What do you think?
Rate this book
A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire, Wind, and Water
"A meditative and elegiac look at a country on the brink." —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Bestselling author David Gessner asks what kind of planet his daughter will inherit in this coast-to-coast guide to navigating climate crisis. The world is burning and the seas are rising. How do we navigate this new age of extremes? In A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World , David Gessner takes readers on an eye-opening tour of climate hotspots from the Gulf of Mexico to the burning American West to New York City to the fragile Outer Banks, where homes are being swallowed by the seas. He does so with his usual sense of humor, compassion, and a willingness to talk to anyone, providing an informative and sobering yet convivial guide for the age of fire, heat, wind, and water.
Gessner approaches scientists and thinkers with a father’s What will the world be like in 2064, when his daughter Hadley is his age now? What is the future of weather? The future of heat, storms, and fire?
Gessner approaches scientists and thinkers with a father’s What will the world be like in 2064, when his daughter Hadley is his age now? What is the future of weather? The future of heat, storms, and fire?
320 pages, Paperback
Published June 20, 2023
42 people are currently reading
541 people want to read
About the author
David Gessner
39 books121 followersDavid Gessner is the author of fourteen books that blend a love of nature, humor, memoir, and environmentalism, including the New York Times bestselling, All the Wild That Remains, Return of the Osprey, Sick of Nature and Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness.
Gessner is the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine, Ecotone. His own magazine publications include pieces in the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Sierra, Audubon, Orion, and many other magazines, and his prizes include a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award for Best Nature Essay for his essay “Learning to Surf.” He has also won the Association for Study of Literature and the Environment’s award for best book of creative writing, and the Reed Award for Best Book on the Southern Environment. In 2017 he hosted the National Geographic Explorer show, "The Call of the Wild."
He is married to the novelist Nina de Gramont, whose latest book is The Christie Affair.
“A master essayist.” –Booklist
“For nature-writing enthusiasts, Gessner needs no introduction. His books and essays have in many ways redefined what it means to write about the natural world, coaxing the genre from a staid, sometimes wonky practice to one that is lively and often raucous.”—Washington Post.
“David Gessner has been a font of creativity ever since the 1980s, when he published provocative political cartoons in that famous campus magazine, the Harvard Crimson. These days he’s a naturalist, a professor and a master of the art of telling humorous and thought-provoking narratives about unusual people in out-of-the way-places."
--The San Francisco Chronicle
Gessner is the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine, Ecotone. His own magazine publications include pieces in the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Sierra, Audubon, Orion, and many other magazines, and his prizes include a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award for Best Nature Essay for his essay “Learning to Surf.” He has also won the Association for Study of Literature and the Environment’s award for best book of creative writing, and the Reed Award for Best Book on the Southern Environment. In 2017 he hosted the National Geographic Explorer show, "The Call of the Wild."
He is married to the novelist Nina de Gramont, whose latest book is The Christie Affair.
“A master essayist.” –Booklist
“For nature-writing enthusiasts, Gessner needs no introduction. His books and essays have in many ways redefined what it means to write about the natural world, coaxing the genre from a staid, sometimes wonky practice to one that is lively and often raucous.”—Washington Post.
“David Gessner has been a font of creativity ever since the 1980s, when he published provocative political cartoons in that famous campus magazine, the Harvard Crimson. These days he’s a naturalist, a professor and a master of the art of telling humorous and thought-provoking narratives about unusual people in out-of-the way-places."
--The San Francisco Chronicle
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 29, 2024
David Gessner and I have a lot in common: a similar world view, a love of nature, mothers who are facing the end of life in dementia, an interest in bird watching, and homes in the same region. Gessner lives just up the road from me, about 35 miles away, so I have a deep understanding of his writing about hurricanes on the southeast North Carolina coast, and particularly the biblical inundation that was known as Hurricane Florence. So I was disposed to like this book, and I did, but he did not actually deliver on his promise to tell us what the world will look like in forty-two years, which was his premise - to understand what the world would be like when his daughter is his age.
