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20 reviews for:
Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia
Kris Maher, Kris Maher
4.06 AVERAGE
20 reviews for:
Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia
Kris Maher, Kris Maher
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
At first I wanted to say some pretty awful things about Joe Manchin. Actually, I still do. But thinking of a republican having control of his seat would be the same, if not worse. It’s so frustrating to read stories like this knowing that people still vote against their own interests.
It just echos the tail of Flint, Michigan. How many more communities are willing to vote for those who poison them? How many communities do we have to watch suffer the consequences of politicians and companies skirting around safety rules? Such a frustrating read, but a necessary one.
It just echos the tail of Flint, Michigan. How many more communities are willing to vote for those who poison them? How many communities do we have to watch suffer the consequences of politicians and companies skirting around safety rules? Such a frustrating read, but a necessary one.
I decided to read Desperate last month, in honor of World Water Week! Huge thanks to @scribnerbooks, @netgalley for the #gifted review copy!
Desperate recounts the work of environmental lawyer Kevin Thompson as he worked with residents in the “Forgotten Communities” of Mingo County, West Virginia as they sued one of the largest and most powerful coal companies in the state. For decades, the drinking water in residents’ private wells was contaminated with coal slurry and caused significant health and property damage.
This work of investigative journalism was a great account into this legal battle against Massey Coal and CEO, Don Blankenship. Safe and reliable drinking water access is a huge issue for me and one I work on daily, so I was very excited to read this book!
You’ll feel a variety of emotions during this book—from sadness at the amount of pain these communities have endured to anger at the coal company and their many tactics to avoid responsibility.
I’m always inspired by environmental lawyers, and Kevin Thompson and his team are no exception to that. While this story didn’t have the “flashy” outcome you’d likely see in a movie, he did what was best for the community and has spent YEARS helping communities in West Virginia address environmental concerns and dangers.
Overall, I think this is a great piece of investigative journalism! I think some sections of the book could’ve been excluded or trimmed down (the history of the Hatfields and McCoy’s, Blankenship’s entire history), but others might enjoy the more in-depth historical information.
Desperate recounts the work of environmental lawyer Kevin Thompson as he worked with residents in the “Forgotten Communities” of Mingo County, West Virginia as they sued one of the largest and most powerful coal companies in the state. For decades, the drinking water in residents’ private wells was contaminated with coal slurry and caused significant health and property damage.
This work of investigative journalism was a great account into this legal battle against Massey Coal and CEO, Don Blankenship. Safe and reliable drinking water access is a huge issue for me and one I work on daily, so I was very excited to read this book!
You’ll feel a variety of emotions during this book—from sadness at the amount of pain these communities have endured to anger at the coal company and their many tactics to avoid responsibility.
I’m always inspired by environmental lawyers, and Kevin Thompson and his team are no exception to that. While this story didn’t have the “flashy” outcome you’d likely see in a movie, he did what was best for the community and has spent YEARS helping communities in West Virginia address environmental concerns and dangers.
Overall, I think this is a great piece of investigative journalism! I think some sections of the book could’ve been excluded or trimmed down (the history of the Hatfields and McCoy’s, Blankenship’s entire history), but others might enjoy the more in-depth historical information.
This is really well done and an easy read. I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in this topic. Felt like it wrapped up a bit quickly to me after a slower pace to the plot overall. The epilogue hints at enough content for another two books, but that may just be the good writing. The legal case gets complex and so the story line moves a bit away from the complexity of the characters, many of whom are insightful and likable. I missed their presence in the later parts of the book, but so not miss the parallel of this as a critique of the case itself.
informative
slow-paced
Great story about a part of the country and an industry I know nothing about, could have used some editing down to make this more of a narrative.
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Always so angry after I finish books like this! Greed and corruption at the expense of people just trying to live their lives, not to mention environmental degradation!!
This is an epic must read for anyone who is interested in environmental activism, or even just wants a glimpse into some of the many struggles the people of Appalachia face. It puts a face on big business and the harm it causes small families and communities. Well researched and written; it is a book that will stick with me for a long time to come.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced