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Strangely Like War: The Global Assault on Forests
"It was strangely like war. They attacked the forest as if it were an enemy to be pushed back from the beachheads, driven into the hills, broken into patches, and wiped out. Many operators thought they were not only making lumber but liberating the land from the trees. . ." from The Last Wilderness, by Murray Morgan, 1976 Derrick Jensen, prize-winning author of A Language Older than Words and The Culture of Make Believe, and George Draffan, activist, researcher, and co-author with Jensen of Railroads & Clearcuts, collaborate again to expose the escalating global war on trees. Ever since Gilgamesh cut down the ancient cedar forests of Mesopotamia, civilizations and empires have foundered and collapsed in the wake of widespread deforestation. Today, with three quarters of the world’s original forests gone and the pace of cutting, clearing, processing, and pulping ever accelerating, Jensen and Draffan lay bare the stark scenario we face—we being not only people, but the nonhuman fabric of life itself—unless deforestation is slowed and stopped. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the relationship between deforestation and our ecological crisis as well as an essential "handbook" for forest and anti-globalization activists.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Derrick Jensen
52 books686 followersDerrick Jensen is an American author and environmental activist living in Crescent City, California. He has published several books questioning and critiquing contemporary society and its values, including A Language Older Than Words, The Culture of Make Believe, and Endgame. He holds a B.S. in Mineral Engineering Physics from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University. He has also taught creative writing at Pelican Bay State Prison and Eastern Washington University.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 16, 2011
Derrick Jensen was a profoundly influential figure in my early radical development, but I'dn't read a word by him in several years. I'd instead been caught up in the more mainstream, less passionate, and much less ideological (or at least, theoretically) viewpoint(s) of academic environmental studies. I came across an excerpt from one of his newest books, Deep Green Resistance, and was surprised to see two things happen.
First of all, I was swept up in anger and sadness about the ecocide my civilization is committing, and shock at having forgotten for so long to think about the insanity of the culture as a whole. Second of all, I was for some reason surprised to see how little my own beliefs had strayed from Jensen's even after what I somehow assumed would be the moderating experience of college. That is, I had always sort of felt that Jensen's position was sophomorically passionate (because in our culture, arguments as passionate as Jensen's are discredited - they lack 'appropriate' objectivity). I expected college to provide me with a more subtle, objective understanding of history. And it most definitely is - especially this term, when I'm taking a real history class!
So it was that when I read Jensen's words again, they still resonated with me: I still believed, despite some added subtleties in my understanding of the mechanisms and agencies involved, that industrial civilization and the destructive, hateful culture behind it are going to render the planet uninhabitable for itself within the next several centuries, and that, as it is already doing, it will take down much of the existing diversity of life with it. I still believe that the inequality of wealth and power, predicated on unsustainable overuse of the environment for agriculture, forestry, fishing, etc, since the earliest civilizations, have steadily expanded and grown more powerful technologically and numerically at the expense of aboriginal peoples and their environments across the world. I still believe that this culture depends not only on exploitation and destruction of the Earth, but also on internal and external discrimination and abuse. These things are all just as true to me today, when I read Strangely Like War, as they were when I was fresh out of High School. For whatever that's worth.
The above paragraph, applied in particular to the relationship of industrial humans with the world's forests, represents the thesis of this work. It is the same thesis that runs through all of Jensen's major works, and defines, to a great extent, his life. It is expressed here with great clarity and scholarship, and as always, with deep, convincing passion. This is, of course, what makes Jensen such a powerful figure: his writings are incredible well-researched and detailed, but rely more than anything on their charisma and the intuitive appeal of the arguments.
This is a boon for those wishing to see more people understand and believe his viewpoint. It does still make me slightly uncomfortable, however. It's well accepted (since Aristotle) that convincing anyone of anything depends on emotional appeals as much as rational ones, and Jensen's claims are radical enough relative to mainstream culture that they demand some pretty heavy weight behind them, both factually and emotionally.
The thesis of the book is as above, but the point of it, the reason Jensen wrote it, is not so much to convince people of it as to draw their attention to the insanity and destructiveness of the forestry industry. That is, not their unsustainability, but their unwillingness to stop logging wild forests and use known solutions to convert to plantation forestry and alternative sources of pulp. It's not the inherent environmental damage of their industry, which could perhaps be balanced by the economic needs of society were it done wisely enough, but the unnecessary and explicit human toll of its operating procedures (displacing, torturing, raping, murdering whole indigenous communities; constantly seeking to lower labor costs and cut jobs by automating their processes, etc). This is a very important point, and the book tells it very convincingly and very concisely. If you have a heart, it will motivate you to action on the issue.
First of all, I was swept up in anger and sadness about the ecocide my civilization is committing, and shock at having forgotten for so long to think about the insanity of the culture as a whole. Second of all, I was for some reason surprised to see how little my own beliefs had strayed from Jensen's even after what I somehow assumed would be the moderating experience of college. That is, I had always sort of felt that Jensen's position was sophomorically passionate (because in our culture, arguments as passionate as Jensen's are discredited - they lack 'appropriate' objectivity). I expected college to provide me with a more subtle, objective understanding of history. And it most definitely is - especially this term, when I'm taking a real history class!