He asked several prominent scientists to prognosticate for him, and several did, notably Orrin Pilkey, who looms large in Gessner's travelogue. He cites the prediction of Dr. Paul Wennberg of CalTech, who said he thinks the major countries will finally agree on a "sun-dimming" strategy of injecting particulate matter into the stratosphere somewhere around 2040, and will take the additional step of putting massive amounts of limestone powder into the oceans to sequester CO2 and reduce ocean acidity. But after spending about two paragraphs agreeing that Wennberg's prediction "seems about right", he never returns to the subject again. Other scientists provided regional predictions, like, "Miami is doomed", but no other scientist really provided a large-scale idea of what the world will look like, though even regional predictions are dire enough to make one think hard about where one should live, and where one's children or grandchildren will be safe. It's a good bet that one should consider moving toward higher ground, and away from wildfire-prone areas. Incidentally, the big issue of 2060 will be the availability of fresh water.
I very much enjoyed his descriptions of the American West; he captures the fragile beauty of the Rockies and the Southwest almost perfectly, and he makes me want to return to the mountains of northern New Mexico before the region is entirely scorched by wildfires, and to see the ancient kivas and the Chaco Canyon. The wildfires now plaguing the record-hot West are well known to those who watch the news, but his interviews with survivors bring the experience to vivid life. I once watched a wildfire in eastern Washington from a safe distance, and my feeling of shock at how fast the fire could rush up a hillside has never left me, the sure knowledge that if anyone had been on that hillside, they would have no chance of outrunning the fire. Gessner covers all this: the rising seas, stronger storms, more severe droughts, higher temperatures, but in the end, in my view, he doesn't stick the landing, though the writing along the way is excellent. I understand that he hesitates to be an advocate for a particular solution or way forward, or even a solid prediction of where we are headed, but I'm afraid that, in fact, that is what we need right now. So four stars, not five.
He asked several prominent scientists to prognosticate for him, and several did, notably Orrin Pilkey, who looms large in Gessner's travelogue. He cites the prediction of Dr. Paul Wennberg of CalTech, who said he thinks the major countries will finally agree on a "sun-dimming" strategy of injecting particulate matter into the stratosphere somewhere around 2040, and will take the additional step of putting massive amounts of limestone powder into the oceans to sequester CO2 and reduce ocean acidity. But after spending about two paragraphs agreeing that Wennberg's prediction "seems about right", he never returns to the subject again. Other scientists provided regional predictions, like, "Miami is doomed", but no other scientist really provided a large-scale idea of what the world will look like, though even regional predictions are dire enough to make one think hard about where one should live, and where one's children or grandchildren will be safe. It's a good bet that one should consider moving toward higher ground, and away from wildfire-prone areas. Incidentally, the big issue of 2060 will be the availability of fresh water.
I very much enjoyed his descriptions of the American West; he captures the fragile beauty of the Rockies and the Southwest almost perfectly, and he makes me want to return to the mountains of northern New Mexico before the region is entirely scorched by wildfires, and to see the ancient kivas and the Chaco Canyon. The wildfires now plaguing the record-hot West are well known to those who watch the news, but his interviews with survivors bring the experience to vivid life. I once watched a wildfire in eastern Washington from a safe distance, and my feeling of shock at how fast the fire could rush up a hillside has never left me, the sure knowledge that if anyone had been on that hillside, they would have no chance of outrunning the fire. Gessner covers all this: the rising seas, stronger storms, more severe droughts, higher temperatures, but in the end, in my view, he doesn't stick the landing, though the writing along the way is excellent. I understand that he hesitates to be an advocate for a particular solution or way forward, or even a solid prediction of where we are headed, but I'm afraid that, in fact, that is what we need right now. So four stars, not five.
October 13, 2023
A rare DNF for me. This premise has such promise, but the author’s decision to switch constantly among locations and narratives makes this too frustrating to be readable.
April 15, 2024
What a journey this book takes us on -- to the future. What will the world look like when his daughter is the same age he is now? Packed with science and story, this book offers some solid ideas. Scary, yes. And important. I will be assigning it in some of my Nature Writing MFA classes - to examine the way science, interviews, personal story are all intertwined. Highly recommend.
July 1, 2023
A depressing subject told with charm and wit by an outstanding writer. With exceptional credentials as a travel and environment writer, the book examines the coming (it’s already here) climate change in diverse parts of the country from California fires to Carolina hurricanes and other more vulnerable places like New Orleans, New York and the desert southwest. It’s a terrible topic but the telling makes it tolerable and almost enjoyable.
October 23, 2024
good mix of storytelling and facts - horrifying and real
August 4, 2023
David Gessner considers himself a “professional moment seeker.” He’s an exquisite observer of nature and man. And he’s a reporter with a burning curiosity about, perhaps, anything under his nose. If that “thing” happens to fly, even better. Gessner knows his birds. “Knows” equals loves.
