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I had not read any of JHK's non-fiction. I've loved the World Made by Hand novels. I thought I'd give his non-fiction a go and picked this most recent of those (2011). As other reviewers have related this is The Long Emergency (TLE) updated. After reading Too Much Magic (TMM) I feel no need to read that earlier title, even though in a few places in this latest book he refers to the reader to TLE or more info on one particular topic.
I've read TMM twice now and found that the most important chapters for me are nos. 1, 5, 6 and some of 7. The excellent synopsis of the political landscape of mid-20th century thru early 21st century America (chapter 5) is really helpful to me even though I lived thru much of that time. And this political history is necessary for JHK's other concerns.
Chapter 6 is splendid as the author explains step by step what has happened to the financial landscape of the same period. I never really understood the big mess of October 2008 until I read this chapter. What the American government has NOT done to enforce the law in the financial shennangigans is appalling.
Chapter 7 explains how technology is not going to replace energy. That is, you can be as innovative and clever as is humanly possible but you still have to face the reality that there is no energy source currently known which can do the work that fossil fuels do so mightily. JHK is exhaustive in his analysis of this dynamic. Part of the title of this chapter is perfectly ironic, "...Waiting for Santa Claus".
At the end of the book is a Coda: A Systematic Misunderstanding of Reality and it is classic Kunstler, only better. I was impressed by the whole book and wish my family would take the time to read it but they won't. Nor will most of my fellow citizens. Consequently they are going to be very shell-shocked when the whole system falls apart.
- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Grove Press (July 9, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0802121446
- ISBN-13: 978-0802121448
- Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 29 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#923,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1477 in Economic Policy
- #916 in Environmental Policy
- #1020 in Social Aspects of Technology
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