So it was that when I read Jensen's words again, they still resonated with me: I still believed, despite some added subtleties in my understanding of the mechanisms and agencies involved, that industrial civilization and the destructive, hateful culture behind it are going to render the planet uninhabitable for itself within the next several centuries, and that, as it is already doing, it will take down much of the existing diversity of life with it. I still believe that the inequality of wealth and power, predicated on unsustainable overuse of the environment for agriculture, forestry, fishing, etc, since the earliest civilizations, have steadily expanded and grown more powerful technologically and numerically at the expense of aboriginal peoples and their environments across the world. I still believe that this culture depends not only on exploitation and destruction of the Earth, but also on internal and external discrimination and abuse. These things are all just as true to me today, when I read Strangely Like War, as they were when I was fresh out of High School. For whatever that's worth.
The above paragraph, applied in particular to the relationship of industrial humans with the world's forests, represents the thesis of this work. It is the same thesis that runs through all of Jensen's major works, and defines, to a great extent, his life. It is expressed here with great clarity and scholarship, and as always, with deep, convincing passion. This is, of course, what makes Jensen such a powerful figure: his writings are incredible well-researched and detailed, but rely more than anything on their charisma and the intuitive appeal of the arguments.
This is a boon for those wishing to see more people understand and believe his viewpoint. It does still make me slightly uncomfortable, however. It's well accepted (since Aristotle) that convincing anyone of anything depends on emotional appeals as much as rational ones, and Jensen's claims are radical enough relative to mainstream culture that they demand some pretty heavy weight behind them, both factually and emotionally.
The thesis of the book is as above, but the point of it, the reason Jensen wrote it, is not so much to convince people of it as to draw their attention to the insanity and destructiveness of the forestry industry. That is, not their unsustainability, but their unwillingness to stop logging wild forests and use known solutions to convert to plantation forestry and alternative sources of pulp. It's not the inherent environmental damage of their industry, which could perhaps be balanced by the economic needs of society were it done wisely enough, but the unnecessary and explicit human toll of its operating procedures (displacing, torturing, raping, murdering whole indigenous communities; constantly seeking to lower labor costs and cut jobs by automating their processes, etc). This is a very important point, and the book tells it very convincingly and very concisely. If you have a heart, it will motivate you to action on the issue.
September 20, 2007
I'm not a fan of deforestation, it negatively impacts biodiversity and generally makes the world more industrialized and ugly. However, I draw the line at comparing loggers to Nazis. Call me crazy, but I don't see the moral equivalence between cutting down trees and killing 6 million Jews. Nor do I see the expedience in attacking environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Foundation. Anyway, not much to see here except a big pile of crazy.
Read
October 22, 2014Strangely LIke War 11302007 the Global Assault on Forests by Derrick Jensen/Giorge Draffan
www.aseed.net, www.amazonwatch.org, www.americanlands.org
www.certifiedwood.org
www.cs.org
www..dogwoodalliance.org
www.endgame.org
www.fern.org
www.forests.org
www.forestethics.org
www.forestmonitor.org
www.foei.org
www.globalforestwatch.org
www.oneworld.org/gloabalwitness
www.greenpeace.org
www.hrw.org
www.ienearth.org
www.iucn.org
www.nativeforest.org
www.nativeweb.org
www.oilwatch.org.ec
www.moles.org
www.ran.org
www.rethinkpaper.org
www.survival-international.org
www.sll.fi/TRN
www.twnside.org.sg
www.transparency.org
www.wrm.org.uy
www.wri.org
Bamani
We are not killing forests. We are making toilet paper!
www.chesco..com/~treeman/nfpra/zerocu...
www.aseed.net, www.amazonwatch.org, www.americanlands.org
www.certifiedwood.org
www.cs.org
www..dogwoodalliance.org
www.endgame.org
www.fern.org
www.forests.org
www.forestethics.org
www.forestmonitor.org
www.foei.org
www.globalforestwatch.org
www.oneworld.org/gloabalwitness
www.greenpeace.org
www.hrw.org
www.ienearth.org
www.iucn.org
www.nativeforest.org
www.nativeweb.org
www.oilwatch.org.ec
www.moles.org
www.ran.org
www.rethinkpaper.org
www.survival-international.org
www.sll.fi/TRN
www.twnside.org.sg
www.transparency.org
www.wrm.org.uy
www.wri.org
Bamani
We are not killing forests. We are making toilet paper!
www.chesco..com/~treeman/nfpra/zerocu...
January 5, 2014
Powerful. Not a book to be read if you are already depressed. It is likely to make you lose all hope and possibly be consumed by anger. This is the author's purpose, he actually told me in person as he signed my copy.
April 13, 2014
Great book about the perverse attitude taken toward wilderness. If you let it move you, there is inspiration and a fierce love for freedom there.
September 14, 2017
learned a lot from this book.
