The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
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Book Reviews of The World Without Us
Book Review: Imaginative and thoughtful "what if" !
Summary: 4 Stars
My book club read this book a few months ago and it still haunts me. Not in a frightening way, just in the incredible detail the author goes into as he describes different aspects of our planet and how it might change were we to vanish tomorrow. Lexington Avenue in NYC would become a river after the street collapses into the subway tunnels below which already require constant pumping to keep from flooding... future "visitors" might stumble across our city's fire hydrants in the middle of re-grown forests hundreds of years from now, because cast-iron is virtually indestructible, and maybe assume they were religious icons... etc. It is a wonderful blend of history AND scientific hypothesis, but all of it is based on events that have already happened and what we've learned from them. I didn't love EVERY single chapter (the one on a farm in England that analyzes and preserves soil went on longer than it held my attention), but the majority of it was fascinating and easy to read, which was great for us non-science types. I would suggest this for a unique read and something likely to stay with you for a long time.Book Review: very good but...
Summary: 4 Stars
Weisman chose an interesting topic & i must i was both disappointed and pleased at the same time. It was disappointing because i could see he could have diversified the topics, extended it further into other countries. At times he delved deep into too much details when he could've covered other parts in the world, like the chapter on ancient wonders, i found too much details on the panama canal, while leaving other equally interesting wonders like the Eiffel tower, the mexican pyramids & the Acropolis.
I would've liked more, for example to know what would happen to cities in Europe,in northern africa, south asia, so my disappointment is understood.
But having said that, i must praise Weisman's extensive research and the vast amount of information he poured into this book to provide us with a clear look at what we are doing to the planet & how the world may become after we are gone. It is indeed a book worth reading & i recommend it to any reader who is half interested in the welfare of the planet.
Book Review: Details but not depth
Summary: 4 Stars
Although I liked the writing style, and the topic of the book, I felt that at times that the author approach of the book was mistaken. We have a lot of technical detail of what the process specifically entails (what HAPPENS when we are not here), but the philosophical discussion (what happens WHEN WE ARE NOT HERE)was lacking. Obviously the author has the right to decide the approach of his book, it's just that I was expecting something more than an enumeration of facts. Also the "purpose" of the book, that is to make us understand the importance of our environment and how bad we are at managing it, sometimes impinged into the quality of the writing.
Overall a good read, that I wish could have been great.
Book Review: Compelling.
Summary: 4 Stars
The basic premise of this book is a hypothetical examination of what would happen to the earth if human beings were to suddenly vanish. (If only.) Some chapters are better than others, but overall, this is a really interesting read. Some parts are uplifting, like the brief time it would take Manhatten to return to wilderness. The author's descriptions are quite beautiful and riveting. Then other chapter's make me want to put a gun in my mouth, like the one on all those abandoned nuclear power plants, and the giant plastic gyres in the ocean. Overall, really compelling read, especially for non-fiction.Book Review: In-depth thought experiment
Summary: 4 Stars
I am part of a committee to select a "common freshman reading" book for our university. This book made our short list. I found it fascinating because there was so much background research to support what is essentially conjecture. The author imagines a world where people (and ONLY people) instantly disappear, then proceeds to describe what it would be like. It is very well organized, and a "good read". My college-age son also read it, and wouldn't put it down. (I had to bargain with him so I could get it read in time!)