saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
This is the definition of a well-researched, endlessly fascinating essay collection. I could have read 100 more. While it's broad it's also so focused on our experiences now and I was especially appreciative of the looks at media addition and empathy burn out. Highly recommend.
gillesdelatoet's review against another edition
5.0
To take a small stroll in her mind while she was writing and researching would fascinate me intensely. Great writing, brilliant read.
stephanielam27's review against another edition
4.0
Some really interesting, thought-provoking pieces. I can’t stop thinking about the one essay where she claims “disaster is a sign of progress”- Gabbert angles and deconstructs reality in such a logical, natural way I come away thinking “huh, the truth was so obvious all along” (the sign of intelligence or just great writing?). On very current issues like the pandemic, climate change, and dooms-scrolling (aka compassion fatigue), and living contradictorily (morals vs comfort). Read this somewhat frantically, on par with the theme I guess.
The essays weren’t equally as strong, and the book could have been better organized (develop one issue more in one essay instead of regurgitating points from different essays written during different years).
...
“Where do I focus my anxiety so that I can feel like a good citizen in an anxious society?”
“It is like looking for proof or disproof of God in a flower- it all depends on how you read the evidence.”
“I worry sometimes that I haven’t paced my outrage.”
“Do we need to feel bad in order to do good?”
The essays weren’t equally as strong, and the book could have been better organized (develop one issue more in one essay instead of regurgitating points from different essays written during different years).
...
“Where do I focus my anxiety so that I can feel like a good citizen in an anxious society?”
“It is like looking for proof or disproof of God in a flower- it all depends on how you read the evidence.”
“I worry sometimes that I haven’t paced my outrage.”
“Do we need to feel bad in order to do good?”
jolles's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to love this collection but I just...didn’t. It was a little unclear to me and I think to the essays whether or not they wanted to be memoirs or research projects and in the end I don’t feel as they committed to either genre satisfactorily which was a bummer because they could’ve done either quite well had they committed to the bit. There were certainly some quote worthy lines and a couple of the essays certainly made me think a little harder on how I conceive of disasters more broadly, especially in my research, but overall I was kinda letdown.
notbrhymes's review against another edition
4.5
I probably will never find a collection of essays I will like better than this one.
servemethesky's review against another edition
5.0
This essay collection is smart and timely as hell. At times I felt like I couldn’t keep up with Gabbert’s thinking!
It’s astonishing how prescient her writing seems- there’s an entire essay about the next pandemic
It’s astonishing how prescient her writing seems- there’s an entire essay about the next pandemic
brza_genius's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25