What do you think?
Rate this book
I Know This to Be True
I Know This to Be True: Greta Thunberg: On Truth, Courage, and Saving Our Planet
The I Know This to Be True series is a collection of extraordinary figures from diverse backgrounds answering the same questions, as well as sharing their compelling stories, guiding ideals, and insightful wisdom. At just fifteen, Greta Thunberg became one of today's most prominent climate change activists—her impassioned calls for action on global warming have captured hearts and minds around the world.In this inspiring interview, Thunberg discusses the irrefutable facts surrounding climate change, the need to hold political figures and lawmakers accountable, and why every person has the power to make a difference.• Immovable in her mission, Thunberg's story is a testament to the power of young voices• Here is proof that, when guided by truth and perseverance, anyone can create meaningful change• The landmark book series brims with messages of leadership, courage, compassion, and hopeInspired by Nelson Mandela's legacy and created in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, I Know This to Be True is a global series of books created to spark a new generation of leaders.This series offers encouragement and guidance to graduates, future leaders, and anyone hoping to make a positive impact on the world.• Royalties from sales of the series support the free distribution of material from the series to the world's developing economy countries• Great for those who loved Letters of An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience by Shaun Usher, Long Walk to The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela, and The Uninhabitable Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells
56 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2020
4 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 10, 2020
I'm going to preface this simply by saying I fully agree with Thunberg's views on climate change and have no argument with what she says. She is an inspiring young woman and I think every person living on this earth needs to listen to her.
This book by Blackwell, however, is not effective considering it is a watered down version of Thunberg's 2019 published collection of speeches, "No One Is Too Small To Make a Difference." "I Know This To Be True" opens with a speech that is also included in "No One", then has a brief interview with Thunberg, ending with a short transcript of an early 2020 speech. The interview sadly offers no new information or insight on Thunberg and seems very basic. Also, there is so much paper/page waste in this book? Several pages just have single quotes from preceding pages, followed by a totally blank page. For a book discussing climate change it seems counterintuitive to try and make an "aesthetic" look by wasting paper.
If you want to read Thunberg's speeches, read "No One" instead! It's so much more powerful than this watered down version, and has a greater reader impact.
This book by Blackwell, however, is not effective considering it is a watered down version of Thunberg's 2019 published collection of speeches, "No One Is Too Small To Make a Difference." "I Know This To Be True" opens with a speech that is also included in "No One", then has a brief interview with Thunberg, ending with a short transcript of an early 2020 speech. The interview sadly offers no new information or insight on Thunberg and seems very basic. Also, there is so much paper/page waste in this book? Several pages just have single quotes from preceding pages, followed by a totally blank page. For a book discussing climate change it seems counterintuitive to try and make an "aesthetic" look by wasting paper.
If you want to read Thunberg's speeches, read "No One" instead! It's so much more powerful than this watered down version, and has a greater reader impact.
December 9, 2020
A short, quick read with inspirational speeches by Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish environmentalist that has come on the scene in the past few years. Her message is clear: ACT NOW! Tired of hearing about the impending catastrophes coming in the next decade or two (and witnessing them annually), she focuses on taking action. I like her connection of hope and action; that action creates hope and hope motivates action. They are symbiotic but if there is too much hope and not enough action, then where are we? Her analogy of our house being on fire is spot on and that she wants people to act like this is an emergency, because it is. For such a young person, she understands the urgency of our times and I can only hope she continues her quest. She has a bright future, as long as we all act to preserve that future for her and the coming generations.
September 14, 2022
A truly inspiring story of a truly fascinating woman with a voice to be heard. If you are a fan of Greta Thunberg, this is a great read and insight on her journey. If you are literally anyone else, she is one of the most impactful young leaders of our time and this book may just be your introduction to climate activism. Greta Thunberg's bravery, will, witt and heroism is a gift to all generations to come and the 'I Know This To Be True' books are the best tools to spreading amazing stories of truly amazing people.
April 16, 2022
Rather sparse for such a dynamic and powerful young activist but that is partially intentional I am sure. More of a Thunberg primer consisting of quotes and speeches and interviews. Still an engaging and insightful read. The inspiration is in the simplicity of the start of Greta's journey, one young student sitting out of school protesting on the steps of the Swedish legislature building. That's where real change starts, up from the grassroots, and sometimes these movements sweep globally.