He’s also a smooth writer. His prose invites you in. It’s easy and unforced, but also lively. Gessner intertwines stories about his family and past travels with the subject at hand.
And the subject in his latest, A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire, Wind and Water,is the end of the world.
Climate change.
And Gessner knows what you’re thinking. He knows you don’t want to be depressed and overwhelmed. He knows you might be willing to ride along with him if he promises some fun. Well, “fun” is in the eye of the beholder. Or denier. But Gessner certainly makes it easy to digest the big-picture concepts of climate change and its many alarming manifestations—explosive fires, rising seas, monster hurricanes, extreme temperatures.
“We have long written about global warming in one way: as a warning. But maybe we should now acknowledge that it is better thought of as a warning unheeded like, say, Churchill’s warnings about Germany before World War II. It is too late to warn about the coming war—the war has started, the bombs are dropping. We had better arm ourselves.”
Gessner’s loose construct for A Traveler’s Guide is to imagine what the world will look like in 42 years. He chose the number because he was 42 years old when his daughter was born and he wants to paint a portrait of her environment in another 42 years, when she will turn 60. So his focus is both on what’s happening now with occasional efforts to extrapolate—emphasis on occasional. Gessner wanders. A Traveler’s Guide riffs on everything from the one-time glory of Chaco Canyon to the Jan. 6 insurrection to Thomas Paine or singing praises of the American dipper and its athletic work for food. Gessner’s breakdown of the bird’s moves is akin to a sportscaster describing a slow-motion replay. As mentioned above, digressions abound.
The approach makes for great nature writing—and an easy read. Anyone who paid attention to the damage of Hurricanes Sandy and Ida, or watched the devastating fires in northern California, will find Gessner’s accounts to be fresh reminders of the cumulative, ongoing, weather-sparked chaos. And destruction. If the question is how much worse it’s going to get, Gessner doesn’t close that loop because nobody knows. It’s conjecture. One might argue that the current state of affairs should be bad enough to spur massive, collective action and here, too, Gessner has thoughts.
How do we dedicate ourselves to the fight? Shouldn’t our “tribal minds,” he wonders, be eager to find a solution?
Gessner even chastises himself.
“I have been slow to grow a conscience,” he writes. “Maybe you have, too. Or maybe I have a conscience that nags at me, but I try to ignore. Why? Why haven’t I changed? Why don’t I fight instead of just write? I honestly don’t know. Maybe because it is hard to change habits, maybe because it is easy to do what we’ve always done, to live the way we have always lived.”
And that’s really the issue, isn’t it? If the war-level alarms have been sounded, why aren’t we chattering less about the threat and spending more time working together through political action to reduce our insatiable addiction to fossil fuels? Why?
Gessner’s bird observations are gems. His chronicle of eroding seashores will make you think twice about moving to any oceanside property. But the existential question about why collective action doesn’t match the size of the problem is vexing. Not even David Gessner can make that fun.
He’s also a smooth writer. His prose invites you in. It’s easy and unforced, but also lively. Gessner intertwines stories about his family and past travels with the subject at hand.
And the subject in his latest, A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire, Wind and Water,is the end of the world.
Climate change.
And Gessner knows what you’re thinking. He knows you don’t want to be depressed and overwhelmed. He knows you might be willing to ride along with him if he promises some fun. Well, “fun” is in the eye of the beholder. Or denier. But Gessner certainly makes it easy to digest the big-picture concepts of climate change and its many alarming manifestations—explosive fires, rising seas, monster hurricanes, extreme temperatures.
“We have long written about global warming in one way: as a warning. But maybe we should now acknowledge that it is better thought of as a warning unheeded like, say, Churchill’s warnings about Germany before World War II. It is too late to warn about the coming war—the war has started, the bombs are dropping. We had better arm ourselves.”
Gessner’s loose construct for A Traveler’s Guide is to imagine what the world will look like in 42 years. He chose the number because he was 42 years old when his daughter was born and he wants to paint a portrait of her environment in another 42 years, when she will turn 60. So his focus is both on what’s happening now with occasional efforts to extrapolate—emphasis on occasional. Gessner wanders. A Traveler’s Guide riffs on everything from the one-time glory of Chaco Canyon to the Jan. 6 insurrection to Thomas Paine or singing praises of the American dipper and its athletic work for food. Gessner’s breakdown of the bird’s moves is akin to a sportscaster describing a slow-motion replay. As mentioned above, digressions abound.
