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A review by bry97
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster by Rebecca Solnit
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
Urgent and yet somehow heartwarming look into the way communities come together in face of disasters.
The author does a good job in breaking down the different reactions to disasters, and the dangers that lie in top down, fear driven responses to disaster responses where those in power care more about regaining control than they do human life. However dark the subject matter, I think this book is hopeful at its core - with explorations into the power of mutual aid and the way we reach out to one another in times of crisis.
This felt extra timely - reading this book during a global pandemic where it seems like government is failing us left and right.
While I thought Solnits writing was a little flowery and repetitive, I think they did a great job laying out her argument and suggesting a possibility for change in the future.
The author does a good job in breaking down the different reactions to disasters, and the dangers that lie in top down, fear driven responses to disaster responses where those in power care more about regaining control than they do human life. However dark the subject matter, I think this book is hopeful at its core - with explorations into the power of mutual aid and the way we reach out to one another in times of crisis.
This felt extra timely - reading this book during a global pandemic where it seems like government is failing us left and right.
While I thought Solnits writing was a little flowery and repetitive, I think they did a great job laying out her argument and suggesting a possibility for change in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, and Xenophobia