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shannonreads96's review against another edition
5.0
A very depressing read and leaves you feeling helpless but also a very powerful and important read.
msmo's review against another edition
1.0
In 216 short pages -- most of which is, as pointed out by another reviewer, wasted on lot of 12-point font, negative space, photograph spreads, and over-simplified charts --the author attempts to deliver the sense of urgency by bulletpointing alarming examples of how humans misunderstand Earth's bounty and waste her natural resources.
While I don't disagree that we have a very serious problem at hand, I do have a number of problems with this book. The overall tone is very patronizing (the issues aren't very new or surprising, yet I can almost hear him leading into each statement with "Did you know???). There are lots numbers and facts, but without proper citations. The pages jump from topic to topic without good transition or synergy. There doesn't seem to be a lot of good substance; maybe it would have been better to publish this as a children's or coffee table book with large glossy full-color pages. And finally, while the author is very good at pointing out that the sky is falling, he does so without giving us any workable solutions or even an umbrella to stand under (consume less! he says).
Towards the end Emmott chides those who try to help out by turning off their mobile chargers, purchasing electric cars, or foregoing children, suggesting that they are merely assuaging their guilt. Perhaps this book is just his way of doing the same.
While I don't disagree that we have a very serious problem at hand, I do have a number of problems with this book. The overall tone is very patronizing (the issues aren't very new or surprising, yet I can almost hear him leading into each statement with "Did you know???). There are lots numbers and facts, but without proper citations. The pages jump from topic to topic without good transition or synergy. There doesn't seem to be a lot of good substance; maybe it would have been better to publish this as a children's or coffee table book with large glossy full-color pages. And finally, while the author is very good at pointing out that the sky is falling, he does so without giving us any workable solutions or even an umbrella to stand under (consume less! he says).
Towards the end Emmott chides those who try to help out by turning off their mobile chargers, purchasing electric cars, or foregoing children, suggesting that they are merely assuaging their guilt. Perhaps this book is just his way of doing the same.
taberiusrex's review against another edition
2.0
The more dialogue there is about climate change and the factors immediately relevant to said change, the better the situation, right? So how can I fault a book for going the extra mile and not only engaging the reader on these issues, but also scaring the pants off anyone who reads it?
Well, its myriad factual errors definitely don't go over well. Don't misunderstand: every issue listed in this book is real and dangerous and will be the end of us if we don't start making changes. However, it's the scale and imminence of the problems that are blown out of proportion.
For example, it's true that our population is stressing our resources. But population growth is slowing, and should plateau -- or even start to decrease -- after we hit nine or ten billion. It's not likely (or supported by factual supposition) that we'll continue on to twenty-eight billion by the end of this century.
Another is the consumption of water. Yes, we as a planet consume roughly 6,000 cubic kilometers of fresh water per year. However, we have access to something like twenty times that amount at the moment.
(I'm getting my facts from here, by the way: http://www.carboncommentary.com/2013/07/08/3141)
So why am I not shelf-of-shaming this? Well, despite its exaggerations, the book isn't wrong, per se. It's certainly alarmist, but we kind of need that right now. People are thinking about climate change, but they're doing so in terms of, "Okay, but after this election." "Sure, but we need to get this damn Higgs-Boson first." "I'll recycle and everything, but right now I need to sign this petition to deport Justin Bieber."
We need some priorities, and if it takes scare tactics to achieve it... well, there's something to be said about ends and means.
Well, its myriad factual errors definitely don't go over well. Don't misunderstand: every issue listed in this book is real and dangerous and will be the end of us if we don't start making changes. However, it's the scale and imminence of the problems that are blown out of proportion.
For example, it's true that our population is stressing our resources. But population growth is slowing, and should plateau -- or even start to decrease -- after we hit nine or ten billion. It's not likely (or supported by factual supposition) that we'll continue on to twenty-eight billion by the end of this century.
Another is the consumption of water. Yes, we as a planet consume roughly 6,000 cubic kilometers of fresh water per year. However, we have access to something like twenty times that amount at the moment.
(I'm getting my facts from here, by the way: http://www.carboncommentary.com/2013/07/08/3141)
So why am I not shelf-of-shaming this? Well, despite its exaggerations, the book isn't wrong, per se. It's certainly alarmist, but we kind of need that right now. People are thinking about climate change, but they're doing so in terms of, "Okay, but after this election." "Sure, but we need to get this damn Higgs-Boson first." "I'll recycle and everything, but right now I need to sign this petition to deport Justin Bieber."
We need some priorities, and if it takes scare tactics to achieve it... well, there's something to be said about ends and means.
hannah_08's review against another edition
4.0
Dieses Buch führt einem radikal vor Augen wie hoffnungsvoll verloren wir sind und wie wenig die Bevölkerung und die Politiker tun. Das Buch war nicht gerade objektiv geschrieben aber die Fakten waren sehr interessant (und sehr deprimierend).
pattmayne's review against another edition
5.0
A very clear explanation of the man-made crises that we face in the next century.
This book cuts through the clutter and tells it like it is. Everybody should read it.
This book cuts through the clutter and tells it like it is. Everybody should read it.
aayishaahmad's review against another edition
4.0
10 Billion is cleverly set. I feel it’s wrong to call it a book, but also wrong to call it something else. For it is more like a survival guide or a piece of text which forces your to change your way of life and rethink.
The “book’s” layout is one to be highly commended on. As it is packed with facts, reading paragraph after paragraph would of bored the most interested reader, however, Emmott set it with photographs and simple sentences, sometimes one sentence per page which ironically wastes paper but also makes the statement bold and automatically makes the reader stop and muddle over it.
I’m personally very pro trying to help the environment, but this book just makes me realise how much of a crisis we really are in.
“ The loss of ecosystem services poses a very real threat to our survival”
My physics teacher read this book as well, and once we discussed it he said to me: ” The Earth does not need protection, it always evolves and lives on, its us who are in real danger”
Overall this book is a spectacular eye opener, one my review probably is not giving justice. Its not a book which you would want to read when stuck in doors but a real book which you read to mature and understand our world today.
The “book’s” layout is one to be highly commended on. As it is packed with facts, reading paragraph after paragraph would of bored the most interested reader, however, Emmott set it with photographs and simple sentences, sometimes one sentence per page which ironically wastes paper but also makes the statement bold and automatically makes the reader stop and muddle over it.
I’m personally very pro trying to help the environment, but this book just makes me realise how much of a crisis we really are in.
“ The loss of ecosystem services poses a very real threat to our survival”
My physics teacher read this book as well, and once we discussed it he said to me: ” The Earth does not need protection, it always evolves and lives on, its us who are in real danger”
Overall this book is a spectacular eye opener, one my review probably is not giving justice. Its not a book which you would want to read when stuck in doors but a real book which you read to mature and understand our world today.
neurotypically's review against another edition
3.0
this was interesting with loads of informational graphs and interesting topics and hypothesis. i heard the numbers are predicted differently by now but it's a very realistic approach to how climate change should be treated and how it's actually viewed and how it's actually going to end.
it's a great introduction to the topic in general and was quite a fun read because of its inclusive language and the different mediums that were used. it also raises awareness and has quite a bit of dark humor, in the end.
it's a great introduction to the topic in general and was quite a fun read because of its inclusive language and the different mediums that were used. it also raises awareness and has quite a bit of dark humor, in the end.