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theredheadness 's review for:
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
by Jonathan Safran Foer
I read this book at the beginning of 2020 and it has taken a lot of time for me to think about how I wanted to write this review. There are two books that have had a lasting impact on me this year. The Future We Choose and this one.
Climate change, for me, is not only terrifying in general, but adds to a general sense of anxiety about large scale economic and social issues that on a daily basis there is very little we can actually do about it.
I will add here that I very much like Safran Foer's style of writing. And this does add bias to my review, his semi stream of consciousness, rhetorical writing is enjoyable for me.
So, this sense of hopelessness and powerlessness about how one person can effect climate change and environmental action (beyond voting, my god voting is so important) is something I think about frequently.
The actions of one person, when corporations are by far more responsible for climate change than we are, can feel helpless and apathy to such a large and complex problem is common.
This book addresses this, it talks about apathy, helplessness, about honest personal actions that can be taken and have an immediate impact on a personal and global level. This includes energy providers, cars and of course, the aspect of any individual life (especially so in affluent countries) diet.
This in itself is a complicated issue. Of time, money, the ways and places we were raised. This is raised in the book and could have been better addressed, but ultimately these sections of the book read more to me as a mournful letter to Safran Foer himself, about how this struggle is very deep and personal, but so profound (to me at least).
Others will have found this a self indulgent lacklustre attempt at pushing a vegan agenda. Which is valid. I however, saw it as a self reflective, mournful plea for difficult and real change for a concept that is difficult to grasp and act on.
If you want to read a book that will make you think and feel (even if that feeling is, I don't like this) please let it be this book.
5 Stars.
Climate change, for me, is not only terrifying in general, but adds to a general sense of anxiety about large scale economic and social issues that on a daily basis there is very little we can actually do about it.
I will add here that I very much like Safran Foer's style of writing. And this does add bias to my review, his semi stream of consciousness, rhetorical writing is enjoyable for me.
So, this sense of hopelessness and powerlessness about how one person can effect climate change and environmental action (beyond voting, my god voting is so important) is something I think about frequently.
The actions of one person, when corporations are by far more responsible for climate change than we are, can feel helpless and apathy to such a large and complex problem is common.
This book addresses this, it talks about apathy, helplessness, about honest personal actions that can be taken and have an immediate impact on a personal and global level. This includes energy providers, cars and of course, the aspect of any individual life (especially so in affluent countries) diet.
This in itself is a complicated issue. Of time, money, the ways and places we were raised. This is raised in the book and could have been better addressed, but ultimately these sections of the book read more to me as a mournful letter to Safran Foer himself, about how this struggle is very deep and personal, but so profound (to me at least).
Others will have found this a self indulgent lacklustre attempt at pushing a vegan agenda. Which is valid. I however, saw it as a self reflective, mournful plea for difficult and real change for a concept that is difficult to grasp and act on.
If you want to read a book that will make you think and feel (even if that feeling is, I don't like this) please let it be this book.
5 Stars.