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A review by cavalary
Europa. O istorie naturală by Tim Flannery
4.0
[EN: (RO below)]
The book is written well, at times even humorous, and definitely engaging and enjoyable throughout, which in itself is quite an achievement when you consider the topic. However, while it usually does a pretty good job of painting a picture in the reader's mind, it does feel like it'd have been better as a documentary to watch than a book to read and there are times when the information's too compressed, the overwhelming amount packed in a page or a single paragraph being hard to keep up with.
Otherwise, from the beginning it's taken as a given that, ever since they evolved, humans have been wiping out other species as soon as they met them, and part four, its first half in particular, is a disheartening tale of environmental destruction and species' extinction. Also, the event at the start of the Eocene may be the most striking example, but whenever the devastating effects of past climate change events are described, it's mentioned almost in passing how much slower the change took place and how much lower the level of emissions which caused it was, compared to the current situation. So, while that final trip with the time machine, for the view of Europe 180 years in the future, paints a far better picture than supposedly optimistic views of the future generally do, it's barely a quick glimpse, with no details, which may easily make it just as bad, and either way it seems utterly impossible, judging by both the present and the past. And... Referring to the matter in general, not for the purpose of bringing back Neanderthals, why would selective breeding of people be profoundly immoral, but just fine and even desired when it comes to any other species?
[RO:]
Cartea e scrisa bine, uneori chiar cu umor, si cu siguranta captivanta de la cap la coada, ceea ce e in sine o realizare daca tii cont de subiect. Insa, desi de obicei reuseste destul de bine sa formeze o imagine in mintea cititorului, da senzatia ca ar fi fost mai potrivita ca un documentar de privit in locul unei carti de citit si sunt momente cand informatia este prea compresata, cantitatea coplesitoare dintr-o pagina sau un singur paragraf fiind greu de urmarit.
Altfel, de la inceput este considerat un dat ca, inca de cand au evoluat, oamenii au eliminat alte specii imediat ce le-au intalnit, iar partea a patra, in special in prima jumatate a sa, este o poveste descurajatoare a distrugerii mediului si disparitiei speciilor. De asemenea, evenimentul de la startul eocenului poate fi cel mai izbitor exemplu, dar oricand sunt descrise efectele devastatoare ale schimbarilor climatice din trecut, se mentioneaza aproape in trecere cu cat mai lent au avut loc schimbarile si cu cat a fost mai redus nivelul emisiilor care le-au cauzat, in comparatie cu situatia curenta. Deci, desi acea ultima calatorie cu masina timpului, pentru o privire asupra Europei 180 de ani in viitor, prezinta o imagine mult mai buna decat imaginile asa-zis optimiste ale viitorului tind sa o faca, este doar o intrezarire, fara detalii, care o pot face cu usurinta la fel de rea, si oricum pare complet imposibila, judecand atat in functie de prezent cat si de trecut. Si... Referindu-ma la subiect in general, nu in scopul readucerii la viata a oamenilor de Neanderthal, de ce ar fi inmultirea selectiva a oamenilor profund imorala, dar complet in regula si chiar de dorit cand e vorba de orice alta specie?
The book is written well, at times even humorous, and definitely engaging and enjoyable throughout, which in itself is quite an achievement when you consider the topic. However, while it usually does a pretty good job of painting a picture in the reader's mind, it does feel like it'd have been better as a documentary to watch than a book to read and there are times when the information's too compressed, the overwhelming amount packed in a page or a single paragraph being hard to keep up with.
Otherwise, from the beginning it's taken as a given that, ever since they evolved, humans have been wiping out other species as soon as they met them, and part four, its first half in particular, is a disheartening tale of environmental destruction and species' extinction. Also, the event at the start of the Eocene may be the most striking example, but whenever the devastating effects of past climate change events are described, it's mentioned almost in passing how much slower the change took place and how much lower the level of emissions which caused it was, compared to the current situation. So, while that final trip with the time machine, for the view of Europe 180 years in the future, paints a far better picture than supposedly optimistic views of the future generally do, it's barely a quick glimpse, with no details, which may easily make it just as bad, and either way it seems utterly impossible, judging by both the present and the past. And... Referring to the matter in general, not for the purpose of bringing back Neanderthals, why would selective breeding of people be profoundly immoral, but just fine and even desired when it comes to any other species?
[RO:]
Cartea e scrisa bine, uneori chiar cu umor, si cu siguranta captivanta de la cap la coada, ceea ce e in sine o realizare daca tii cont de subiect. Insa, desi de obicei reuseste destul de bine sa formeze o imagine in mintea cititorului, da senzatia ca ar fi fost mai potrivita ca un documentar de privit in locul unei carti de citit si sunt momente cand informatia este prea compresata, cantitatea coplesitoare dintr-o pagina sau un singur paragraf fiind greu de urmarit.
Altfel, de la inceput este considerat un dat ca, inca de cand au evoluat, oamenii au eliminat alte specii imediat ce le-au intalnit, iar partea a patra, in special in prima jumatate a sa, este o poveste descurajatoare a distrugerii mediului si disparitiei speciilor. De asemenea, evenimentul de la startul eocenului poate fi cel mai izbitor exemplu, dar oricand sunt descrise efectele devastatoare ale schimbarilor climatice din trecut, se mentioneaza aproape in trecere cu cat mai lent au avut loc schimbarile si cu cat a fost mai redus nivelul emisiilor care le-au cauzat, in comparatie cu situatia curenta. Deci, desi acea ultima calatorie cu masina timpului, pentru o privire asupra Europei 180 de ani in viitor, prezinta o imagine mult mai buna decat imaginile asa-zis optimiste ale viitorului tind sa o faca, este doar o intrezarire, fara detalii, care o pot face cu usurinta la fel de rea, si oricum pare complet imposibila, judecand atat in functie de prezent cat si de trecut. Si... Referindu-ma la subiect in general, nu in scopul readucerii la viata a oamenilor de Neanderthal, de ce ar fi inmultirea selectiva a oamenilor profund imorala, dar complet in regula si chiar de dorit cand e vorba de orice alta specie?