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midici's review against another edition
3.0
I'd like to give this book a 3.5, which isn't an option, so I left it at 3.
Mitchell Zukor is terrified. He is haunted by every worst-case-scenario that he can possibly imagine, and tries to distract himself by working out the math - how probable each fear is, and how prepared he needs to be. This compulsion leads him to a job at FutureWorld that seems to be tailor-made for him. He spends his time predicting worst-case-scenarios for companies. And at the height of his success, he finds himself living through a scenario he predicted.
Mitchell's obsession with doom is contrasted with Elsa's work to create a sustainable life off the grid. She, too, is planning for disaster but her fears result in a physical experiment, a sustainable farm out in the wilderness.
After the disaster hits, Mitchell is no longer able to simply sit and dream up what may happen, and when. he feels the need to act. And slowly, Elsa and Mitchell shift places.
It's a short, entertaining read with vivid characters. The future is what you make of it.
Mitchell Zukor is terrified. He is haunted by every worst-case-scenario that he can possibly imagine, and tries to distract himself by working out the math - how probable each fear is, and how prepared he needs to be. This compulsion leads him to a job at FutureWorld that seems to be tailor-made for him. He spends his time predicting worst-case-scenarios for companies. And at the height of his success, he finds himself living through a scenario he predicted.
Mitchell's obsession with doom is contrasted with Elsa's work to create a sustainable life off the grid. She, too, is planning for disaster but her fears result in a physical experiment, a sustainable farm out in the wilderness.
After the disaster hits, Mitchell is no longer able to simply sit and dream up what may happen, and when. he feels the need to act. And slowly, Elsa and Mitchell shift places.
It's a short, entertaining read with vivid characters. The future is what you make of it.
trespassers_william's review against another edition
4.0
It was an interesting read, although I expected the issues the protagonist dealt with to be on a more macro scale.
rebus's review against another edition
4.5
A remarkably prescient novel, even for those of us who thought like Mitchell while the author must have been writing this book. Indeed, there have been fairly significant storms on the East Coast since then, but none of them on the scale of this catastrophe, which reminds one of some of the scenarios created by JG Ballard in the 60s (though far more realistic). It also evokes some sadness for the younger generations, as even Mitchell's hard working immigrant parents realize that his profession isn't living, wondering why he so fears death when he is choosing not to live. Ah, but then comes the twist, whereupon we learn that the purest intellectual pursuits are always solitary (though I would tell the author that the Bible is absolutely not a literary masterpiece, but one of the most lugubrious books ever written, and fascist, xenophobic, propaganda). Yet Mitchell also took the path of all the greatest mathematicians in history, driven mad by their projections of what the universe must be.
It's heady stuff, and Mitchell understood that it was the Upper Middle Class with their advanced degrees in exploitation that pose the real risk to humanity. Only a somewhat weak last few pages prevent me from calling it a masterpiece (even if I liked very much where the book went over the last 50 or so pages).
It's heady stuff, and Mitchell understood that it was the Upper Middle Class with their advanced degrees in exploitation that pose the real risk to humanity. Only a somewhat weak last few pages prevent me from calling it a masterpiece (even if I liked very much where the book went over the last 50 or so pages).
jessiehulena's review against another edition
2.0
Odds Against Tomorrow hooked me with its down the rabbit hole journey into the world of disaster forecasting. The first half of the story carried me along with the interesting concept - Mitchell’s unrelenting, frantic worst case scenarios and how he used these to terrify large corporations out of their money. However once the actual disaster hit, I completely lost interest.
If you (like me) are driven by believable, compelling characters – this book isn’t for you. The characters and their relationships didn’t grip me. Mitchell in particular fell flat and made it hard work to get to the end of the story.
If you (like me) are driven by believable, compelling characters – this book isn’t for you. The characters and their relationships didn’t grip me. Mitchell in particular fell flat and made it hard work to get to the end of the story.
sloanhuebner's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jen286's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
Odds Against Tomorrow was a fun read. Everything was a bit on the ridiculous side of things which made it really enjoyable. I loved Mitchell and his obsession with worst case scenarios and everything that happens.
Mitchell is afraid of dying. He is always seeing what the risks are of doing anything and trying to figure out if it is worth it. For example elevators - what are his chances of dying in an elevator accident? And if he works on the 70-somethingth floor of a building is it reasonable to take the stairs instead? It was quite amusing to me. I loved all the random facts and just how hung up on it he is. The whole basis of the story is he eventually becomes a "fear professional". The company he ends up working for is exploiting a loophole in a law where they would get super rich by getting companies to pay them money to prove they were trying to do everything to keep their employees safe in a worst case scenario. His company doesn't have to do much except convince their clients that they need their services. Ever since the huge earthquake in Seattle (which I loved read by the way) where companies went bankrupt after being sewed by employees families, people are more open to this kind of thing. And Mitchell sells it well. He is so obsessed with fear and calculating what could happen he is very convincing. He makes everyone think that the worst could happen.
