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World Without Us

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World Without Us

Written by: Alan Weisman
Narrated by: Adam Grupper
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Most works about the environment build on dire threats warning of the possible extinction of humanity. Alan Weisman avoids frightening off readers by disarmingly wiping out our species in the first few minutes. He then continues with an astounding depiction of how Earth will fare once we're no longer around.The World Without Us is a one-of-a-kind work that sweeps through time from the moment of humanity's future extinction to millions of years into the future. Drawing on interviews with experts and on real examples of places in the world that have already been abandoned by humans - Chernobyl, the Korean DMZ and an ancient Polish forest - Weisman shows both the shocking impact we've had on our planet and how impermanent our footprint actually is.

 Earth Sciences Music Nature & Ecology Science Social Sciences Mathematics
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Adam Grupper's reading is fine, but it is a non-fiction book so it makes sense for just a presentation of the facts, which he does well. For anyone interested in the impact of humans on the Earth get ready to feel defeated thinking there is any chance to undo environmental destruction or preserve what is left. It was really engaging to learn about the impacts of everyday things and our way of life, also how ecological impacts are caused globally, not just pressures from a few specific countries. Weisman has a simple solution of course and that's drastically reduce human population, easier said than done and a hard pill to swallow, but honest and his book does make a good argument. Basically if humans disappeared today the world would be fricked for a good while, but a couple million years would do the trick.

Great, but goddamn it's depressing.

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I cannot recall a book that so clearly nurtured an understanding of the world in which we live. The veil of ignorance has been dissolved and never again can I claim “I didn’t know.” As bad as things are, there is still the possibility of doing some good to improve the world. Now is the time to get to work.

Frightening and Inspiring!

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I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I can't help but feel that narration would be better served as a sleep aide

Dull and uninteresting

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