December 8, 2018
I absolutely like this topic and agree with much of the author’s points, but had to rate it lower because the writing style drives me nuts..
1) He has a tendency toward a conversational hyperbole that just sounds whiny and unnecessarily vague at times.
2) The organization of ideas is only loosely connected to the titles of chapters, and much of the bulk of writing here is repetition of many of the same ideas and feelings from chapter to chapter. I’m reading this not because I need to be convinced, so why repeat so much like someone trying to convince another? Does anyone read this despite having a conviction to the opposite viewpoint?
1) He has a tendency toward a conversational hyperbole that just sounds whiny and unnecessarily vague at times.
2) The organization of ideas is only loosely connected to the titles of chapters, and much of the bulk of writing here is repetition of many of the same ideas and feelings from chapter to chapter. I’m reading this not because I need to be convinced, so why repeat so much like someone trying to convince another? Does anyone read this despite having a conviction to the opposite viewpoint?
August 23, 2019
Dated-- 2003-- but an important, abundantly-researched, heartbreaking look at forest loss and the devastation of the forestry industry world wide. Only 150 pages but hard to get through due to the depression factor, this book does end on a set of clear aims for a just and sustainable future, should enough true forest survive to nurture.
October 29, 2021
This is an emotional book. It was hard to swallow some hard facts about the illegal process that are bestowed upon forest so abundantly. This might put you in your feelings but it is a neccessary journey for us to illuminate ourselves to the truth and from take steps towards change. This has been a catalyst for me personally
January 19, 2022
Very good book. Everyone needs to read this book. Our nature is being destroyed by greedy and corrupt people. We should all be enraged.
June 5, 2023
Terrifyingly saddening book to read.
August 21, 2008
With 95% of the United States’ “frontier” forests gone, and much of the rest of the world’s disappearing, this book is a last cry to get people aware and motivated to stop the slaughter of the forests, and the concomitant genocide of native peoples and other land-based societies. Tinged with despair, it describes the interlocking machine of consumption, corporations, governments, globalization, colonialism, and genocide that is steadily pillaging the planet. As usual, Jensen makes the important connections, especially showing how civilization’s spiritual and compassionate emptiness fuels the destruction. Very practical recommendations conclude the book, suggesting steps to turn this around.
April 11, 2011
Informative and well written, but a bit on the pessimistic side. The authors present their case for halting deforestation while making some great points, but leave only a page or two at the very end for proposed solutions. Even with these last few pages, the authors don't exactly have a positive outlook for the state of our world's forests. Although I can't blame them for thinking the way they do, I strongly believe that a key to being an environmentalist is possessing a sense of optimism even in the face of the most distressing, disheartening situations.
January 5, 2025
this addition to the Jensen/Draffan collection is a decent compendium of facts and arguments about the perils of multi-national, industrial forestry. of particular interest is the time the authors spend discussing the continuing threat to old-growth forests in bc which are some of the last remaining forests of their age in north america. if you are familiar with the struggle to save the forests there will be little new in this book, but
August 1, 2008
Worth reading. Very depressing. Very informative.
In sum: if you live in the first world (hahaha...), especially if you're white and holding some money, then you live on an island surrounded by seas of destruction, most of which keep your island afloat. No real news there, but Jensen lays out the hows and whys with excruciating, and rousing, effect.
In sum: if you live in the first world (hahaha...), especially if you're white and holding some money, then you live on an island surrounded by seas of destruction, most of which keep your island afloat. No real news there, but Jensen lays out the hows and whys with excruciating, and rousing, effect.
July 10, 2009
This is a pretty interesting book about a pretty boring subject (or else a pretty boring book about a pretty interesting subject). Either way, it's true that the world's forests are in crisis and the current system is doing absolutely nothing to help them. But Jensen is pretty radical and I don't know if his solutions are even remotely realistic.
July 31, 2008
...so you just ate your chinese take-away and wondering why 'chow-mien' has to be eaten with a pair of chop-stick [made of once living tree...] Mandatory reading for answering that question but be prepared to shed some pearls of salinity...
November 23, 2011
Loved the first 8 chapters - the rest, not as much. This book seems to be before Derrick really embraced his full anti-civilization message - there is a lot of discussion of recycling and other incremental improvements.
November 26, 2011
A wonderful overview of just how unsustainable our current forestry practices are. However, it lacks the depth of most other Jensen books. However, this isn't nearly as dark as some of his other writing, so a good introduction to the author.
August 3, 2012
B- Quick read. This should've been a magazine article - I read it very quickly at the beach. Funny, informative, interesting, but doesn't give you a huge deal abt Kenya - but then he was only there for 8 days.
May 13, 2008
there's some interesting stuff here, but it'd be better to just skip it and stick to Jensen's central trilogy (Language Older Than Words, Culture Of Make Believe, and Endgame)
October 18, 2008
Forestry is fucked up, and like war.
August 12, 2009
Pertinent read about forest destruction in the Pacific Northwest. Meticulous research, but felt more like an essay than a book at times.
November 29, 2012
Thorough history of deforestation.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews