A review by laurenzokro
Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert

hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Super accessible, detailed coverage of climate change that would appeal to both those unfamiliar with the field and those who work in it. It’s especially interesting to read this nearly 20 years on, and compare the urgency Kolbert expressed then with the wide-ranging impacts we’re seeing globally in the present. I really appreciate Kolbert’s writing style in this, which seeks to highlight the voices of various climate experts rather than put forth a particular narrative. Because of that, everything weaved together well, while leaving you with the opportunity to reflect rather than present the takeaways on a silver platter. For example, it was nice how the chapters typically ended on a moment that Kolbert shared with one of the speakers, or a scene from a particular excursion she went on - it made the book feel more authentic and even experiential. My only critique really is that I would’ve liked some greater diversity in the speakers, which in particular saw a surprising lack of women - but perhaps that’s more a reflection on diversity in climate science of the early 2000s. The addition of the three essays in the 2014 version was rather effective and flowed a lot better than I expected. All in all a solid nonfiction read!