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A review by dejaghoul
The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future by Erik Conway, Naomi Oreskes
4.0
Collapse is not a book in the traditional sense, but an academic essay from the future that recounts the downfall of western civilization. It's non-fiction at heart, though, so most of the essay is spent recounting recent history of climate change rather than filling out the gory details of the apocalypse (a bit of a shame, really, since the whole thing is very well researched and I'm sure a fleshed-out version of the apocalypse scenario would be excellent and scary).
The ideas presented here are really smart and interesting—the takedown of climate change denial obviously forms the basis of the book, but it also critiques and satirizes current scientific culture, neoliberalism, capitalism and communism, and corporate involvement in politics. It's got a great sort of wry humor running through it, and the future it predicts is frightening because of how plausible it seems.
The main downside is the writing style is rather dry, and requires a decent amount of concentration to get through. It can also be difficult if you aren't familiar with all the concepts (I wasn't, and found myself struggling in a couple sections), but the text does a pretty good job explaining things for the most part.
Regardless of the occasionally frustrating writing, though, I really enjoyed this smart little novelette and the questions it poses. Definitely recommended!
The ideas presented here are really smart and interesting—the takedown of climate change denial obviously forms the basis of the book, but it also critiques and satirizes current scientific culture, neoliberalism, capitalism and communism, and corporate involvement in politics. It's got a great sort of wry humor running through it, and the future it predicts is frightening because of how plausible it seems.
The main downside is the writing style is rather dry, and requires a decent amount of concentration to get through. It can also be difficult if you aren't familiar with all the concepts (I wasn't, and found myself struggling in a couple sections), but the text does a pretty good job explaining things for the most part.
Regardless of the occasionally frustrating writing, though, I really enjoyed this smart little novelette and the questions it poses. Definitely recommended!