tuesday_evening's review
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, War, Colonisation, Gore, Violence, Medical trauma, and Misogyny
sebswann's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
“On the contrary, across twenty-one years of research into slavery and child labor, I have never seen more extreme predation for profit than I witnessed at the bottom of global cobalt supply chains. The titanic companies that sell products containing Congolese cobalt are worth trillions, yet the people who dig their cobalt out of the ground eke out a base existence characterized by extreme poverty and immense suffering. They exist at the edge of human life in an environment that is treated like a toxic dumping ground by foreign mining companies. Millions of trees have been clear-cut, dozens of villages razed, rivers and air polluted, and arable land destroyed. Our daily lives are powered by a human and environmental catastrophe in the Congo.”
Read this if you want to better understand the absolutely horrific situation in the Congo that our modem world is built on and will continue to be built on for the foreseeable future, as this abusive, colonialist cycle—perpetuated by wholly inadequate, immoral, cowardly, and greedy efforts of governments and corporations—continues. Credit to Kara for his efforts investigating and publicizing this story.
Read this if you want to better understand the absolutely horrific situation in the Congo that our modem world is built on and will continue to be built on for the foreseeable future, as this abusive, colonialist cycle—perpetuated by wholly inadequate, immoral, cowardly, and greedy efforts of governments and corporations—continues. Credit to Kara for his efforts investigating and publicizing this story.
melbsreads's review
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Trigger warnings: death, death of a child, death of a loved one, graphic descriptions of injuries, colonialism, discussions of slavery, corporate greed, physical violence, child abuse, rape, mentions of suicidal ideation, mentions of COVID-19
Oof. This.................was a lot. But it was also absolute compelling and horrifying and an endless string of other things. It's brilliantly written and I kind of wish I'd read it in physical form rather than audiobook so I could savour the story - particularly the stories of the miners and their families - more than I did. Or at least easily flip back and forth?? Don't get me wrong, the audiobook was absolutely brilliant and I flew through it. But in some ways, I feel like I did myself and the story a disservice with how quickly I read it.
In summary: this was brilliant. Horrifying and heartbreaking, but brilliant.
Oof. This.................was a lot. But it was also absolute compelling and horrifying and an endless string of other things. It's brilliantly written and I kind of wish I'd read it in physical form rather than audiobook so I could savour the story - particularly the stories of the miners and their families - more than I did. Or at least easily flip back and forth?? Don't get me wrong, the audiobook was absolutely brilliant and I flew through it. But in some ways, I feel like I did myself and the story a disservice with how quickly I read it.
In summary: this was brilliant. Horrifying and heartbreaking, but brilliant.
jamieterv's review
4.0
Oof. I’m not even sure how to rate this one. You’ll enjoy the learning of the supply chain intricacies that enable the creation of rechargeable batteries. From a technical aspect it’s fascinating if squarely in your interests.
But, be warned as it will quickly become a historical account of how colonialism, the exploitation of resources and people have plagued the heart of Africa since the days of Stanley Livingston.
And then it lays bare the current human right atrocities that continue to this day as governments and corporations fail to take accountability for the deaths of countless men, women and children who “dig in their graves” to survive and ensure we continue to enjoy our phones, tablets, computers and electric cars.
Well written, super interesting and informative, heart wrenching in places and definitely worth reading.
But, be warned as it will quickly become a historical account of how colonialism, the exploitation of resources and people have plagued the heart of Africa since the days of Stanley Livingston.
And then it lays bare the current human right atrocities that continue to this day as governments and corporations fail to take accountability for the deaths of countless men, women and children who “dig in their graves” to survive and ensure we continue to enjoy our phones, tablets, computers and electric cars.
Well written, super interesting and informative, heart wrenching in places and definitely worth reading.