es_blackwood's review against another edition
challenging
informative
tense
fast-paced
5.0
not instructional, great essays, the movie is excellent too
blind_lawyer's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
Did not teach me how to blow up a pipeline.
Made me want to learn how.
Made me want to learn how.
jennifilm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
woolfen's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars.
Malm splits this book up into two major parts - before loosely tieing it together at the end. It definitely seemed like he ran out of steam.
The first is spent exploring and arguing against historical strategic pacifism in protest movements that are mirrored to modern climate change movements such as XR and how the depth of non-violence is intrinsic to modern environmental resistance. I don't feel fully convinced by this part, but as a critique of pacifism as a tool - it is both handy and well-argued.
The second is spent exploring the philosophical and moral arguments against violence and the nature of resistance. This was much more convincing laid out and deploys lots of illustrative examples of general resistance analogous to environmental resistance. Here Malm's socialist throughline is the most evident - and people opposed to this world view might not find this chapter as convincing.
The final part is about the importance of hope - and like much rhetoric centred around hope is vaguely stirring but the abstract nature of reading about the 'power of hope' is generally quite stunting to its own goals. Ultimately however - the message of shifting apathy meaningfully to anger does carry through and is very convincing. A lot of points during this book I was actively shaking my head and frowning like a cartoon character.
Malm splits this book up into two major parts - before loosely tieing it together at the end. It definitely seemed like he ran out of steam.
The first is spent exploring and arguing against historical strategic pacifism in protest movements that are mirrored to modern climate change movements such as XR and how the depth of non-violence is intrinsic to modern environmental resistance. I don't feel fully convinced by this part, but as a critique of pacifism as a tool - it is both handy and well-argued.
The second is spent exploring the philosophical and moral arguments against violence and the nature of resistance. This was much more convincing laid out and deploys lots of illustrative examples of general resistance analogous to environmental resistance. Here Malm's socialist throughline is the most evident - and people opposed to this world view might not find this chapter as convincing.
The final part is about the importance of hope - and like much rhetoric centred around hope is vaguely stirring but the abstract nature of reading about the 'power of hope' is generally quite stunting to its own goals. Ultimately however - the message of shifting apathy meaningfully to anger does carry through and is very convincing. A lot of points during this book I was actively shaking my head and frowning like a cartoon character.
razzberry_pi's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
honestly one of my #1 books of the year, rips into climate fatalism as well as "strategic pacifism" as useless against impending climate catastrophe.
one negative was the author was sort of dismissive of concerns of appropriation surrounding the "Indians of the Urban Jungle", and also failed to highlight Indigenous Resurgence as a form of resistance.
one negative was the author was sort of dismissive of concerns of appropriation surrounding the "Indians of the Urban Jungle", and also failed to highlight Indigenous Resurgence as a form of resistance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Racism