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kjbeale's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A good starter for ten for those less informed on climate change and energy technologies. Nothing new for those who are we’ll wreak or work in the transition sector.
luiluilui's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
myakemovic's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not sure where the hate for Bill Gates comes from or why the Far Right attacks him on a regular basis. He’s an ultra rich businessman who uses lots of his money to try and improve the world in a myriad of ways. And the Far Right generally loves rich people and businessmen. Gates is probably most well known for his work with vaccines and world health and actually came within about 700 cases of eradicating polio from the planet (like smallpox in the 70s).
This book resulted from when Gates formed an interest in global climate change. It’s extremely realistic and practical. The book examines the problem and possible solutions from many angles. The book admits this is going to be difficult to fix. The book explores things from market and economic aspects. He deals in the facts and the numbers of the problem and examines the solutions from different parts of the world. He talks about governments’ responsibilities in this area and what you can personally do to help.
My only guess is the people who oppose this book are living in a personal fairy tale and don’t like the realistic atmosphere of Gates’s tone.
This book resulted from when Gates formed an interest in global climate change. It’s extremely realistic and practical. The book examines the problem and possible solutions from many angles. The book admits this is going to be difficult to fix. The book explores things from market and economic aspects. He deals in the facts and the numbers of the problem and examines the solutions from different parts of the world. He talks about governments’ responsibilities in this area and what you can personally do to help.
My only guess is the people who oppose this book are living in a personal fairy tale and don’t like the realistic atmosphere of Gates’s tone.
sreyasreya's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up to 4
Gates talked a lot about the technologies that can be developed to help pacify the effects of climate change. I really enjoyed the discussion about how developing nations developing and bettering their society will release emissions and increase their emissions and how we can find ways to help pacify that change. Really interesting conversations about how we can incentivize "going green" especially in the late capitalist society we live in. Enjoyed the conversations that was rooted in lay men's terms and just common jargon.
Issues with how it felt like Gates was trying to sell his philanthropic foundation instead of creating just substantial change. Also made a weird reference to how Microsoft's anti-trust lawsuit could have been avoided by Gates and Microsoft being more involved in policy making to not receive this lawsuit.
Gates talked a lot about the technologies that can be developed to help pacify the effects of climate change. I really enjoyed the discussion about how developing nations developing and bettering their society will release emissions and increase their emissions and how we can find ways to help pacify that change. Really interesting conversations about how we can incentivize "going green" especially in the late capitalist society we live in. Enjoyed the conversations that was rooted in lay men's terms and just common jargon.
Issues with how it felt like Gates was trying to sell his philanthropic foundation instead of creating just substantial change. Also made a weird reference to how Microsoft's anti-trust lawsuit could have been avoided by Gates and Microsoft being more involved in policy making to not receive this lawsuit.
jaimeitw's review against another edition
4.0
As someone looking to gain a broad understanding of how humans are causing climate change and what we (as a global community) can do to change it, this book was informative.
My biggest takeaway was the framework we can use to evaluate problems and solutions: taking X percentage of yearly global carbon emissions. I think it helps to put human activities in perspective and prioritise the biggest problems first. For instance, I never knew that building things (houses, roads) generated the most carbon emissions, relative to the other measures that were chosen for this book.
I appreciated the explanation on green premiums and carbon taxes. I understand that focusing on money can seem icky, but as a business/accountancy student, I know that business decisions are often quantified in monetary terms. Thus, quantifying the impacts on the environment in these terms can help businesses and governments make better decisions for the planet.
I suppose it can seem a bit dry and technical, especially because the book focuses a lot on innovations and incentives. But I actually think it was refreshing, because most of what I see online focuses on personal habits and lifestyle changes, which have never seemed like quite the only solution to me. I liked that this book provided a different perspective to what I'm used to. (Granted, I had earlier relied mostly on activists on social media and news articles from broadsheets, so maybe this book is just a rehash of the mainstream narrative that I've not been exposed to. I would be none the wiser.)
In the concluding chapter, he writes this: "As for the ideas you can't support, you may feel compelled to speak out, and that's understandable. But I hope you'll spend more time and energy supporting whatever you're in favour of than opposing what you're against".
So I think there's a frank openness to ideas and perspectives that deviate from what was expounded on in this book. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter as long as the goal is the same: To globally achieve zero carbon emissions in an equitable way.
My biggest takeaway was the framework we can use to evaluate problems and solutions: taking X percentage of yearly global carbon emissions. I think it helps to put human activities in perspective and prioritise the biggest problems first. For instance, I never knew that building things (houses, roads) generated the most carbon emissions, relative to the other measures that were chosen for this book.
I appreciated the explanation on green premiums and carbon taxes. I understand that focusing on money can seem icky, but as a business/accountancy student, I know that business decisions are often quantified in monetary terms. Thus, quantifying the impacts on the environment in these terms can help businesses and governments make better decisions for the planet.
I suppose it can seem a bit dry and technical, especially because the book focuses a lot on innovations and incentives. But I actually think it was refreshing, because most of what I see online focuses on personal habits and lifestyle changes, which have never seemed like quite the only solution to me. I liked that this book provided a different perspective to what I'm used to. (Granted, I had earlier relied mostly on activists on social media and news articles from broadsheets, so maybe this book is just a rehash of the mainstream narrative that I've not been exposed to. I would be none the wiser.)
In the concluding chapter, he writes this: "As for the ideas you can't support, you may feel compelled to speak out, and that's understandable. But I hope you'll spend more time and energy supporting whatever you're in favour of than opposing what you're against".
So I think there's a frank openness to ideas and perspectives that deviate from what was expounded on in this book. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter as long as the goal is the same: To globally achieve zero carbon emissions in an equitable way.
markgoodyer's review against another edition
5.0
Bills Gates has broken down a huge issue both in scope of the areas affected and in the sheer numbers of people, dollars, kilowatts, emissions in a clear and succinct way.
In a topic that quickly becomes overwhelming and in the past taken on a pessimistic, end of the world tone, Gates has maintained an optimistic tone throughout.
The issues and road blocks were laid out clearly, the technologies that will inevitability come to the rescue also explained in a language mere mortals can understand.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, found it accessible, entertaining and far from being a stranger to sustainable practices and technologies I still took a lot away from this work and will be recommending it to all who will listen! (and many you probably wont too!)
In a topic that quickly becomes overwhelming and in the past taken on a pessimistic, end of the world tone, Gates has maintained an optimistic tone throughout.
The issues and road blocks were laid out clearly, the technologies that will inevitability come to the rescue also explained in a language mere mortals can understand.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, found it accessible, entertaining and far from being a stranger to sustainable practices and technologies I still took a lot away from this work and will be recommending it to all who will listen! (and many you probably wont too!)
olivia_holmes's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5