The approach makes for great nature writing—and an easy read. Anyone who paid attention to the damage of Hurricanes Sandy and Ida, or watched the devastating fires in northern California, will find Gessner’s accounts to be fresh reminders of the cumulative, ongoing, weather-sparked chaos. And destruction. If the question is how much worse it’s going to get, Gessner doesn’t close that loop because nobody knows. It’s conjecture. One might argue that the current state of affairs should be bad enough to spur massive, collective action and here, too, Gessner has thoughts.
How do we dedicate ourselves to the fight? Shouldn’t our “tribal minds,” he wonders, be eager to find a solution?
Gessner even chastises himself.
“I have been slow to grow a conscience,” he writes. “Maybe you have, too. Or maybe I have a conscience that nags at me, but I try to ignore. Why? Why haven’t I changed? Why don’t I fight instead of just write? I honestly don’t know. Maybe because it is hard to change habits, maybe because it is easy to do what we’ve always done, to live the way we have always lived.”
And that’s really the issue, isn’t it? If the war-level alarms have been sounded, why aren’t we chattering less about the threat and spending more time working together through political action to reduce our insatiable addiction to fossil fuels? Why?
Gessner’s bird observations are gems. His chronicle of eroding seashores will make you think twice about moving to any oceanside property. But the existential question about why collective action doesn’t match the size of the problem is vexing. Not even David Gessner can make that fun.
December 28, 2024
Author (ritual disclaimer: we were classmates in college, but I don't know him, so conflict of interest seems minimal) spent a year and a half during pandemic traveling to US sites that had experienced recent disasters related to climate change (see subtitle -- wildfires, hurricanes, flooding). Besides deep description, main hook is consideration of what it will be like when his daughter (19 at time of writing) is his age (61), relying heavily on interviews with experts.
Considers their input on what ought to be done or not done (e.g., goes into some detail on the views of a Duke professor who thinks it's foolish to keep building and rebuilding and defending all our waterfront developments/communities that are sitting ducks for hurricanes or even high tides/storms), but explicitly avoids laying out a step-by-step plan of policy recs.
This book checks a lot of boxes on the list for "how to write nonfiction Dave [me, not the author] dislikes"
--persona of author highly prominent even tho not a main character in the actual story
--often meta in perspective (musing about his own hypocrisy burning fossil fuel; wondering if writing about climate emergency is sufficiently activist)
--long (357 pages, fairly small print), in part because unimportant details about interviews [the Duke guy likes coffee more than author, what kind of beers they drank while talking about climate change, whether he was or wasn't late getting to the meeting.......]
--obsessive attention to an interest i don't share (in this case, birds)
And yet.......got to 4 (really 4.3) stars for me because:
--critically important topic (obviously)
--GREAT writer -- I enjoyed even more his earlier memoir about his days playing ultimate at a high level, and I'm sure would be interested in his writing on almost anything (if you remember Randy Jackson's commentary as a judge on American Idol, we might say by analogy that David Gessner "could sing the phone book and sound good"). Even tossed-off observations like a paragraph or so on his university teaching during the early Zoom phase are vivid, interesting, and say as much as the many much longer diatribes I've seen on that topic. Funny, insightful, and sharp.
Considers their input on what ought to be done or not done (e.g., goes into some detail on the views of a Duke professor who thinks it's foolish to keep building and rebuilding and defending all our waterfront developments/communities that are sitting ducks for hurricanes or even high tides/storms), but explicitly avoids laying out a step-by-step plan of policy recs.
This book checks a lot of boxes on the list for "how to write nonfiction Dave [me, not the author] dislikes"
--persona of author highly prominent even tho not a main character in the actual story
--often meta in perspective (musing about his own hypocrisy burning fossil fuel; wondering if writing about climate emergency is sufficiently activist)
--long (357 pages, fairly small print), in part because unimportant details about interviews [the Duke guy likes coffee more than author, what kind of beers they drank while talking about climate change, whether he was or wasn't late getting to the meeting.......]