February 17, 2021
"I Know This to Be True: Greta Thunberg" was an awesomely moving book. It really grasps the true seriousness of our situation regarding the climate crisis and deals with everything we would rather not talk about. I highly recommend this book to anyone in need of inspiration on how to make changes themselves.
January 28, 2025
Gave it 3 star not because the content of the book -- it is an important information -- instead I wast just like wondering to myself why did I read this when I can listen and watch Greta's speech and interview. I think the message that she want to convey are better in the form of video because then I can see her expression and hear her tone. It's hard to imagine it through text, or it's just me that have limited imagination capacity.
Nevertheles, what Greta's discuss is still relevant even in 2025. The question is are we already pass the tipping point? Are we too late to reverse the damage now in 2025? I'm afraid that the answer to my first question is yes since all I can see in the news is bushfire in Australia and flood in Indonesia, meanwhile the deforestation keep happening as usual. For the second question, I don't know, I hope we're not too late.
Nevertheles, what Greta's discuss is still relevant even in 2025. The question is are we already pass the tipping point? Are we too late to reverse the damage now in 2025? I'm afraid that the answer to my first question is yes since all I can see in the news is bushfire in Australia and flood in Indonesia, meanwhile the deforestation keep happening as usual. For the second question, I don't know, I hope we're not too late.
March 20, 2025
I'm a big fan of Greta and think that the climate crisis is incredibly important, but this book isn't one I'd recommend. It's both a beginner's and non-beginner's book in that it explains Greta and her personal journey (including photos and an interview) but doesn't really explain much about the climate crisis that she's worried about. The organization and design of the book are all over the place, too. Overall, five stars for Greta, two for a sub-par reader experience. If you want to learn more about Greta and her mission, just watch some of her speeches!
January 30, 2021
Poor Greta! She is me forty-six years later. She is the new Julia Butterfly Hill (who is also on the autism spectrum BTW).
And tragically, in the end Greta will likely only have the same insignificant impact altering the path of industrialized civilization (that IS what she is trying to do) as the insignificant impact of Butterfly.
Butterfly became a cult leader and then retired from activism and reality itself. She inspired thousands of young girls, but no forestry policies or institutions changed anything.
The logging company sold her the Stafford Giant tree (which she narcissistically took it upon herself to rename Luna) and a small circle of surrounding trees for 50 grand of activist money, but continued apace with deforestation, and no other wild land was saved.
She wrote her book and in it trashed all of us Earth First!ers who set up the Stafford Giant treesit during the weeks before she came on the scene, and provided ground support for her for two years. I trained her in forest ecology, forestry, and industrial forest economics and broke her story internationally with my Earth First! Media Center website, getting her on CNN and in People magazine. But she left her core group a fragmented resentful wreck.
I invented most of the modern language everyone is using to argue climate politics and policies. I coined "climate crisis" in 1986, invented and wrote the first Green New Deal in 1991 and posted it on the web in 1996. I coined "climate emergency" over the next couple of years, when Al Gore was vice president–at the time, I was begging him and Bill Clinton to be climate warriors, but they decided to gut the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 instead.
I coined "climate action" when I launched the world's first climate direct action group and web site, Climate Action NOW! in Berkeley in 1996.
In 2003 I was named a BBC World Historic Figure as The World's First Anti-Genetically-Engineered Crop Trasher!
And on election night 2006, when Pelosi won the House Speakership, I knew it was the bloggers who had pushed the 15 or so candidates who won by 5,000 votes or less over the top and into Congress to give her control of the House.
So I invented in 2006 and then ran for Congress in 2008/10/12/14/18 on the call for an Electoral Revolution and in 2014 a few days after losing in the primary, but a year before Bernie announced his bid, I announced and launched my 2016 Democratic presidential bid on the call for what Bernie a year later called the political revolution. I call it the electoral revolution.
In 1998 I was the only scientist (an uncredentialed one at that) to warn that climate destabilization from greenhouse gasses posed an imminent threat to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and that it could collapse rapidly, raising sea levels 8 inches to a foot per year since it had likely already done that 120,000 years ago during the Madhouse Century.
