The Story of More (Adapted for Young Adults): How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here

by Hope Jahren

This young adult adaptation of acclaimed geochemist and geobiologist Hope Jahren's highly respected nonfiction work is the perfect book for those interested in learning about climate change and how they can contribute to creating a more sustainable future.

Hope Jahren, acclaimed geochemist and geobiologist, details the science behind key inventions, clarifying how electricity, large-scale farming, and automobiles have both helped and harmed our world.

Jahren explains the current and projected consequences of unchecked global warming, from superstorms to rising sea levels, resulting from the unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases being released into our atmosphere. The links between human consumption habits and our endangered existence are very real, with consequences leading to a crossroads of survival and extinction.

Still, Jahren maintains that our ever-broadening science-based knowledge can help us counter this dilemma. The eye-opening information provided in The Story of More will help readers understand the path we must take. If we collectively make informed choices now, Jahren reassures us, our future can be as bright as we imagine it can be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Nature, Teen

208 pages, Library Binding

Published November 2, 2021

About the author

HOPE JAHREN is a teacher, scientist, and book lover living in Oslo, Norway. Recognized as one Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Jahren is the recipient of three Fulbright Awards and was named one of the Brilliant 10 by Popular Science magazine in 2005. She is the author of two works of nonfiction: The Story of More and Lab Girl, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography. Adventures of Mary Jane is her first work of fiction.

Reviews

[Kasey Giard · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the cool things about this book is that it doesn’t strictly talk about climate change in terms of the effects we see today and the industrial causes. I like that the author kind of zooms out and gives a chapter by chapter overview of things. She discusses things like the way human population has changed over thousands of years or the ways in which farming has evolved. Each topic is discussed in only a few pages but paints a much more complete picture of how we got to where we are with carbon levels, food waste, and pollution.

I also like that the book takes time to focus on what individuals can do to make a difference. The issue of Climate Change can be really overwhelming because it feels like the most significant changes have to be made at an industry or government level in order to make a real impact. This doesn’t address how to make those changes specifically. It does look at what meaningful things individuals can do and how making those changes can cause ripple effects across our lives and the lives of others.

One of the most shocking things that the book discussed that I hadn’t heard before actually had to do with the Winter Olympics. The games need a specific environment to be played– snow slopes for instance. The number of places which have the ability to host the games has shrunk considerably since the games began. That was something I hadn’t really specifically thought about before.

I think readers who enjoy books about environmental issues will definitely want to check this one out. If you liked TRASHING THE PLANET or GIRL WARRIORS, then be sure add THE STORY OF MORE to your reading list!

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[kulisap · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolute essential read for beginner learners of the climate crisis and how various man-made things is causing such massive destruction of our environment and driving us into a sixth mass extinction

i first read blue sanford's challenge everything which i liked as it covered concisely the various factors which altogether result to the current climate emergency. this one is the same but even more data driven without being too convoluted or dense that it's hard or boring to read. it's perfectly written for it's target audience which is the young adult population.

as hinted in the title, the primary theme of this book is how human consumption and waste gets bigger and bigger as time passes. we consume more, we produce more, we throw away more. and all these increasing numbers of human activities and their by-products (especially luxury stuff that only a fraction of the population enjoys while the poorest among us suffer from the consequences) bring us closer to massive species and ecosystem loss and a bleak future filled with sorrow.

it's inevitable to feel almost hopeless when reading books like this one, and yet it is crucial to learn about what's happening so that we may know how we can help. whether by individual choices (which helps but unfortunately not enough) or collective action (which brings more impact and helps spread awareness of the problem and what could be done to solve them).

after discussing the almost endless contributors to the climate change, jahren also shares some possible solutions found by scientists and researches. but ultimately, in spite of all these solutions available, we cannot save humanity unless the most powerful and influential figures and corporations decide that life is more precious ng profitㅡand they probably won't, i have zero hope that they'll come into that realization bec you cannot be a billionaire without first severing yourself from compassion and principle that life matters over any material wealth.... so what then? collective action along with playing our individual parts in consuming less and sharing more. collective outrage. let's makes our voices heard and pressure our politicians and world leaders. i highly suggest you read blue sanford/extinction rebellion's challenge everything for more suggested actions we could do as individuals and as a group fighting for climate justice.

