Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
Especially if you're living with the "the US has only just started to feel the effects of global warming" narrative, this is an important read. Some of the impacts go back decades--it's just that the impacted populations aren't as important in the media narrative as, say, disaffected white voters in the Rust Belt.
About a month after I finished this, the news came that another insurer had withdrawn from California, and then Florida's market went to shit, too.
About a month after I finished this, the news came that another insurer had withdrawn from California, and then Florida's market went to shit, too.
informative
sad
slow-paced
Very interestingly layer out information that you have likely already heard. If you stay informed on the climate crisis nothing here will be new
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A slightly different lens than the climate migration rabbit holes I’ve been down on. This one focuses on the United States and more of the “slow burn” climate change effects, coupled with builders and speculators trying to capitalize on areas where we realistically shouldn’t be looking at building due to the risks…what to do when these “rare” (but getting more common) flood, fire, drought events happen to homeowners…who foots the bill? Where does everyone go? How long can we kick the can down the road? Who is ultimately responsible for stopping these repetitive disaster cycles?
Listened on audiobook.
Listened on audiobook.
Very good, but so depressing. Had to take it in smaller portions, but I would still recommend this book. Important information presented in a interesting way.
This is such an important, illuminating book for everyone to read, provided you can wrap your mind around the idea that climate change is scientific fact. I really appreciated the author’s choice in structure: vignettes from citizens or former citizens of areas where climate change has significantly impacted the quality of living, interspersed with background on the factors that led to the area becoming particularly vulnerable. Highly readable and interesting. I didn’t get to it as often as I wanted to, but when I did, I couldn’t put it down…which is unfortunate when you realize that the horror story is real.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
The Great Displacement is a harrowing and unflinching examination of humanity’s role in shaping its own downfall. It is a book that does not merely confront the consequences of climate change and societal collapse—it immerses the reader in them, leaving little room for hope or absolution.
From the outset, Bittle masterfully weaves a narrative that feels both disturbingly plausible and deeply personal, forcing readers to grapple with the weight of collective inaction. The book lays bare humanity’s selfishness, hubris, and shortsightedness, portraying a future that is not the result of some unforeseen catastrophe but the inevitable outcome of decisions made in pursuit of convenience and profit. It’s an unforgiving mirror that reflects our failures back at us.
What makes The Great Displacement so devastating is its unrelenting tone. There is no sugarcoating, no comforting promise that we can fix what’s been broken. Instead, it delivers a chilling “reap-what-you-sow” message, leaving the reader with the sense that any attempts to course-correct now are futile—too little, too late. Bittle doesn’t just challenge the reader to think; he challenges them to feel, and the emotions he evokes—anger, despair, guilt—are not easily shaken off.
This is not an easy read, nor is it one that leaves you hopeful. Instead, it is a necessary reckoning, a call to acknowledge the consequences of our actions—or inactions. For those willing to confront it, The Great Displacement is as much a wake-up call as it is an indictment. It’s a haunting reminder that we may already be living in the aftermath of choices we refused to undo in time.
From the outset, Bittle masterfully weaves a narrative that feels both disturbingly plausible and deeply personal, forcing readers to grapple with the weight of collective inaction. The book lays bare humanity’s selfishness, hubris, and shortsightedness, portraying a future that is not the result of some unforeseen catastrophe but the inevitable outcome of decisions made in pursuit of convenience and profit. It’s an unforgiving mirror that reflects our failures back at us.
What makes The Great Displacement so devastating is its unrelenting tone. There is no sugarcoating, no comforting promise that we can fix what’s been broken. Instead, it delivers a chilling “reap-what-you-sow” message, leaving the reader with the sense that any attempts to course-correct now are futile—too little, too late. Bittle doesn’t just challenge the reader to think; he challenges them to feel, and the emotions he evokes—anger, despair, guilt—are not easily shaken off.
This is not an easy read, nor is it one that leaves you hopeful. Instead, it is a necessary reckoning, a call to acknowledge the consequences of our actions—or inactions. For those willing to confront it, The Great Displacement is as much a wake-up call as it is an indictment. It’s a haunting reminder that we may already be living in the aftermath of choices we refused to undo in time.
This book was a very ~thorough~ look into how climate change will eventually cause widescale migrations in the US. While the tone was perfectly sobering and serious, I found this book went on way too long. I appreciated the case studies of particular families in regions already experiencing climate change forces that require migration. I also really enjoyed the emphasis on marginalized groups and the inherent bias many institutions hold that result in less opportunities and more heartbreak for BIPOC groups, especially in historically ethnic areas. However, a lot of it felt repetitive and long winded. A lot of this book felt like examples of how local government and infrastructure failed its community, rather than how climate is reshaping habitable land. I also think it could have benefitted a lot from maps dispersed throughout. Overall, this book was still a fantastic eye opener, laying out the effects of our current trajectory on habitable real estate in the US, but I wouldn't call it a favorite.
informative
reflective
sad
inspiring
tense
fast-paced