What do you think?
Rate this book
Se il tempo è matto...: Come il cambiamento climatico cambia la nostra mente e il nostro corpo
L’avanzata del cambiamento climatico è sorprendente e i livelli dei mari si stanno innalzando, le condizioni meteorologiche sono sempre più estreme, un caldo opprimente sta soffocando il mondo. È stato ormai dimostrato che tutte queste alterazioni hanno degli effetti profondi sul nostro corpo e sulla nostra mente e costituiscono una vera e propria crisi di salute pubblica di cui si fa ancora fatica ad ammettere l’esistenza.
Il giornalista e neuroscienziato Clayton Page Aldern si è dedicato per sette anni a questo tema facendo dialogare tra loro le ultime scoperte relative alle neuroscienze, alla psicologia, all’economia per mostrarci che un ambiente in rapida trasformazione agisce direttamente sulla nostra salute mentale, sul nostro comportamento, sul processo decisionale. Temperature sempre più alte implicano un aumento di molti fenomeni, dall’aggressione aggravata alla violenza domestica, all’odio online. Livelli di anidride carbonica elevati, connessi con le ondate di calore, riducono la capacità di risoluzione dei problemi, le prestazioni cognitive e l’apprendimento. Non serve andare in guerra per soffrire di disturbo da stress la violenza di un incendio o di un’alluvione, eventi che ormai si verificano con frequenza sempre maggiore, basta e avanza.
Dalle fattorie della valle di San Joaquin in California fino alle comunità dell’Artico norvegese, dalle Hawaii alle Alpi francesi, Aldern ha viaggiato per incontrare scienziati e medici che hanno svelato le intricate connessioni tra noi e l’ambiente, raccontando le storie delle persone che stanno già sperimentando questi effetti sulla loro pelle. Il cambiamento climatico non è solo intorno a noi, ma dentro di noi. Possiamo però opporci a queste gli esseri umani hanno causato la crisi climatica e gli effetti neurologici che ne risultano, e saranno gli esseri umani, con tutta una serie di buone pratiche ma soprattutto con la solidarietà, a farli regredire. Questo libro non è l’onda che ci spazza via. È la mano che si protende per salvarci.
Il giornalista e neuroscienziato Clayton Page Aldern si è dedicato per sette anni a questo tema facendo dialogare tra loro le ultime scoperte relative alle neuroscienze, alla psicologia, all’economia per mostrarci che un ambiente in rapida trasformazione agisce direttamente sulla nostra salute mentale, sul nostro comportamento, sul processo decisionale. Temperature sempre più alte implicano un aumento di molti fenomeni, dall’aggressione aggravata alla violenza domestica, all’odio online. Livelli di anidride carbonica elevati, connessi con le ondate di calore, riducono la capacità di risoluzione dei problemi, le prestazioni cognitive e l’apprendimento. Non serve andare in guerra per soffrire di disturbo da stress la violenza di un incendio o di un’alluvione, eventi che ormai si verificano con frequenza sempre maggiore, basta e avanza.
Dalle fattorie della valle di San Joaquin in California fino alle comunità dell’Artico norvegese, dalle Hawaii alle Alpi francesi, Aldern ha viaggiato per incontrare scienziati e medici che hanno svelato le intricate connessioni tra noi e l’ambiente, raccontando le storie delle persone che stanno già sperimentando questi effetti sulla loro pelle. