New Page 1 From five minutes to five billion years: an astonishing vision of Earth without humans Picture a world from which we all suddenly disappeared. Tomorrow. Noted journalist and professor Alan Weisman does just this in a book that is a tour de force of investigative writing and unputdownable reading. The World Without Us examines what would happen in both the immediate and distant future to the land, the animals (guess what? cockroaches would not survive for long), the oceans, our cities, our art and all manner of ...
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New Page 1 From five minutes to five billion years: an astonishing vision of Earth without humans Picture a world from which we all suddenly disappeared. Tomorrow. Noted journalist and professor Alan Weisman does just this in a book that is a tour de force of investigative writing and unputdownable reading. The World Without Us examines what would happen in both the immediate and distant future to the land, the animals (guess what? cockroaches would not survive for long), the oceans, our cities, our art and all manner of things we take for granted. Would the seas again teem with fish? Would our concrete jungles crumble into natural ones? How long, if ever, would it take for our collective footprint to fade away? Examining the minute, fascinating details of how things deteriorate (or don't), Alan Weisman describes how seemingly indestructible pipes will be pulverized into rock, why some of our churches may be the last buildings standing and how plastic may be one of our "gifts" that keeps on giving. Much more than a physical cataloguing, however, The World Without Us takes us into places we've abandoned, including Chernobyl, the Korean DMZ and an ancient Polish forest, to see how they've fared since we left. He talks to numerous scientists, engineers, ecologists, biologists and architects to get a realistic view of our impact on this planet. And he asks, since we're imagining, why not think of a way for nature to prosper that doesn't depend on our demise? At a time when we are seriously examining our impact on the earth, The World Without Us is essential reading. With its irresistible premise, intelligent mix of disciplines and candid tone, this mesmerizing book is a provocative and timely future classic. Click here to read The World Without Us timeline .?
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I re-bought this book because I'd passed on to others my original one. In an entertaining way, Weisman lays out what would happen if people were no longer around to maintain things -- and catastrophes that would occur because we're gone. It's a great book.
lorajs@yahoo.com
Jan 15, 2009
Fabulous Book
This book ranks among my favorites of all time in the category of history and facts, because along with a thought-provoking premise, the author drenches the reader with information about all sorts of things we should all know about but mostly didn't have the opportunity to even come across. I would recommend it for any reader old enough to think about the world as his/her responsibility and home.
Ellyb
Aug 2, 2008
Flat out cool
In "The World Without Us," Weisman looks not only at the world without us, but the world before us, the world with us, and the world in spite of us. Discussing our prehistoric rise from the primordial goo and the ways which we began even then to change our surroundings, this is an exceptionally well-rounded look at our history, our present, and our future with regards to humanity's effect on the planet. Some of the most interesting discussions are Weisman's looks at areas of the world which have, for one reason or another, been abruptly vacated by human activity. These areas provide a partial window into the natural processes that will begin to envelop our architecture and whatever else we leave behind. I admit that there were a couple of places where I felt a little lost and/or disinterested; one chapter discusses what will happen to all the world's petrochemical refineries. While this is an important area to look at, it still meant having to read about petrochemical refineries, which are inherently a little dry as subject matter. This is more than compensated for, however, in other fascinating chapters which look at evolution, wildlife, New York City, the DMZ in Korea, and Chernobyl. But overall this is definitely a worthwhile read. It cannot help but spark thought in anyone willing to absorb the information presented so clearly and honestly.
essar1
Jan 17, 2008
A Very Compelling Book!
I found out about this book via some very good reviews and year-end best of lists and there's good reason - its excellent. Weisman goes into great detail on what would happen to the earth and the environment if the human race was suddenly to disappear. He goes into very concise detail on what will happen to our infrastructure and very interestingly, what will happen to the planet's wild life. The answers, are compelling and surprising and Weisman lays it all out in a way where you don't have to be a scientist to figure it out. Very vividly Weisman describes how different chemicals and molecules react and break down. Very interestingly, Weisman provides real life examples of what our environment, left untouched, would be like. A+!
sandrac
Oct 26, 2007
Good Read
Very informative and a bit scary on what would happen with out us on earth. Need in some places in the book to know a bit of science, but otherwise nice read.