A lot of good any of that has done so far.*
Preindustrial atmospheric carbon dioxide levels had gone up 35 ppm over the 200 years or so before I was born in 1957. Last year at age 63, carbon dioxide levels had gone up another 100 ppm to 415 ppm. That's three times more in ⅓ the time... That's a warming nine times faster during my life than during the 200 years before it.
It doesn't do any good for Greta to simply insist that politicians, "follow the science." That's all she does.
And she strikes on Fridays, like Butterly lived in the Stafford Giant ancient redwood tree for two years.
According to ancient sea-level expert Peter Ward at the University of Washington, it wasn't until 2009 that any other scientists than me saw the same phenomenon in our past when they discovered and published in "Nature" magazine that a similar WAIS collapse over a 20-year period had raised sea levels twenty feet one million years ago too.
I was homeless in Berkeley when I spent a couple of months in the Berkeley Public Library reading ten years worth of Science, Nature, and New Scientist articles on Antarctic ice. I saw the patterns! But apparently none of the world's glaciologists were paying attention to the ancient sea-level paleontologists. So the scientists aren't paying attention to the science, Greta! If they aren't, what can you expect from petrocratic politicians working entirely for the plutocracy?
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech scientists announced in 2014 that the collapse of WAIS is now "unstoppable." In early summer 2020 they announced that the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet is now "past the point of no return." Forty-three feet of rapid sea level rise is going to kick in sometime in the next few decades and everybody is still ignoring it. The scientists like the hack Michael Mann is ignoring it. Greta's ignoring it.
And so now, with much less precision, Greta is crying out and the folks who published this whisp of a book think they are making a contribution...
The fact that the climate crisis is not a technological problem but rather externality side effects fundamental to capitalism itself is beyond the current understanding of this precious 16-year old.
Over the last half century, the block to making changes to prevent climate destabilization have always been the fossil-fueled politicians (all Republicans and 90% of Democrats). We must oust them. that is the only pathway to "solving" the climate crisis and preparing to lose all of the coastal civilization of 132 nations and 80 of the world's biggest cities.
That's what Greta, climate scientists, and Green New Deal politicians like AOC should be talking about.
Everything else, like this book is a distraction.
Read more at AndyCaffrey.org
* Actually, I'm a BBC World Historic Figure because of the 1987 anti-GMO bacteria actions I organized with Earth First! and the original Berkeley Greens in Brentwood, CA. We sabotaged several test sites, bankrupted the company, halted to this very day all GMO-bacteria environmental releases, and apparently, a decade later all of that spurred similar actions in dozens of other nations (though not here) where, in parliamentary democracies, those actions spurred successful legislation to ban GMOS, now in over 70 nations.
And tragically, in the end Greta will likely only have the same insignificant impact altering the path of industrialized civilization (that IS what she is trying to do) as the insignificant impact of Butterfly.
Butterfly became a cult leader and then retired from activism and reality itself. She inspired thousands of young girls, but no forestry policies or institutions changed anything.
The logging company sold her the Stafford Giant tree (which she narcissistically took it upon herself to rename Luna) and a small circle of surrounding trees for 50 grand of activist money, but continued apace with deforestation, and no other wild land was saved.
She wrote her book and in it trashed all of us Earth First!ers who set up the Stafford Giant treesit during the weeks before she came on the scene, and provided ground support for her for two years. I trained her in forest ecology, forestry, and industrial forest economics and broke her story internationally with my Earth First! Media Center website, getting her on CNN and in People magazine. But she left her core group a fragmented resentful wreck.
I invented most of the modern language everyone is using to argue climate politics and policies. I coined "climate crisis" in 1986, invented and wrote the first Green New Deal in 1991 and posted it on the web in 1996. I coined "climate emergency" over the next couple of years, when Al Gore was vice president–at the time, I was begging him and Bill Clinton to be climate warriors, but they decided to gut the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 instead.
I coined "climate action" when I launched the world's first climate direct action group and web site, Climate Action NOW! in Berkeley in 1996.
In 2003 I was named a BBC World Historic Figure as The World's First Anti-Genetically-Engineered Crop Trasher!
And on election night 2006, when Pelosi won the House Speakership, I knew it was the bloggers who had pushed the 15 or so candidates who won by 5,000 votes or less over the top and into Congress to give her control of the House.