--obsessive attention to an interest i don't share (in this case, birds)
And yet.......got to 4 (really 4.3) stars for me because:
--critically important topic (obviously)
--GREAT writer -- I enjoyed even more his earlier memoir about his days playing ultimate at a high level, and I'm sure would be interested in his writing on almost anything (if you remember Randy Jackson's commentary as a judge on American Idol, we might say by analogy that David Gessner "could sing the phone book and sound good"). Even tossed-off observations like a paragraph or so on his university teaching during the early Zoom phase are vivid, interesting, and say as much as the many much longer diatribes I've seen on that topic. Funny, insightful, and sharp.
August 29, 2023
I bought this book after hearing the author speak at Powell's bookstore in Portland Oregon. His book, A Traveler's Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire, Wind, and Water, is about what he learned and continues to learn about climate change. Climate Change is not a future concern. Gessner shows us that it is already here. He does this by spending a year visiting scenes of fire, wind, and water--the major climate events that have been growing ever more catastrophic, from Katrina, Ida, and Sandy, to the fires of Paradise, and the flooding (and drought) caused by storms and storm surges. As he travels, describing places before, during, and after their climate influenced events, he talks to climate experts about mitigation efforts and what they see happening in the future--specifically 42 years in the future, when his daughter is in her 60s, as he is now. For the most part, the future isn't pretty, and we seem to have passed the tipping point---or have we? While the tales and the losses are profound, there are areas of hope--and it is important to keep an eye on that hope--otherwise, people will give up. I found this book to be so very compelling. I liked the regional focus, which helped by looking at specific issues most relevant to the region-- and I learned quite a bit. So often the news cycle will cover the devastation of a storm and then move on to the next story. I liked being able to see more long term stories, and stories of recovery (whatever that looks like). And it seems that we are starting to be a little bit smarter about not just rebuilding in the same places (although more and more that seems to be driven by insurance companies more than people wising up). Gessner doesn't preach at us. In fact, he admits that he can easily put climate issues on the back burner when living his life. The point I got from it is: this is happening--- it is here--- and we need to adapt to it and do what we can and appreciate what we have when we have it, because what we have isn't permanent. There is a strange kind of optimism in this idea.
November 5, 2024
So few reviews for what I found to be a great book of non-fiction, my first that I had read by this author. I do not recall how I learned of the book or what spurred me to take a chance on this book of essentially ecology, climate change and to some extent, philosophy. Gessner takes a 12-14 month period of time after the height of the Covid pandemic and tracks his travels and discussions about essentially natural disasters and what this means for not only the US but humankind. There are chapters on devastating hurricanes in Louisiana and North Carolina, huge forest fires in Boulder CO and California, land-rights issues surrounding Bears Ears National Monument and drought affecting Lakes Powel & Mead. These chapters are robust with discussions with various scientists, environmentalists, authors, and researchers with vested interest in the field of climate change. Gessner provides first-hand accounts of these sites and merges them with examinations with folks vested in providing factual information on what could (and will) happen to in particular, the US coastal cities and communities the next 50-75 years. There are also introspective commentaries on the natural world, of how one interacts with it, how Gessner finds solace in various engagements with nature, be that kayaking, hiking, or birdwatching. The book did drag a bit and it took me longer to complete it then I expected as it perhaps could have been edited down a bit though admittedly there is a lot of ground to cover on this topic. I completed the book feeling a little discouraged and saddened about the fate of our world but appreciated honest factual information, even if it does smack one in the face.
November 10, 2023
This was a beautifully written witness to the tragic escalation of climate change’s impact on areas across the US, and it is worth reading for its excellent reporting and meditation on what it means to be in this present moment of the Anthropocene. But I also found it incredibly depressing. Gessner and I do not hold the same perspectives on the span of history. His leans realist to pessimist, while I hold a more hope-driven perspective. I know the world could go either way—in fire, wind, and water, or in redemption and restoration—but I lean harder in the direction of hope. It is what my faith promises. Reading Gessner’s perspective saddened me, because the world is fractured and he captured that heartbreakingly well, and because he does not hold much hope of its healing. And I just can’t sit in that mental space for very long. It paralyzed me, and the last thing we need is more paralysis. He does acknowledge that hope can be a catalyst for change and action, but I don’t think he really believes it and abandons hope as an option. I think the only way forward is through hope. Hope gives vision and vision drives behavior. We have to believe in a world that can be restored if we want a restored world.
If you are looking for hope in the face of climate change, this isn’t the book for you. But if you value beautiful writing, excellent reporting, and stewing in a (warming, evaporating) pool of sadness, then read on through to the end.
