Ever wondered what would happen if humanity disappeared from the face of the earth never to return? That is the question posed in this book. Outside of Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything, this is the most readable non-fiction book I have ever picked up.
Weisman is poetic without being snobby. He interviews experts weaves the information he gleams from them into a story of a fictional future earth without human life. He does this with conviction but is careful not to get preachy about environmentalism. The book is fascinating. What would happen to the man-made structures in NYC if there was no one to maintain them? How quickly would nature take over? What would happen to the worlds nuclear reactors and massive oil refineries if staff were not monitoring them 24/7? Would they blow up? If that happened what would the landscape look like in the aftermath? Weisman discusses these and many other topics throughout the book and shores up his predictions by interviewing a bevy of experts. Highly Recommended.
4 out of 4 Stars
Reviewed By: Steve Osler, Library Services