So I invented in 2006 and then ran for Congress in 2008/10/12/14/18 on the call for an Electoral Revolution and in 2014 a few days after losing in the primary, but a year before Bernie announced his bid, I announced and launched my 2016 Democratic presidential bid on the call for what Bernie a year later called the political revolution. I call it the electoral revolution.
In 1998 I was the only scientist (an uncredentialed one at that) to warn that climate destabilization from greenhouse gasses posed an imminent threat to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and that it could collapse rapidly, raising sea levels 8 inches to a foot per year since it had likely already done that 120,000 years ago during the Madhouse Century.
A lot of good any of that has done so far.*
Preindustrial atmospheric carbon dioxide levels had gone up 35 ppm over the 200 years or so before I was born in 1957. Last year at age 63, carbon dioxide levels had gone up another 100 ppm to 415 ppm. That's three times more in ⅓ the time... That's a warming nine times faster during my life than during the 200 years before it.
It doesn't do any good for Greta to simply insist that politicians, "follow the science." That's all she does.
And she strikes on Fridays, like Butterly lived in the Stafford Giant ancient redwood tree for two years.
According to ancient sea-level expert Peter Ward at the University of Washington, it wasn't until 2009 that any other scientists than me saw the same phenomenon in our past when they discovered and published in "Nature" magazine that a similar WAIS collapse over a 20-year period had raised sea levels twenty feet one million years ago too.
I was homeless in Berkeley when I spent a couple of months in the Berkeley Public Library reading ten years worth of Science, Nature, and New Scientist articles on Antarctic ice. I saw the patterns! But apparently none of the world's glaciologists were paying attention to the ancient sea-level paleontologists. So the scientists aren't paying attention to the science, Greta! If they aren't, what can you expect from petrocratic politicians working entirely for the plutocracy?
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech scientists announced in 2014 that the collapse of WAIS is now "unstoppable." In early summer 2020 they announced that the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet is now "past the point of no return." Forty-three feet of rapid sea level rise is going to kick in sometime in the next few decades and everybody is still ignoring it. The scientists like the hack Michael Mann is ignoring it. Greta's ignoring it.
And so now, with much less precision, Greta is crying out and the folks who published this whisp of a book think they are making a contribution...
The fact that the climate crisis is not a technological problem but rather externality side effects fundamental to capitalism itself is beyond the current understanding of this precious 16-year old.
Over the last half century, the block to making changes to prevent climate destabilization have always been the fossil-fueled politicians (all Republicans and 90% of Democrats). We must oust them. that is the only pathway to "solving" the climate crisis and preparing to lose all of the coastal civilization of 132 nations and 80 of the world's biggest cities.
That's what Greta, climate scientists, and Green New Deal politicians like AOC should be talking about.
Everything else, like this book is a distraction.
Read more at AndyCaffrey.org
* Actually, I'm a BBC World Historic Figure because of the 1987 anti-GMO bacteria actions I organized with Earth First! and the original Berkeley Greens in Brentwood, CA. We sabotaged several test sites, bankrupted the company, halted to this very day all GMO-bacteria environmental releases, and apparently, a decade later all of that spurred similar actions in dozens of other nations (though not here) where, in parliamentary democracies, those actions spurred successful legislation to ban GMOS, now in over 70 nations.
July 7, 2023
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has produced an amazing series of books on the theme I Know This To Be True based on interviews with key worldwide leaders.
The volume on Greta Thunberg - which is described as covering truth, courage and saving our planet - was an inspiring read. I ready like the quote of hers 'The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come. Wise words!
The volume on Greta Thunberg - which is described as covering truth, courage and saving our planet - was an inspiring read. I ready like the quote of hers 'The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come. Wise words!
June 15, 2021
There’s not much to this. Read it in just a few minutes. I wish there was a list of things average people can do to help. It’s not enough to say we can. I’ve experienced folks in power who repeatedly show they only care about themselves. Im not convinced that will ever change. I, personally, do not have the energy to be an activist. What can I do? I’ve not read Greta’s other works or speeches, but there’s not much in this one alone.
June 21, 2025
I saw this book on display at the library and didn’t know it was part of a series. My thoughts echo other reviews; I do love Greta but wasn’t expecting a compilation of speeches and a short interview. I also found it ironic, given Greta’s message, that an already short book had so many pages wasted on single quotes and nearly blank pages. I think I spent more time wondering what went into the book’s physical production than actually reading it.
