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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
While at times a bit slow and repetitive (though I can forgive given the point it’s trying to make), this was an incredible read. Very poetic and inspiring and devastating, and I do think everyone should read it, but i know they won’t or they won’t adhere to the message.
I will say, some more evidence as to why he argues for no animal products before dinner would’ve been helpful. More guidelines as well; what, is it a free for all at dinner time then? Would it not be better to be vegetarian and have like, two animal products in the day in the form of a little cheese? So I think that part could’ve been strengthened.
The comparison of WWII reactions and efforts was truly so interesting. How far we’ve come from making sacrifices for a greater good.
I will say, some more evidence as to why he argues for no animal products before dinner would’ve been helpful. More guidelines as well; what, is it a free for all at dinner time then? Would it not be better to be vegetarian and have like, two animal products in the day in the form of a little cheese? So I think that part could’ve been strengthened.
The comparison of WWII reactions and efforts was truly so interesting. How far we’ve come from making sacrifices for a greater good.
Scary as freaking hell. This isn't exactly about climate change and how to fix it (although it does talk about both of those things), it's more about why we humans can care so much about so many things but we are unable/unwilling to DO anything about climate change. For a number of reasons we're unable to believe that what we do can make a difference, and we're unwilling to go without the things we enjoy. Takeaways: we need to cut WAY back on our consumption of animal products (no animal products before dinner would do more than almost anything else to help the environment) and we'd better get our shit together pretty soon (as in a long time ago) because we're screwed.
If half stars were possible, I'd give it a 3.5. The first 50 pages or so felt so poignant reading it while we are going through a pandemic and California is suffering some of its biggest wildfires in history. Massive wildfires that seem to happen every year now.
The idea that there are things we could do collectively to stop the multiple challenges we face, but that we may have even lost our ability as a country to take meaningful collective action on matters that would impact the survival of our community and country, seems more present than ever. So that was powerful for me.
But I think about 2/3 of the way it lost its steam and became too esoteric for me. And the message about the changes we could make seemed to get lost within that.
The idea that there are things we could do collectively to stop the multiple challenges we face, but that we may have even lost our ability as a country to take meaningful collective action on matters that would impact the survival of our community and country, seems more present than ever. So that was powerful for me.
But I think about 2/3 of the way it lost its steam and became too esoteric for me. And the message about the changes we could make seemed to get lost within that.
informative
tense
medium-paced
So most people *know* that the planet is warming in ways that will soon be irreversible. Even so, most people aren't *doing* much that will help. Myself included. It took Safran Foer 63 pages to get to the point of the book - which is a call to action: as a society we need to eat fewer animal products. Because factory farms are a leading cause of climate change. All the other small things we do - recycle, compost, drive hybrid cars, etc. - barely make a dent (though we should still do them, there's just so small compared to factory farms).
Throughout the book, Safran Foer takes a lot of different approaches to try to convince the reader to eat more plant-based meals: from roundabout story telling to conversations with himself to bullet point lists of facts to connections to personal history, World Wars, suicide, and more. It doesn't make for the greatest writing or reading, as it felt like he was trying out different ways to connect with lots of readers (some of which resonated with me and some that didn't). That said, it did give me something I can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - and a way to do it - eat vegan for breakfast and lunch.
Times have changed. We have to change how things have always been done. Some quotes I really liked: "Eating blamelessly two generations ago is not the same as eating blamelessly in the age of the factory farm."
"No one driver can cause a traffic jam. But no traffic jam can exist without individual drivers. We are stuck in traffic because we are the traffic. The ways we live our lives, the actions we take and don't take, can feed the systemic problems, and they can also change them."
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway (my first!) As I was reading it there was a NYTimes OpEd about entitled "Stop Mocking Vegans" (8/28/19). I have been guilty of mocking vegans. After reading this book I realize I was very wrong. I am going to try to remove meat, dairy, and cheese from my breakfast and lunch diet. So that's worth at least 4 stars, right?
Throughout the book, Safran Foer takes a lot of different approaches to try to convince the reader to eat more plant-based meals: from roundabout story telling to conversations with himself to bullet point lists of facts to connections to personal history, World Wars, suicide, and more. It doesn't make for the greatest writing or reading, as it felt like he was trying out different ways to connect with lots of readers (some of which resonated with me and some that didn't). That said, it did give me something I can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - and a way to do it - eat vegan for breakfast and lunch.
Times have changed. We have to change how things have always been done. Some quotes I really liked: "Eating blamelessly two generations ago is not the same as eating blamelessly in the age of the factory farm."
"No one driver can cause a traffic jam. But no traffic jam can exist without individual drivers. We are stuck in traffic because we are the traffic. The ways we live our lives, the actions we take and don't take, can feed the systemic problems, and they can also change them."
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway (my first!) As I was reading it there was a NYTimes OpEd about entitled "Stop Mocking Vegans" (8/28/19). I have been guilty of mocking vegans. After reading this book I realize I was very wrong. I am going to try to remove meat, dairy, and cheese from my breakfast and lunch diet. So that's worth at least 4 stars, right?
Required reading for all humans on the planet earth if we want to continue having a planet earth. Perfectly articulates why the “individuals can’t do anything, so I might as well keep buying plastic water bottles and turning up the AC” argument is invalid when discussing how to combat climate change.
reflective
slow-paced
Rather repetitive. Some great facts included but much more content focusing on the pull between hope and despair.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5 stars. First part is a 4, last part a 3. Part memoir, part musing, part scientific look at the planetary crisis, and part argument to do something - the book fizzles a bit at the end. It finely conveys the need to change how we live yet how resistant people are to it. He addresses that some individual changes made to be environmental are the least impactful and that vulnerable populations are some of the most impacted by our actions.
definitely rly enjoyed this; that said, not for those who are already climate anxious. but very well written!