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honnari_hannya's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun, informational, if not exactly novel book on the various ways the world could end. If you've watched any Discovery Channel special, then you pretty much know the long and short of what this book has to say. Except maybe for the author's deep-seated dislike of Donald Trump, which came up in unexpected ways and honestly made me laugh. Big mood, Bryan Walsh, big mood.
emmaallenmarshall's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
i love how he basically recounted events of the pandemic as an existential threat about six months before the pandemic happened to start
guarinous's review against another edition
5.0
End Times is an entertaining (albeit terrifying) collection of existential threats to the human race from Bryan Walsh, a long time editor and reporter for TIME. All of the heavy hitters are here that you're most likely familiar with, from celestial impact to supervolcano eruptions, super-intelligent AI to hostile alien races. What sets this book apart from the myriad other end-of-the-world books is Walsh's easy to follow prose, superb reporting, and the willingness to dig deeper into each issue. Instead of merely describing the threat to humanity and moving on, Walsh reports on what is being done to prevent it, what can and should be done in the future, and gives examples of the worse case scenario (these are often graphic but page turning).
This is a timely read that people should pay attention to. While the chances of an alien attack soon are very remote, the parts on climate change, pandemic, and AI are relevant to our current political climate and Walsh's research tends to show how unprepared we potentially are for them. Highly recommended.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Hachette Books.*
This is a timely read that people should pay attention to. While the chances of an alien attack soon are very remote, the parts on climate change, pandemic, and AI are relevant to our current political climate and Walsh's research tends to show how unprepared we potentially are for them. Highly recommended.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Hachette Books.*
marshaskrypuch's review against another edition
5.0
You'd think a book about the many ways the world could end would be depressing, but this isn't. It's highly readable and informative and there's even well-placed humour! From an alien invasion to asteroids to a climate catastrophe, this book covers a breadth of potential disasters. I found it oddly comforting because it isn't just all doom and gloom but is also about how we as humans can mitigate these potential disasters. Well done!
ktimmers's review against another edition
3.0
Good thought experiment but much longer than it needed to be. And it struggled, after the first two chapters, to show how certain events would cause the actual end of humanity. Bonus points though for an exceptionally factual description of climate change, that showed it to be a major threat while admitting how little we know.
me_haugen's review against another edition
4.0
Read this one while I was getting a reverse sperm donation. The local sperm bank said they were running out of room in their fridge cause they all brought big pasta lunches on the same day and there wasn't room for their big lunches and all the sperm in the fridge and they needed someone to hold some of the extra sperm in their balls until after lunch. So, they paid me $38 dollars — all the money from their swear jar — to sit there while they shot the extra sperms down my urethra with water pistols. They had so much in the jar cause they counted "cum" as a swear but kept forgetting and asking people to "set their cum on the shelf over there" and stuff like that. So anyway the procedure took forever cause they were all horrible shots and kept hitting the wall behind me and soaking the paint by numbers they have up there. I guess they are part of some drunk paint-by-numbers club and they really proud of what they did. I didn't much care for their work though, they were so drunk I guess, and using the most messed up colors like making zebras purple and green and stuff. Pretty upsetting. Anyway, the book was good.
bookanonjeff's review
5.0
Much Of This Book Should Terrify You. Walsh does an excellent job of sharing the current state of research into the various existential crises humanity faces - crises that would make the human species extinct if they fully come to fruition. He lays out the narrative in such a way that after beginning with asteroids, each crisis leads into a discussion of the next. Some of his own commentary is hit or miss and different readers will appreciate more or less, but overall the work is solid in its journalism standards. Very much recommended.
shivani_maurya's review against another edition
4.0
Ever wondered, why we love apocalyptic scenarios playing out in movies and TV shows? The Earth on its path to destruction, only to be saved at the last minute by science or superheroes? And if not wholly saved, at least with a portion of population making it to the new day for a new beginning? One look at Netflix's popular series is enough to corroborate the fact. What becomes evident is a perverse and possibly misplaced confidence in humanity and its achievements. Yes, no one believes superheroes will start popping up anytime now. But everyone believes in science and expects a similar deliverance in real life. When we see things turning out great on screen, we don't pay attention to the fact that the script is pandering to our confidence in human perpetuity. After all, no one goes to the theaters to get glum over buckets of cheesy popcorn and coke.
Q. An asteroid on its way to destroy Earth?
A. Send oil drillers to plant a bomb on it.
Q. Earth's volcanoes are erupting?
A. Make sure the floor isn't lava, have some gallant sacrifices, save the hero and his daughter.
Q. Aliens attack the Earth?
A. Make the president give an inspiring speech. Get Smith and Goldblum a spaceship. Or just have the Avengers Assemble.
Q. Deadly organisms kill off half the world population?
A. Make sure the protagonist survives, better if he/she has a fortunate mutation to source vaccination for the rest of the living.
