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The Empathic Civilization: The Race To Global Consciousness In A World In Crisis by Jeremy Rifkin
misterfix's review against another edition
4.0
So often we confront a world built on the seemingly foregone conclusion that humans are violent, aggressive, etc and thankfully Mr Rifkin has presented a cognizant, current and thoroughly researched refutation of this argument. He builds his argument starting with the simple yet unappreciated truth that at birth we are all connected, or desire and are nourished by human connection, ie. empathy.
If you are feeling cynical or perhaps the opposite, you are tired of defending your optimistic point of view then you must read this book. Here is an analytical defense of 'humanity' that will not only provide you with material to convincingly present your belief that a better future is possible, it will re-inspire you and remind you of why you believe this.
Other reviewers have written more eloquently than I but I did want to praise the book...
If you are feeling cynical or perhaps the opposite, you are tired of defending your optimistic point of view then you must read this book. Here is an analytical defense of 'humanity' that will not only provide you with material to convincingly present your belief that a better future is possible, it will re-inspire you and remind you of why you believe this.
Other reviewers have written more eloquently than I but I did want to praise the book...
david_agranoff's review against another edition
1.0
Huge fan of Rifkin but this book is awful. Long and hardly gets to the point and the bottom line he didn't change my mind.
irenemng's review against another edition
3.0
Completely different from what I expected, but still interesting. Although the topic I expected from the interview, the environmental problems we face this century, would have interested me more.
wildwoila's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
As civilization becomes more complex, our capacity to empathise expands, but so does our energy footprint. Did my head in trying to comprehend past ways of thinking. Far too long.
narwhal's review
5.0
This is another inspiring book by Jeremy Rifkin, the second of his that I've read. It draws on similar themes as The Zero Marginal Cost Society, in that the world is experiencing a revolution is energy and communication in a massive way. The Internet is only one example - another inspiring idea is the decentralization of energy into renewables that can be harvested by individuals and communities and fed back into a responsive grid.
The author traces the history of empathy back to the beginning of history in an impressive arc that ends up with the Millennial generation. The central question of the book is, "Can human empathy overcome entropy?" New technology has given us the ability to connect with people across the planet at the same time that climate science is showing us the impending tragedy of global warming. Will we be able to organize our way out of this mess in time?
With chapters titles like "The Planetary Entropic Abyss" and "The Theatrical Self in an Improvisational Society", this is not light reading. It's a brick. I skimmed some of the way because it is chock full of great examples that thoroughly illustrate his ideas. I renewed this book from the library twice, but I'm glad I finished it.
The author traces the history of empathy back to the beginning of history in an impressive arc that ends up with the Millennial generation. The central question of the book is, "Can human empathy overcome entropy?" New technology has given us the ability to connect with people across the planet at the same time that climate science is showing us the impending tragedy of global warming. Will we be able to organize our way out of this mess in time?
With chapters titles like "The Planetary Entropic Abyss" and "The Theatrical Self in an Improvisational Society", this is not light reading. It's a brick. I skimmed some of the way because it is chock full of great examples that thoroughly illustrate his ideas. I renewed this book from the library twice, but I'm glad I finished it.
superkaren's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book more, but the author kept making assertions that were either false or not at all supported. It was too rambling, too.
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