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A review by cosmicllama
Out of the Wreckage: A New Politics in the Age of Crisis by George Monbiot
4.0
A great follow up to How Did We Get Into This Mess? This is an impassioned rebuttal to the mess we have gotten ourselves into. I'm not sure how it will stand as a stand alone read though, and I mean that in a good way. Monbiot does a great job of "naming the opponent" in describing what we are fighting against. And he does a good job of sticking by his guns, and holding to his thesis. He develops a good alternative story to the ones we tell ourselves about society and goes through great lengths to show how this story can be supported by evidence (real world societal experiments and natural biology).
The main problem I have with the book is that it's hard to take as a one and done read. There is so much happening in it, condensed into 180 pages that you can't just read it and get one central message out of it. While there is a lot going on in the book, it's well organized. It's a book you can go back to and read the sections you need to and refresh yourself. I will definitely be doing that as the days grow dark in the coming years.
Ultimately, the best part about the book is the hope Monbiot portrays and instills. And it's not just a vague hope that things will get better. It's an understanding of human as animal and our documented altruism as a species that brings him this hope. Monbiot is incredibly passionate with this one, and I hope reader's will use this book more as a guide through the dark tunnel that is our future, rather than a touchstone or set of instructions. Monbiot wants more participation from people in everyday life and I think this book is a great start to understanding what that could mean. Start belonging.
The main problem I have with the book is that it's hard to take as a one and done read. There is so much happening in it, condensed into 180 pages that you can't just read it and get one central message out of it. While there is a lot going on in the book, it's well organized. It's a book you can go back to and read the sections you need to and refresh yourself. I will definitely be doing that as the days grow dark in the coming years.
Ultimately, the best part about the book is the hope Monbiot portrays and instills. And it's not just a vague hope that things will get better. It's an understanding of human as animal and our documented altruism as a species that brings him this hope. Monbiot is incredibly passionate with this one, and I hope reader's will use this book more as a guide through the dark tunnel that is our future, rather than a touchstone or set of instructions. Monbiot wants more participation from people in everyday life and I think this book is a great start to understanding what that could mean. Start belonging.