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maviemerveilleuse's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
katellison's review against another edition
4.0
the essays in parts 1 & 2 go hard, especially Doomsday Pattern, Big & Slow, Witches & Whiplash, and Sleep No More.
Part 3 is disappointing in comparison, a petering out that mimics the subject of those essays -- Gabbert's increasing emotionlessness and inaction in the face of public and private disaster. It's perhaps meaningful that the ideas there, penned in 2018&19, have degraded in intrigue and freshness by the time of my encountering in 2022.
From the end of Sleep No More:
"But what of the theory that the memory of pain is worse than pain, which seems related to the idea that the fear of pain is effectively pain? Sufficiently keen anticipation of pain hurts.
My own past suffering is often a great source of comfort to me. This must mean I've never really suffered."
Part 3 is disappointing in comparison, a petering out that mimics the subject of those essays -- Gabbert's increasing emotionlessness and inaction in the face of public and private disaster. It's perhaps meaningful that the ideas there, penned in 2018&19, have degraded in intrigue and freshness by the time of my encountering in 2022.
From the end of Sleep No More:
"But what of the theory that the memory of pain is worse than pain, which seems related to the idea that the fear of pain is effectively pain? Sufficiently keen anticipation of pain hurts.
My own past suffering is often a great source of comfort to me. This must mean I've never really suffered."
bellwetherdays's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
sara_shocks's review against another edition
5.0
Ahhh what a collection, I was not disappointed--anticipation can really influence feelings on an outcome, after all.
I'm not even sure how to talk about all the topics she covers -- global warming, the end of the world, disasters (including pandemics), the role of the media, compassion and its utility, pain, the nature of reality, how we consider memory -- because she has arranged and synthesized them so beautifully here. I flagged many, many lines in this book, and I don't think I can pick one favorite essay (or even three).
Several people have told the author they find this soothing in spite of the grim subject matter (our inevitable end as a species), and I think this is because Gabbert's essays "complete the cycle," to borrow a framework from the Nagoski sisters. Doomscrolling is ultimately unsatisfying because there is no endpoint to the bits of bad news; Gabbert has meditated on the broader topics and taken them to some conclusion, even though she does not (and cannot) offer solutions.
I'm not even sure how to talk about all the topics she covers -- global warming, the end of the world, disasters (including pandemics), the role of the media, compassion and its utility, pain, the nature of reality, how we consider memory -- because she has arranged and synthesized them so beautifully here. I flagged many, many lines in this book, and I don't think I can pick one favorite essay (or even three).
Several people have told the author they find this soothing in spite of the grim subject matter (our inevitable end as a species), and I think this is because Gabbert's essays "complete the cycle," to borrow a framework from the Nagoski sisters. Doomscrolling is ultimately unsatisfying because there is no endpoint to the bits of bad news; Gabbert has meditated on the broader topics and taken them to some conclusion, even though she does not (and cannot) offer solutions.
raijoy's review against another edition
5.0
I would listen to Elisa talk at length about nearly anything. Utterly engrossing and so smart.
floortje_fauna's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of essays on disaster culture in three parts, looking at a wide range of topics such as climate anxiety, compassion fatigue, the unreliability of memory, sickness, social media exposure, and the role of the media.
Learned a lot, preferring the first and the third part. Plus, great title and cover.
Learned a lot, preferring the first and the third part. Plus, great title and cover.