January 4, 2021
Received as a gift and while there were some eye-opening facts, there wasn’t as much substance as I thought. More compilation than anything, it does get you to think about how you can contribute to the climate change movement, even as one person. I gave to give her credit where due, she has started a movement.
August 13, 2022
This was fine and a little bit affirming, but in the end, really gave me nothing new and didn’t need to be a book. Created in collab with the Nelson Mandela Foundation though, it made me think what kind of activist Greta is, and I’d say she has the most influence as a symbol, rather than an operative.
October 13, 2022
I fully support Ms Thuberg and think she is amazing young woman. I was hoping for a bit more from this book - longer excepts of her speeches and a bit more background. If one is not familiar with Ms Thunberg this is a good primer. I have read a couple of other books in this series of notable folks. I would have liked more
January 13, 2024
Greta Thunberg is an amazing young person and I admire her, other people don't and bang on about her, but I think she is on the money with her call for action and her words of challenge.
This short book has words from her speeches and an interview.
Only enough to whet the appetite but still a great read.
This short book has words from her speeches and an interview.
Only enough to whet the appetite but still a great read.
June 11, 2021
I admire a Greta for the strength of her convictions and I agree with her. There are times when I look around and I’m frustrated because we, Americans, are such consumers. I want to do and be better.
November 20, 2022
Short and sweet. Inspiring to hear about such a young person so informed and determined to make change at the cost of any personal sacrifice. Nice overview, but would have liked it to be a bit longer.
October 19, 2024
A short, quick read with inspirational speeches and a clear message: ACT NOW! The impending climate change catastrophes are no longer coming in the next decade or two. We are experiencing them here and now annually. She is focused on taking action and motivating the world to do same.
August 15, 2020
Nice short introduction to Greta Thunberg although I wish it had some next steps or further reading spelled out.
October 30, 2020
I wish there was more interview to it.
November 14, 2020
Short, sharp and totally inspirational. I vote Greta for President of the World.
February 4, 2021
More people need to be like Greta!!!
February 19, 2021
Too insubstantial despite the subject being a very fascinating person. If I had bought this bought I would be disappointed.
May 1, 2021
Lovely little book, but very very little. Could have been an online article easily, but I get that the money goes to a good cause. Good intro to Thunberg, her ideas and background.
November 7, 2021
A brilliant look into what and why she believes. Her journey as a climate activist. Succinct, precise, a wonderful book. Read this and then act.
November 23, 2022
"We need to start treating the crisis as a crisis, because we can’t solve an emergency without treating it as an emergency."
January 13, 2025
Es más de lo mismo que ya había leído sobre ella y la causa. Esperaba algo nuevo.
February 25, 2025
A good short book for young people. The interview with Greta is thought provoking, and the short length of the book could encourage young readers to read further elsewhere.
August 29, 2023
It offers an intimate and inspiring glimpse into the life and convictions of a remarkable young activist. Authored by Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday, this book brings Greta Thunberg's powerful voice and unwavering dedication to the forefront, presenting her as a beacon of hope and change for a generation grappling with urgent environmental challenges.
Through a combination of striking portraits, candid interviews, and personal reflections, the book captures the essence of Thunberg's mission to raise awareness about the climate crisis. Her journey from a solitary protester to a global advocate is beautifully depicted, showcasing her ability to mobilize and galvanize individuals worldwide.
In a world where environmental concerns are more pressing than ever, this book offers a poignant and timely portrayal of a young activist who is unafraid to challenge the status quo. Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday skillfully convey Greta Thunberg's essence, making this book a must-read for those seeking inspiration, hope, and guidance on the path to a more sustainable future.
Through a combination of striking portraits, candid interviews, and personal reflections, the book captures the essence of Thunberg's mission to raise awareness about the climate crisis. Her journey from a solitary protester to a global advocate is beautifully depicted, showcasing her ability to mobilize and galvanize individuals worldwide.
In a world where environmental concerns are more pressing than ever, this book offers a poignant and timely portrayal of a young activist who is unafraid to challenge the status quo. Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday skillfully convey Greta Thunberg's essence, making this book a must-read for those seeking inspiration, hope, and guidance on the path to a more sustainable future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews