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569 reviews for:
The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet
Leah Thomas
4.18 AVERAGE
569 reviews for:
The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet
Leah Thomas
4.18 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
The perfect book to read if you are starting out / looking for more knowledge in the climate movement.
But honestly, this is a book that everyone needs to read. That would make it a lot easier to talk about climate solutions.
But honestly, this is a book that everyone needs to read. That would make it a lot easier to talk about climate solutions.
informative
slow-paced
It's fine. For a relatively short book it feels repetitive and nothing in it is particularly new if you have awareness about this topic at all. It also doesn't really have a clearly defined structure and gets off track a lot after chapter one. It strays away from the books main premise a lot and then fails to tie a lot of whats discussed back into the main argument of the book.
I was also confused as to who the audience for this books was supposed to be the whole time while listening. Like the information is pretty basic so its not for someone already familiar with this topic but it's also very dare I say dry so I wouldn't recommend it to someone new to the topic either. I also don't think someone who isn't already on board with the main premise would ever pick this book up or be convinced by it if they did end up reading it so it's not meant to sway someone who doesn't already believe in these issues. So once again I ask who was this book for?
All that being said this book has an amazing introduction and a strong first chapter. At that point I was like this is gonna be a five star read for sure but then everything fell apart with the start of chapter 2 for all of the reasons mentioned above.
I was also confused as to who the audience for this books was supposed to be the whole time while listening. Like the information is pretty basic so its not for someone already familiar with this topic but it's also very dare I say dry so I wouldn't recommend it to someone new to the topic either. I also don't think someone who isn't already on board with the main premise would ever pick this book up or be convinced by it if they did end up reading it so it's not meant to sway someone who doesn't already believe in these issues. So once again I ask who was this book for?
All that being said this book has an amazing introduction and a strong first chapter. At that point I was like this is gonna be a five star read for sure but then everything fell apart with the start of chapter 2 for all of the reasons mentioned above.
informative
medium-paced
Listened to the audiobook. Leah’s book is a great introduction to environmentalism and social justice. This book provides important vocabulary and a starting point for thinking more critically about our impact on the environment and society, having important conversations, and taking action.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This is a neat little book full of very useful information for someone looking for an introduction on both environmentalism as well as social justice, as well as an idea on how to get started in both. Very readable, nicely organized, and inclusive of activities for one to try.
Admittedly, for those with much reading already on these topics, you likely won't find a ton of new information. That's not to say the book doesn't include history on the content, but given the scope of it, the history overviews are largely contained to the stories that would be heard in most any introductory sociology class.
I have only two gripes, and I believe both to be innocent oversights by the author/publishers. First is the use of "latinx" throughout, which ISN'T for me to debate about, but feels like a bold commitment to something that has gotten very mixed or even negative reception from the community it's supposed to be representing (especially when considering the countries of "Latin" America where "latinx" is almost comedically ironically unnatural for pronunciation and "latine" is seemingly considered to be far more practical and fitting).
The second was in the short section on "identities". Admittedly I don't have the book with me at the moment, but if I remember correctly it laid out 9 specific identity categories in rather definite language. This was something I wasn't particularly fond of for two reasons... First, it read as if making the abstract notion of identity into concrete categories, when in reality there are near infinite identities and many (occupation, one's "beauty" compared to societies standards) could affect chances in life and actions by others. Second, in the using language that so strongly stresses identities, it risks missing the intention of intersectionality by pushing the very idea of categorization based on identity. The rigors of categorization (something very western in and of itself, especially when it comes to demographics (or the categorization of groups)), are in opposition to holistic and all-encompassing approaches by nature.
That's not to say that it's not important to stress and teach intersectionality and the greater disadvantages faced by different minority/oppressed/disadvantaged groups both historically and now (both as a result of historical events as well as continuing oppressive efforts), but I just feel the approach to teaching such was wrong here and needing language that suggested more unity and collaboration than the language that maintains ideas of some intrinsic "difference."
Note that I'm not assailing the book here, that section is only about a page or two if I remember correctly. As I said, overall this is a solid little surface-level primer and introductory read on the subjects of environmental and social justice, as well as their meeting points.
Admittedly, for those with much reading already on these topics, you likely won't find a ton of new information. That's not to say the book doesn't include history on the content, but given the scope of it, the history overviews are largely contained to the stories that would be heard in most any introductory sociology class.
I have only two gripes, and I believe both to be innocent oversights by the author/publishers. First is the use of "latinx" throughout, which ISN'T for me to debate about, but feels like a bold commitment to something that has gotten very mixed or even negative reception from the community it's supposed to be representing (especially when considering the countries of "Latin" America where "latinx" is almost comedically ironically unnatural for pronunciation and "latine" is seemingly considered to be far more practical and fitting).
The second was in the short section on "identities". Admittedly I don't have the book with me at the moment, but if I remember correctly it laid out 9 specific identity categories in rather definite language. This was something I wasn't particularly fond of for two reasons... First, it read as if making the abstract notion of identity into concrete categories, when in reality there are near infinite identities and many (occupation, one's "beauty" compared to societies standards) could affect chances in life and actions by others. Second, in the using language that so strongly stresses identities, it risks missing the intention of intersectionality by pushing the very idea of categorization based on identity. The rigors of categorization (something very western in and of itself, especially when it comes to demographics (or the categorization of groups)), are in opposition to holistic and all-encompassing approaches by nature.
That's not to say that it's not important to stress and teach intersectionality and the greater disadvantages faced by different minority/oppressed/disadvantaged groups both historically and now (both as a result of historical events as well as continuing oppressive efforts), but I just feel the approach to teaching such was wrong here and needing language that suggested more unity and collaboration than the language that maintains ideas of some intrinsic "difference."
Note that I'm not assailing the book here, that section is only about a page or two if I remember correctly. As I said, overall this is a solid little surface-level primer and introductory read on the subjects of environmental and social justice, as well as their meeting points.