"At the end of a mass extinction, the tree of life has lost several branches—and yet, afterward, life does go on. Plants regreen the earth and animals repopulate the oceans; different species take over and different landscapes result; and time resumes its forward march. There will be life on planet Earth after the sixth mass extinction, but we are not able to imagine it any better than the dinosaurs could have imagined a world dominated by mammals walking on two legs, driving bulldozers, and flying airplanes. All species will go extinct eventually, even our own: it is one of nature’s few unbendable rules. As of today, however, the train has not quite left the station. We still have some control over our species’ demise—namely, how long it will take and how much our children and grandchildren will suffer. If we want to take action, we should get started while it still matters what we do."

[Hiroko · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an informative book this is. I just picked up this book from library since I was really into climate change issues and want to know what we can solve by each of us.
First off, I was kind of stunned that how much quantitate data this book shows. For instance, how many of us we know that grocery stores in America trash fresh food one out of 7 full tracks? We are wasting way more food than you can imagine because we are very perfectionists and we love to see and sort fresh food out of so many. Of course, they do not want to waste food because wasting food means the loss of money for them. Industry is just following the customer demand. Shopping is same as voting. What we buy can change the world because if there is no demand then companies will not make them.
I will show you some tips what I am doing to help this Mother Earth survives.

- Buy local and organic food and soap. This will reduce carbon footprint for product shipping and make flourished local farmland. Of course, it is good for human and animals!
- Buy only what you use. I completely quit Costco membership after I realized that how much I am trashing stuff which I bought from them and they always packed with ugly plastic. So I decided to buy food and soap from local small business. This will reduce trash and can say no to chunk bulk shopping and help local business. For fresh food, I go to farmers market and buy local organic food. Other stuff I go to local coop grocery store where they sell most of the stuff locally source organic food. Another thing is zero waste refill shop. So most of the time I go there to shop laundry soda, dishwasher detergent, baking soda, oxygen brighter, all purpose flour, rice, tea, coffee, shampoo/face/conditioner bar, handwash soap, etc... These stores are life savers for me!
- Buy from thrift shop or marketprice. I got your point buying organic food and local food can be costly. One thing which I try to save money is clothes, bugs, accessories, and shoes. TBH, I barely buy those stuff ...I only buy one cloth or shoe once a year because I can still use most of them after 5 years plus my friend sometime gift me used clothes. Lucky me lol If I ever had a baby, I will definitely use FB Marketprice or thrift shops because it is so cheap and most of the products are still usable for so many years!



Here is some quantitate data I got from this book.
- 800 million people are starving in the world
- 1 meatless day a week in OECD countries can save 120 million tons of grains
- 20% of energy generated in the US is by nuclear plants
- only 18% energy generated is by hydroelectric in the world
- wind power is twice the amt of power generated than hydroelectricity. Only 4% in the world is by wind power.
- Solar power + wind power ---> only 5% of energy generated in the world. So shocking!
- since 1880, sea level rose more than 7 inches average in the world.
- Avg fishes have moved 40 miles north and 40 feet deep to be in cooler water.
- Fresh water habitat contains only 1% of earth surface but contains at least 6% of our planet species. (fresh water species are more susceptible to endanger than land and ocean species)
- 50% of Nori production is fed for animals and used as fertilizer, moisturizer, cosmetic, ink, and bandage, etc...
- In 1960s, Japanese food scientist found high fructose corn syrup.
- 40% of table sugar (Sucrose) import are trashed.
- 40% of population in the world creates 15% of world's organic waste.
- 90% of energy comes from fossil fuel. (40% from oil, 30% from coal, 30% from natural gas)

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Story of More is a nonfiction book by Hope Jahren adapted for young adults 12 and up from the adult version of the book of the same name.

This nonfiction book is an excellent introduction to climate change, including the consequences if action isn't taken. It is broken up into easy to read sections that include the impact of growing food to the amount of waste we produce.

I've been wanting to read a book from Jahren for a while now, and this felt like the perfect opportunity. I was not disappointed—Jahren has a penchant for distilling lots of information into a way that's easy to understand and giving context to it in a way that matters. I particularly loved the "how we got here" part, especially since it seems like everything has only happened in the last ten or twenty years. Understanding how we got here is a little bleak, but I think it's the perfect way to help us move forward.