If you are looking for hope in the face of climate change, this isn’t the book for you. But if you value beautiful writing, excellent reporting, and stewing in a (warming, evaporating) pool of sadness, then read on through to the end.
February 14, 2024
An engaging ebook of travel, interviews, and his own thoughts. The thread was often haphazard as he zigzagged between locations, including Boulder, CO (where he used to live); Arizona; and some barrier islands along New jersey, New York, and North Carolina (where he lived). The islands were fascinating as I searched Google Maps and marveled at the houses built in the bull's eye of Atlantic hurricanes. Some of these houses were destroyed and rebuilt in the same place!
David believes that the crisis will not be solved by certain individuals who change their lifestyle, that we will need government regulation. I agree. Just like mandatory seat belts that caused a lot of grumbling but saved lives. Toward the end of the book, in the face of his self-declared hypocrisy, he decided he should go ahead and get solar panels and an electric vehicle. (I have both.)
David, I had some additional advice. You talk a lot about food and I see you're a meat-eater, chomping down on a roast beef sandwich. Since the meat industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, you could choose food that is healthier for the planet and for your own body. The switch is easy and costs virtually nothing. Certainly less than solar panels.
Good ebook. Recommended.
David believes that the crisis will not be solved by certain individuals who change their lifestyle, that we will need government regulation. I agree. Just like mandatory seat belts that caused a lot of grumbling but saved lives. Toward the end of the book, in the face of his self-declared hypocrisy, he decided he should go ahead and get solar panels and an electric vehicle. (I have both.)
David, I had some additional advice. You talk a lot about food and I see you're a meat-eater, chomping down on a roast beef sandwich. Since the meat industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, you could choose food that is healthier for the planet and for your own body. The switch is easy and costs virtually nothing. Certainly less than solar panels.
Good ebook. Recommended.
February 11, 2024
Fascinating. And funny. I laughed out loud at many times. I put a couple more books on hold inspired by it. It is an inspiration in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed his style, and was particularly impressed with the triptych chapter. While he adamantly strays away from hope, it is hard for his findings not to come with an aura of it. While a lot is frightening, there is a lot to be inspired by and excited for. Land and ecosystem rebuilding and reclamation; what it means to live through societal collapse. It is easy to get angry, but Gessner challenges us to accept what we are facing and move through it, together.
February 29, 2024
Gessner's book on climate change is a wake-up call for all of us. It shows us that the impacts of climate change are already here, and the need for action is urgent. By exploring the effects of major climate events and talking to experts, the book inspires us to take responsibility for our actions and work towards a better future. It is a powerful reminder that we are all in this together and must work together to create a sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come. I found this book to be a captivating read, and I really enjoyed immersing myself in the author's personal stories.
June 23, 2024
I’m giving this four stars because it’s an accessible version of a very important book. Gessner has a friendly, easygoing voice.
I feel the need to mention that this book is very much focused on the coasts of the US. In the introduction, Gessner points out that he is largely limited to the US, but I should caution the reader that he effectively ignores about half the country in favor of the more exciting west and southeastern coasts. As a lifetime resident of flyover country, I’m kind of used to it, but I was disappointed to find that my state, and almost all states it touches, was not mentioned at all. Maybe that’s coming in the next book.
I feel the need to mention that this book is very much focused on the coasts of the US. In the introduction, Gessner points out that he is largely limited to the US, but I should caution the reader that he effectively ignores about half the country in favor of the more exciting west and southeastern coasts. As a lifetime resident of flyover country, I’m kind of used to it, but I was disappointed to find that my state, and almost all states it touches, was not mentioned at all. Maybe that’s coming in the next book.
December 16, 2023
A remarkable work of environmental writing in which the author takes us to areas he knows well to see what the future holds as the climate continues to change. We witness the foolhardy engineering designed to stop some of these climate effects (and ignorance of the simple solutions to better handle these changes), as well glimpse what the future may hold. Written with humor, passion, and a personal touch, the author discusses the future with those currently working to save it and provides us with a journey around the country to see those changes first hand.
August 4, 2023
This was my first Gessner book.
Truth be told I had never heard of him and only went to the Powell's Books hawking/signing event as my (first) cousin (once removed), Derek Sheffield was there with him hawking/signing his own book. So I picked up my obligatory copy of Gessner's book because I could add it to my growing collection of signed first editions. Figured since I had it I may as well crack it open.
