MixedThe New York Times Book ReviewRifkin is too busy geeking out on technology and economic theory to mess around with social justice or moral outrage ... his writing is so clotted with numbers and stats and technological jargon that it’s not easy to figure out exactly what he thinks this revolution would look like, beyond the usual futuristic shout-outs to renewable power, smart buildings and Big Data ... [Rifkin] says little about the dark sides of technological progress ... Rifkin’s insights about potential revenue sources for new green infrastructure aren’t new ... He’s best at articulating the huge financial risks the oil, coal and natural gas industries face from stranded assets.
Naomi Klein
PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewIf I were a rich man, I’d buy 245 million copies of Naomi Klein’s On Fire and hand-deliver them to every eligible voter in America. I say this not because Klein’s book is flawless — far from it — but because it makes a strong case for tackling the climate crisis as not just an urgent undertaking, but an inspiring one ... Klein is not interested in fleshing out policy details — or, for that matter, in working out the numbers on how to pay for it. She’s interested in making a moral argument for why it is necessary. To Klein, climate change isn’t simply another important issue; it’s \'a message, one that is telling us that many of Western culture’s most cherished ideas are no longer viable\' ... Klein is a skilled writer, even if at times she tries a little too hard to be a voice of reason. Unfortunately, the structure she employs is hodgepodge and repetitive, built on speeches and previously published essays written over the last decade. Although she updates each chapter with new footnotes, some still feel dated or perfunctory ... Klein can also sound like a detached elitist when she suggests consumers stop buying junk and spend more time in nature, or looking at art.
Mona Hanna-Attisha
RaveThe New York Times Book Review...[a] gripping memoir ... She is disarmingly modest ... Hanna-Attisha is a chatty and entertaining narrator. And while I’m not sure I needed to hear about her mother’s crepes with \'gooey Nutella on top,\' or to eavesdrop on her pillow talk with her husband about the emotional drama of the day, these are minor sins ... Her book has power precisely because she takes the events she recounts so personally ... A great virtue of her book is the moral outrage present on every page.
Anna Clark
RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewFor better or worse, there are no clear villains in The Poisoned City, by Anna Clark. A journalist based in Detroit, Clark takes a broader, more measured approach to the Flint crisis ... She is a smart, hard-working reporter who knows she has a great tale to tell, and if the narrative gets lost in bureaucratic minutiae at times (who knew that Genesee County had a drain commissioner?), it’s easy to forgive because you admire her passion and her sweat ... Clark is particularly good at describing the importance of infrastructure in a functioning democracy ... Clark writes powerfully about the environmental consequences of a shrinking city, about how Flint’s financial decline drove the decision to switch drinking-water sources.
