A review by bookwoods
The Unreality of Memory: And Other Essays by Elisa Gabbert

4.0

 In this essay collection, Gabbert examines humanity in recent turbous times, taking on a diverse selection of topics. Everything from our responses to climate change and other disasters to why we have such a hard time accepting our looks. Reading this felt like an intelligent friend was patiently explaining different ideas to me. Some that were quite outside my comfort zone, but even the more philosophical essays offered useful insights. Here’s some snippets that particularly stayed with me: 

“I wonder if the way the world gets worse will barely outpace the rate at which we get used to it”

“My responsibility may be infinite, but my empathy is not, and there is more evil in the world at any given moment than I feel physically capable of processing.”

“Crises often get boring before they get better.”

“Global warming is happening everywhere all the time, which paradoxically makes it harder to see.”