This is a great book. What a pleasant surprise. He is open, insightful, made me laugh, made me cry. Thank you for talking about Jamie Raskin; thank you for reintroducing me to the dipper. My close friend and lifelong painter/illustrator/ornithologist Jon Janosik pointed out the dipper along a stream bank 50 years or so ago. I'd forgotten many of the nuanced behaviors, but not the bird nor that experience so long ago.
I value good sentences over good stories any day, and this book abounds with both.
I also snagged a copy of "Leave it as it Is" which you, David, recommended if I opted for a second read.
FYI the roller coaster designer is a casual acquaintance...he was pretty pleased it was still standing.
Truth be told I had never heard of him and only went to the Powell's Books hawking/signing event as my (first) cousin (once removed), Derek Sheffield was there with him hawking/signing his own book. So I picked up my obligatory copy of Gessner's book because I could add it to my growing collection of signed first editions. Figured since I had it I may as well crack it open.
This is a great book. What a pleasant surprise. He is open, insightful, made me laugh, made me cry. Thank you for talking about Jamie Raskin; thank you for reintroducing me to the dipper. My close friend and lifelong painter/illustrator/ornithologist Jon Janosik pointed out the dipper along a stream bank 50 years or so ago. I'd forgotten many of the nuanced behaviors, but not the bird nor that experience so long ago.
I value good sentences over good stories any day, and this book abounds with both.
I also snagged a copy of "Leave it as it Is" which you, David, recommended if I opted for a second read.
FYI the roller coaster designer is a casual acquaintance...he was pretty pleased it was still standing.
May 1, 2025
Library book club- Audiobook. I'd like to give this book more of a 3 1/2. It was good, interesting, not what I was expecting. I enjoyed some of the travel stories and even more so, the differences the author has seen in his travels over the years, the changes in the shifting world. I guess it's just that the overall premise. Left me feeling like the book fell a little short of my expectations. Which, if I'm being honest, is probably not the author's fault.
July 3, 2025
I'm giving this 3.5 stars but rounding down. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed a few of David Gessner's other books and this one held a lot of promise. But the book was structured in such a way that it seemed to lack cohesion. It felt more like a collection of essays forced together into a book -- thought-provoking and interesting essays, to be sure, but still.
July 10, 2023
reading to stimulate thinking
Very thoughtful consideration of living evolution and it’s limits and consequences. Important reading for consideration as an activity that may not result in a conclusion
Very thoughtful consideration of living evolution and it’s limits and consequences. Important reading for consideration as an activity that may not result in a conclusion
June 3, 2024
This is a good book about the climate and different theories on climate change and how the change has, and may, impact certain areas. It is part science-writing, part travelogue and part memoir. As such, it meanders a bit but I liked it.
July 7, 2024
Environmental journalism. A more recent collection of the author's writings from travels to and through those places most affected by climate change.
My favorites include the title essay along with "Reality Show" and "Beneath the Ice."
My favorites include the title essay along with "Reality Show" and "Beneath the Ice."
August 23, 2024
It was fitting that as I finished this book, the skies of Cape Cod were hazy due to wildfires in Canada. An unsettling but necessary book about the impact of climate change – not just the future impact – what is happening today.
October 17, 2024
I liked the premise of this book, and in particular enjoyed some of the insight from experts and firsthand narratives of climate disasters. However, the content was balanced too far towards memoir rather than science journalism, and it also jumped around too much to feel coherent.
October 21, 2024
Brilliant. The number of themes and strands this author weaves together is astonishing and worthy of praise. I learned a lot and felt a lot while reading this book. Hope, despair, anger, surprise…everything. I wish everyone in charge of lands, people, and the environment was required to read it.
December 2, 2024
I admit I initially chose this book from the library because of the enticing title and cover art. It was a good pick. I would read this book again, as well as other books by David Gessner, who's able to capture the essence of nature in a way that sticks with you long after you've finished reading.
November 22, 2023
Great storytelling. a very sobering, un-uplifting look at climate change and what America stands to look like in just a few years, even if corrective action is taken.
February 8, 2024
A really engaging read that has me wondering what the world will look like when my nieces and nephews are my age? A great read about the crisis we have brought onto ourselves as a species
August 13, 2024
David Gessner is one of the best there is and he chooses topics he is passionate about. This one is about global warming and the terrible perhaps fatal damage it is doing to the planet.
June 4, 2023
Brilliant and necessary reading.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews