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forbes_dru's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It has many hidden gems and great movie recommendations. What I also love about it is that it puts the world into perspective. We are draining the very thing that is supposed to support us. We need to ensure that the earth continues to exist for future generations, but people prioritize profit over the planet when it should be the other way around.
I loved this book. I couldn't say this enough.
I loved this book. I couldn't say this enough.
tayloremmap's review against another edition
1.75
I thought this book would go more in-depth but it just scratched the surface of climate activism. This would be a great book for someone who is looking for pointers on how to become more eco-friendly/climate conscious but doesn’t know where to start. This book is not meant for folks who already have a base understanding of the crisis and of individual responsibility.
Pros:
- The above being said, I did learn something new from this book! Shift Five: Our paper footprint was the most interesting chapter for me because toilet paper, especially, is not something that I had previously considered as a driver of environmental degradation and climate change
- I liked at the end, how the narrator said something along the lines of ‘you can’t change everything, but you can change something’. Sometimes I get stuck in an all or nothing approach and it is great to be reminded to take a step-back and change perspectives
Meh:
- The narrator says something along the lines of ‘Action cures depression’. I understand the intention behind that sentiment but I think it could have been worded different as not to make folks dealing with depression and other mental health issues feel invalidated when they can’t take actions to aid the climate crisis when it is hard enough just to keep themselves alive for the moment
- I am very interested in the intersection between environmentalism and racism. This book tried to touch on the periodically, but shied away before getting too deep. Don’t mention it if you are too scared to dive in and adequately explore the issue. It feels as if it was a token mention.
Cons:
- I am not a huge fan of the idea that the CEO of Indigo Books helped write this book. The subject matter is based on placing personal responsibility for the climate crisis on individuals (no straws! No paper napkins!) and while I admit that little changes can make a big impact, it doesn’t mean much coming from somebody who lives in one of the biggest houses in Toronto. I’m sure if one measured how much energy that house uses, or how much water it takes to keep the grass green, it would be substantially more than the average Canadian uses. It is hypocritical taking climate advice from someone who is not living in the same realm as the average person in the audience they are trying to reach.
Pros:
- The above being said, I did learn something new from this book! Shift Five: Our paper footprint was the most interesting chapter for me because toilet paper, especially, is not something that I had previously considered as a driver of environmental degradation and climate change
- I liked at the end, how the narrator said something along the lines of ‘you can’t change everything, but you can change something’. Sometimes I get stuck in an all or nothing approach and it is great to be reminded to take a step-back and change perspectives
Meh:
- The narrator says something along the lines of ‘Action cures depression’. I understand the intention behind that sentiment but I think it could have been worded different as not to make folks dealing with depression and other mental health issues feel invalidated when they can’t take actions to aid the climate crisis when it is hard enough just to keep themselves alive for the moment
- I am very interested in the intersection between environmentalism and racism. This book tried to touch on the periodically, but shied away before getting too deep. Don’t mention it if you are too scared to dive in and adequately explore the issue. It feels as if it was a token mention.
Cons:
- I am not a huge fan of the idea that the CEO of Indigo Books helped write this book. The subject matter is based on placing personal responsibility for the climate crisis on individuals (no straws! No paper napkins!) and while I admit that little changes can make a big impact, it doesn’t mean much coming from somebody who lives in one of the biggest houses in Toronto. I’m sure if one measured how much energy that house uses, or how much water it takes to keep the grass green, it would be substantially more than the average Canadian uses. It is hypocritical taking climate advice from someone who is not living in the same realm as the average person in the audience they are trying to reach.
neandering's review against another edition
1.0
This book is... bad. Essentially, it's 200-and-something pages of Instagram infographics stacked together with information that you can find online for free (which was a little ironic considering one of the topics was paper waste). Most of the information was fairly common sense
Not all of it is, of course. Certain harmful chemicals in products is probably helpful to know for some, and I think the sections on how pollution disproportionately harms POC was also good (although that section was not written by either of the authors of the book). However, the majority of the advice in this book is shallow, including advice like turning off your taps when you don't need them and, I kid you not, "Google composting." If I can google this information, I dont know why this book needs to exist. Just use the internet and save your money.
Not all of it is, of course. Certain harmful chemicals in products is probably helpful to know for some, and I think the sections on how pollution disproportionately harms POC was also good (although that section was not written by either of the authors of the book). However, the majority of the advice in this book is shallow, including advice like turning off your taps when you don't need them and, I kid you not, "Google composting." If I can google this information, I dont know why this book needs to exist. Just use the internet and save your money.
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