must read

I think this is the most important book I've listened to. I've started thinking a lot about what I can do.

2 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

way not worth the hype

This is still scifi. There must be a better book that spells out the truths of our time, in a much more concise and digestible way. This book is jumbled and long winded. The story line jumps around so much that one has to relisten multiple times or take notes while listening.
The actors leave much to be desired and some delivery warrants replaying to really understand what was said.

Global warming.
Heat wave kills.
Introduced me to wet bulb temps. never knew about them.
Oil and gas magnates.
Government corruption.
Concept of carbon coin is interesting and would love a book all about that on its own.
Same with the fesability of sail and photovelics.
something that is much more non fiction about marxism, communism, practical, and scientific.

Its a good story, sure. Maybe will be made into a movie or series even. Kind of like the expanse, i guess. but certainly not as gripping from a fiction standpoint.

paper version may be better.

i dont understand all the overwhelmingly positive reviews.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Fantasy fairy-tale of someone stuck in the 60's

This book is a good way to exercise your eye muscles. You will roll your eyes constantly. It's a fantasy laundry list of things that would have worked out if only capitalism wasn't oppressing us. Yes, Communism is on that list, and let's ignore that capitalism is the only economic system that actually benefited the poor. Let's ignore that from the rise of capitalism to modern day that poverty dropped from about 90% to 8%. Let's ignore that capitalism is the only system that actually gave a damn about the environment (communism surely didn't). Let's ignore that capitalism is the only system that reduced the time people needed to work (spoilers: being a feudal serf was brutal. But so was being a worker in Maoist China.) Let's ignore all of that, because this book certainly did.

This book really should have done some research. It has the main character visiting banks in cities that those banks do not exist in (Hint, the Bundesbank is not in Berlin and the ECB is not in Brussels. They're, ironically, much closer to Switzerland than either of those two cities.) Sure, the author could have found that out by doing a simple Google search. However, this book is just disdainful for anyone who it assumes doesn't share its opinions. Economics is a pseudo-science, political science is a pseudo-science. Climatology, ironically, is a pseudo-science. Anyone who doesn't support the book's desired angle is to be discredited. If you are unfortunate to live in this "non-dystopian" take on climate change, you are likely to be more than discredited, "targeted assassinations" and employed and applauded by the protagonists in this novel. They don't kill anyone "innocent" (which means people they decided were guilty) until they do, and then they invent crimes to rationalise their systematic murder or their political enemies. The ends justify the means, I guess. Except, they don't. Not even in the narrative. The narrative tells us about 50% through that their efforts aren't effective. So, they, a UN agency, are using targeted assassinations to kill people in vain.

I must remind you that this is supposed to be "non-dystopian". This is one of the most "idealistic" depictions of the climate crisis. This book contains unironic adoption of fascist slogans and symbols like "India first" and "Africa for the Africans" and lionises the gilets jaunes, who were famously a magnet for far-right nativists.

The depictions of the EU in this novel are just... bizarre. It's like a caricature of someone who has no knowledge of or experience with the Brussels machine. You think someone who based a considerable part of their novel in the EEC would have some fundamental knowledge of that system. However, it seems that most of their research in this area was limited to the landmarks of Zurich.

Then there is just the bad writing. Things like Mary Murphy's every action being attributed to some perceived stereotypical Irish trait. The characters will frequently say the exact same things or have exactly the same thought, like all the point of view characters share a hive-mind. It's also pretty amazing how characters who have been spending decades of ruining people's lives and actively running the most successful terrorist killing thousands, if not millions, of people are shocked and astounded that they have fostered a climate of fear and violence in which people would seem to attack them directly out of revenge.

There are better and better-written novels on the climate crisis. This book is just hot garbage. It's a fetid fantasy of some hippy that wasn't able to accept that socialism didn't work and only produced immense suffering among the very people it sought to help. I'm not at all skeptical of the climate crisis. I believe we need to take serious action, and needed to some time ago. However, this book can't be allowed to use that crisis as a shield. Just because it writes about that situation, it can't be ignored that its solution to the climate crisis is founded on the idea that we need to murder our way out of it. That's not acceptable.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Perhaps This Himan Race is Not Yet Run

This is a lengthy and absorbing answer to the dilemma which faces us all. The varied voices of the characters make this a great listen. I am not sure what else to say other than that this is an optimistic look at the future of the human race if and only if the Vast Majority, the silent majority, the hordes and multitudes, somehow collectively move towards safety.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

A long, winding take about a future fate.

The ministry of the future is a long drawn out tale about the consequences of climate change, the challenges of global finance and a future where nature is at the forefront of humanity. This is an interesting look at what we must become in order to save this planet for future generations to come.

what story?

I didn't feel there was a central character other than the planet and honestly by the end I wanted the planet to lose as this was soooooo drawn out.

Absolutely a must read!

Interesting portrayl of how the next few decades may turn out with some optimism.

Absorbing, well produced

This was a terrific book to read by audio - the voice acting was beautifully done, making the characters vivid and engaging.

The story is compelling and complex: I frequently found myself marvelling at the depth and breadth of research it must have taken to write it.

Just give me the policy paper

I thought this was an excellent telling of all the different ways we can fight climate change and inequality to build a better future. Unfortunately just as with EcoTopia and Walden Two, it is difficult to convey content rich and scientifically informed ideas while also maintaining a strong narrative. The author did this as well as possible with all of the different narrators throughout the book. Unfortunately I just found myself not caring about Mary’s retirement, large portions of Frank’s life and the overly frequent and lavish pros describing Switzerland.

Inspiring

Some really cool ideas and makes me want to make changes in my own life.