Somehow, Jahren manages to take small things that occur in every day life and find the historical point of view to help the reader grasp the concept and the gravity of it all. Jahren doesn't come across as insistent, but passionate, and even though this is geared towards young adults, she doesn't speak down to them.

After reading it, I did feel quite bleak, and even though there's a whole section with tips and ways to self-evaluate, it almost made me feel overwhelmed at the steps. I will say that Jahren's conviction is earnest, and I think, at the very least, it will linger in the back of my mind as I make my daily decisions.

This is a good book for teens to help understand, in more detail, how everything works and how everything is tied together. I think kids are remarkable, and if we give them tools like this, they'll be able to help contribute in a way that makes a difference.

[Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although temperatures around the world continue to increase, there is still hope to create positive change, and Hope Jahren takes a deeper dive into climate change in her novel. Hope Jahren's book, The Story of More (Adapted for Young Adults), not only introduces ways to slow down climate change, but also takes readers to the beginning of pollution in general. The author’s use of problem and solution leaves readers determined to do whatever is possible to help earth. For instance, Jahren addresses the issue of people using cars and the exhaust cars produce, and later on explains that bikes are a great alternative. Throughout The Story of More (Adapted for Young Adults) there is an immense amount of figurative language which keeps the book personable and fun! When Hope Jahren compares the making of cornstarch to a string of paper angels, it helps readers better understand that all processes are related. Even though there was not much use of dialogue, the amount that was provided allows viewers to understand Hope Jahren’s past and where she began to gain knowledge about climate change. Her conversations with others are scattered throughout the book, so it keeps the readers entertained. One of the amazing aspects about this book is that Hope Jahren wrote The Story of More (Adapted for Young Adults) for all ages, but people who enjoy informative novels will be most interested.

[rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was scary—to face the problems and concerns of the world without being able to close the book, place it back on my shelf, and turn a blind eye. I was forced to read of the horrors concerning our only planet but with that I have learned so much! Not only does this book tell you what is wrong, but it tells you how YOU can help fox it, that it is not too late to start working towards a better, cleaner, healthier planet. Let’s just put it at this, when I started reading, I had no idea what I was getting into. Now, I am looking into vegetarianism and ways to preserve energy and lower carbon dioxide emissions in any way possible. Also, it wasn’t a boring read. The author kept things interesting which was such a big help!

[Karen Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jahren is a wonderfully engaging writer, incorporating stories from her own life and connecting them to the challenges of the world's climate. Not too many authors can make statistics fun to read and easy to recall - Jahren succeeds in that and also maintains a hopeful outlook throughout. I'll admit, as I progressed through the book I began to worry that she would end the book without a prescription for change. She saves her call-to-action for the end of the book - it is both realistic and respectful to a diverse readership.

[Liesel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook for bookclub. Liked the overall idea of consuming less but the book continually preached that by using less we could spread resources so others may use more. While in theory this may be a possibility but it failed to discuss the critical fact that even if I, as a US based consumer, cut my food and energy consumption by 80%, this is no means to redistribute that to third world nations. I agree we can all do more to help our planet but preach the redistribution plan without any acknowledgment that we are in no way set up for that is a bit silly.

[Lee-ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. The Story of More adapted for Young Adults by Hope Jahren discusses the dependence of humans on fossil fuels and meat consumption and how even steps that are taken to prevent some of these things aren't necessarily helpful. The consequences of these actions are clearly spelled out in this book and what's even better are the steps that can be take to help on a small and large scale that most people can do.

[Claire Gering · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️, i don’t usually read nonfiction and this book was assigned by my school, but this is truly one of the most well-written non-fiction books i have read. Once i got over the fact that this book was indeed nonfiction and gave it an actual chance, it delivered. I was very surprised by how much i learned and how much i can recall from annotation. I love that the author gave facts, problems, and the possible solutions. would def recommend this book!!!

[Erica Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this and the information was easy to understand and absorb BUT the author has a very clear opinion about what she discusses. While I agree with her, I worry that since this book is for teens. They need to understand that this book is not an unbiased story, which again is fine, so long as they realize that.

[Baylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Using less and sharing more is the biggest challenge our generation will ever face”

The Story of More is a very good Nonfiction book detailing how industry, agriculture, and energy use has changed and how our desire to produce and consume more has left us with a lot less.

”Convincing people to lower their energy use is like trying to get them to quit smoking or eat more healthfully: they already suspect they should do it, but there’s a billion-dollar industry working round the clock, inventing new ways to make sure they don’t.”

It gives a lot of very insightful data and information in a way that stays interesting and tells a bigger story.

”That half-eaten meal in the garbage—why did we plow that field? Why did we plant those seeds, water them, and fertilize the soil? […] We spend our whole lives on these labors—we wake in the morning and leave our homes and we work, work, work to keep the great global chain of procurement in place. Then we throw 40 percent of everything we just accomplished into the garbage.”

”Earth—the only thing we all share—has become a pawn in our political discourse, and climate change is now a weapon that can be used by either side. For scientists especially, feeding into political polarization damages the planet we are trying to save.”

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to decide if this would be a possible lit set book for Junior Lit class. I love Hope Jahren’s narrative voice in Lab Girl. There is a little of that here, but not enough to offset the overwhelming litany of facts. This is more a guide to go back to again and again.

[Littlebookterror]

I should have paid more attention to the small print but it does explain the high school level biology lessons inbetween - too bad my library did not have the Adult version I actually thought I was listening to.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author explains the current and projected consequences of global warming in a very engaging way. She tees up the conflict of our wants as a society and the impact on the earth. She says she has hope, but I felt hard pressed to feel hopeful.

[Heather Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read for everyone on the planet who wants humanity to survive the 21st century.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of climate change and some of things people in OECD or high income countries can start doing to help. Lots of good resources in the back of the book.

[Kristina Petrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the original book so much that I needed to read the one for young readers too. A must-read for anyone that is interested in environmentalism.

[Gina Antunes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the facts in this book and the topic. Well written.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

so informative, down to earth, reflective, and hopeful for anyone who reads. i had so much fun and felt so invested, while educated at the same time.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of information, but definitely dry and not proactive until the very end. I was sold on the concept of less, however, and will keep reading on the topic.

[TK · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about climate change and the impact of our society’s need for more. I read the young adult version. 😉

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written for younger minds (teenagers). It doesn't hold back or pull punches, and it doesn't utterly depress you.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information, but quite a bit of data for a young reader's edition. Pretty grim, as I'd expect from a book about climate change, though it ends with ideas to actionably change.

[Hilmg · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Do you want to live in a more equitable world with a brighter future?”

How, briefly summarized

1. Examine your values. Which issues resonate most with your daily life? Identify one issue to focus on. One for which you are willing to sacrifice.
2. Gather information. Go through habits and see how personal life aligns with your values.
3. Can you make personal activities consistent with your values? Pick one change you can make, track your progress, keep a journal.

After these first 3 steps, you’ll find yourself more knowledgeable, experienced, humbled and proud of your values. All of these are necessary though not sufficient qualities to convincing others. If you made it this far, please know that I am proud of you for many reasons, not the least of which is that now you are ready for the hard part.

[Grace Long]

I like all the facts in this book. They are very clear and have personal examples to support them. Something I found interesting was, "Almost 100 years ago, these important men were talking about 'green energy,' while at the very same time, they were initiating our modern addiction to fossil fuels" (pg 4). People were already foreseeing climate change coming, but I was surprised that instead of working on preventing climate change, it progressed. One reason is because of the rapid population growth. Another thing that was brought to my attention was that the more humans there are, the more they want to be satisfied. Jahren mentioned the large amounts of people migrating to cities and the uneven distribution of people in cities and rural areas. Cities "require more in general, but especially food" (pg 21), so there is more meat production, dairy products, and processed foods. This type of food production will progress climate change.

[CPL Teen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young adult version of The Story of More by Hope Jahren, acclaimed geochemist and geobiologist, details the science behind key inventions, clarifying how electricity, large-scale farming, and automobiles have both helped and harmed our world.

This is the perfect book for people (teens) who are interested in a factual look at how human consumption habits have altered our physical world and caused very real consequences that we must fix. It relays heavily on science and Jahren's own research but includes enough interesting anecdotes to keep a teen reader interested.