Q. AI takes over the planet?
A. Make sure you have a terminator and time travel tech.
Now, if you take out the fantastical saves from these all too real threat scenarios, the only thing left would be overwhelming fear and despair. We know there are no superheroes out there. And we know science doesn't work out the problems in a matter of hours. But we still hope for redemption. That's where this book comes in. It makes the argument that even with the progress of current times, it pays to be realistic and prudent. It talks about existential threats that loom over our heads as we go about worrying and complaining of gazillion things wrong with life. Bringing home the extent of these threats (wayward asteroids, super eruptions, resistant disease microbes, engineered pathogens, climate change, nuclear warheads, self-aware AI etc.), the author paints a grim picture of how the world is hanging by a thread. And while some may dismiss this book as just another alarmist text, it is worth reading.
The author cites quality research in bolstering his argument for more public participation in the fate of the planet. He warns us against falling for the optimism of being saved (albeit at the last minute), when we are hardly taking steps to mitigate any threats. Political and economic upheavals are taking our minds off of the most important thing: the continued survival of our species. Which most certainly has been down to ours being extremely lucky and brief (on geologic scale). But luck does run out, sooner or later. And if it sounds alarmist anyway, that's because it rightfully should. Volcanoes don't just erupt and affect locally for a short time. Climate change doesn't stop even if we do (if ever). Universe isn't partial to humans. Political leaders have been known to be trigger happy. Terrorists might just be on the forefront of innovations. And scientific efforts don't factor morals and intentions. There is just too much out there to believe it is all for the good. And taking no actions despite that knowledge might just be our undoing.
Hope is not on offer in this book. Rather there is a request for it. The author is looking for it, just like all of us. And while we are still looking to our politicians with crossed fingers, the author is looking to us. It doesn't take rocket science to realize that everyone has to step up to face down any existential threat. Tax money doesn't always convert to public relief. Giving away the power to act to the select few with safe havens shouldn't be accepted any longer. We shouldn't be ok with only a few of us making through a planetary disaster. What does it speak of us as a self-aware species if we can't save ourselves from the threats we see barreling down towards us, decades if not centuries from now. Maybe it is time to wake up from the false hope overdose and work for the true one. Humans love to say "Oh! It is the end times.". I believe every generation thought the same at some time or the other. And while we can forgive past generations, we can't say the same for the current one.
It is the end times alright. Just not the one we couldn't stave off, if we tried.
Q. An asteroid on its way to destroy Earth?
A. Send oil drillers to plant a bomb on it.
Q. Earth's volcanoes are erupting?
A. Make sure the floor isn't lava, have some gallant sacrifices, save the hero and his daughter.
Q. Aliens attack the Earth?
A. Make the president give an inspiring speech. Get Smith and Goldblum a spaceship. Or just have the Avengers Assemble.
Q. Deadly organisms kill off half the world population?
A. Make sure the protagonist survives, better if he/she has a fortunate mutation to source vaccination for the rest of the living.
Q. AI takes over the planet?
A. Make sure you have a terminator and time travel tech.
Now, if you take out the fantastical saves from these all too real threat scenarios, the only thing left would be overwhelming fear and despair. We know there are no superheroes out there. And we know science doesn't work out the problems in a matter of hours. But we still hope for redemption. That's where this book comes in. It makes the argument that even with the progress of current times, it pays to be realistic and prudent. It talks about existential threats that loom over our heads as we go about worrying and complaining of gazillion things wrong with life. Bringing home the extent of these threats (wayward asteroids, super eruptions, resistant disease microbes, engineered pathogens, climate change, nuclear warheads, self-aware AI etc.), the author paints a grim picture of how the world is hanging by a thread. And while some may dismiss this book as just another alarmist text, it is worth reading.
The author cites quality research in bolstering his argument for more public participation in the fate of the planet. He warns us against falling for the optimism of being saved (albeit at the last minute), when we are hardly taking steps to mitigate any threats. Political and economic upheavals are taking our minds off of the most important thing: the continued survival of our species. Which most certainly has been down to ours being extremely lucky and brief (on geologic scale). But luck does run out, sooner or later. And if it sounds alarmist anyway, that's because it rightfully should. Volcanoes don't just erupt and affect locally for a short time. Climate change doesn't stop even if we do (if ever). Universe isn't partial to humans. Political leaders have been known to be trigger happy. Terrorists might just be on the forefront of innovations. And scientific efforts don't factor morals and intentions. There is just too much out there to believe it is all for the good. And taking no actions despite that knowledge might just be our undoing.
Hope is not on offer in this book. Rather there is a request for it. The author is looking for it, just like all of us. And while we are still looking to our politicians with crossed fingers, the author is looking to us. It doesn't take rocket science to realize that everyone has to step up to face down any existential threat. Tax money doesn't always convert to public relief. Giving away the power to act to the select few with safe havens shouldn't be accepted any longer. We shouldn't be ok with only a few of us making through a planetary disaster. What does it speak of us as a self-aware species if we can't save ourselves from the threats we see barreling down towards us, decades if not centuries from now. Maybe it is time to wake up from the false hope overdose and work for the true one. Humans love to say "Oh! It is the end times.". I believe every generation thought the same at some time or the other. And while we can forgive past generations, we can't say the same for the current one.
It is the end times alright. Just not the one we couldn't stave off, if we tried.