Throughout it all Mitchell becomes obsessed with Elsa, "a walking worst-case scenario." She has a heart condition that could literally make her drop dead at any moment, and yet she seems to be living. How can she do that? How can she not be paralyzed by her fear? He trades letters with her, writing about his life as a fear professional and she her life living on a commune in new England, and each one makes Mitchell feel like he know her. Makes him more intrigued by what she is doing. You know she is this person, this thing which he kind of desires to be. He wants to learn her secrets so he too can live without fear.
When an actual worst case scenario happens it was interesting watching how Mitchell dealt with it all. He never really planned more than the worst happening. He didn't plan on what to do after and it was fun. You can see a lot of it coming a mile away, but it was still that little bit on the ridiculous side that made me love it. I really enjoyed this read. Mitchell was fun and crazy, but almost reminds me of some people I know in real life. It was just a fun read.
Odds Against Tomorrow was a fun read. Everything was a bit on the ridiculous side of things which made it really enjoyable. I loved Mitchell and his obsession with worst case scenarios and everything that happens.
Mitchell is afraid of dying. He is always seeing what the risks are of doing anything and trying to figure out if it is worth it. For example elevators - what are his chances of dying in an elevator accident? And if he works on the 70-somethingth floor of a building is it reasonable to take the stairs instead? It was quite amusing to me. I loved all the random facts and just how hung up on it he is. The whole basis of the story is he eventually becomes a "fear professional". The company he ends up working for is exploiting a loophole in a law where they would get super rich by getting companies to pay them money to prove they were trying to do everything to keep their employees safe in a worst case scenario. His company doesn't have to do much except convince their clients that they need their services. Ever since the huge earthquake in Seattle (which I loved read by the way) where companies went bankrupt after being sewed by employees families, people are more open to this kind of thing. And Mitchell sells it well. He is so obsessed with fear and calculating what could happen he is very convincing. He makes everyone think that the worst could happen.
Throughout it all Mitchell becomes obsessed with Elsa, "a walking worst-case scenario." She has a heart condition that could literally make her drop dead at any moment, and yet she seems to be living. How can she do that? How can she not be paralyzed by her fear? He trades letters with her, writing about his life as a fear professional and she her life living on a commune in new England, and each one makes Mitchell feel like he know her. Makes him more intrigued by what she is doing. You know she is this person, this thing which he kind of desires to be. He wants to learn her secrets so he too can live without fear.
When an actual worst case scenario happens it was interesting watching how Mitchell dealt with it all. He never really planned more than the worst happening. He didn't plan on what to do after and it was fun. You can see a lot of it coming a mile away, but it was still that little bit on the ridiculous side that made me love it. I really enjoyed this read. Mitchell was fun and crazy, but almost reminds me of some people I know in real life. It was just a fun read.
quietdomino's review against another edition
3.0
Disaster fiction! Meta-disaster fiction! Apocalypse is coming and our only preparation is to read literary thrillers that strain against the boundary dividing high and low fiction!
pransu_123's review against another edition
3.0
Not very exciting as I thought it to be. Aspires to give a futuristic perspective on disasters through the eyes of a futurist,Mitchell the protagonist but still misses to have due connections. I found the protagonist filled with personal disasters than actually talking about one!
tsharris's review against another edition
2.0
So-so disaster story that once again sees New York devastated. Nothing really profound to say about human fears of civilization-ending catastrophes and why contemporary Americans love to produce and consume these stories, even though the main character is obsessed with (and excels at) imagining nightmare scenarios. No character seemed particularly real.
readacorn's review against another edition
3.0
Mitchell Zukor hat Angst. Vor der Zukunft, vor allem. Nach seinem Studium wird er deswegen von einer mysteriösen Beratungsfirma engagiert, für elf er die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Katastrophen kalkulieren soll. Als eine seiner apokalyptischen Vorhersagen tatsächlich eintrifft, macht er sich auf die Suche nach seiner Freundin Elsa, dem einzigen Menschen, der keine Angst kennt.
Dieses Buch verwende ich für die ABC-Challenge Aufgabe 'Autor mit deinen Initialen'. Anfangs interessant, mit einem sehr zähen und langen Mittelteil und einem schönen Schluss konnte mich das Buch durch seine Längen leider nicht ganz einnehmen. Die Geschichte an sich hat mir gefallen.
Dieses Buch verwende ich für die ABC-Challenge Aufgabe 'Autor mit deinen Initialen'. Anfangs interessant, mit einem sehr zähen und langen Mittelteil und einem schönen Schluss konnte mich das Buch durch seine Längen leider nicht ganz einnehmen. Die Geschichte an sich hat mir gefallen.