of this book. The work that is accomplished is meaningful, even if it does not solidly fit into the non-fiction genre.
Robinson does veer towards repetition at times, though I think that's more an attempt to emphasize his points. However, he repeats whole sentences, giving me this bothersome déjà vu feeling as I read. His mantra of "simplicity, self-reliance, and sustainability," makes frequent appearances, hammering home his belief that these are the values we'll need to practice as the world warms.
The other thing I didn't love was these little TV interview excerpts written at the end of certain sections. It seemed like it was the author's attempt at humanizing the warming and its effects or even just illustrating the action items he was giving. They felt a little non sequitur, though, like they were coming out of nowhere. They even came complete with stage directions. The final excerpt was more of a narrative, telling about a young adult in a commune, and I think that was a more effective method of illustration than the odd TV excerpts.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. This book was genuinely an above-average book. It kept me engaged and interested, and it presented realistic outcomes of the challenges we're facing as a globe regarding climate change. The only thing prohibiting me from giving a perfect score is the TV excerpts. These scenarios would have been much more interesting and effective if told as narratives (like the last example in the book) rather than scripts with stage directions describing a taped interaction.
******
Surviving The Warming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Surviving the Warming is a speculative work on what surviving global warming will require. The book comes complete with history lessons on how humanity got here and the author's priorities as we face the coming climate catastrophes. The author provides concrete examples of action items to take for a "multi-generational approach" to surviving the changing world.
This book features some exceptional writing and editing. Robinson is a journalist by trade, and his skill shines in this book. Early in the book he grapples with how to categorize this work. He points out that these events are speculative, educated guesses, but that there's no guarantee that this will be how things shake out. He feels uncomfortable calling this non-fiction, but fiction feels too light for this book. In this matter, it reminded me of another speculative book by a journalist: "Nuclear War: A Scenario," by Annie Jacobsen. Jacobsen's is a warning against another apocalypse told also through a series of on-the-ground scenarios that illustrate the consequences of the world not changing course on nuclear policy. Both authors are upfront about the speculative nature of the writing. I don't think Robinson needs to fret too much about the categorization of this book. The work that is accomplished is meaningful, even if it does not solidly fit into the non-fiction genre.
Robinson does veer towards repetition at times, though I think that's more an attempt to emphasize his points. However, he repeats whole sentences, giving me this bothersome déjà vu feeling as I read. His mantra of "simplicity, self-reliance, and sustainability," makes frequent appearances, hammering home his belief that these are the values we'll need to practice as the world warms.
The other thing I didn't love was these little TV interview excerpts written at the end of certain sections. It seemed like it was the author's attempt at humanizing the warming and its effects or even just illustrating the action items he was giving. They felt a little non sequitur, though, like they were coming out of nowhere. They even came complete with stage directions. The final excerpt was more of a narrative, telling about a young adult in a commune, and I think that was a more effective method of illustration than the odd TV excerpts.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. This book was genuinely an above-average book. It kept me engaged and interested, and it presented realistic outcomes of the challenges we're facing as a globe regarding climate change. The only thing prohibiting me from giving a perfect score is the TV excerpts. These scenarios would have been much more interesting and effective if told as narratives (like the last example in the book) rather than scripts with stage directions describing a taped interaction.
******
Surviving The Warming
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Enpirion Project: Exordium (Book 1) by L. Bossi
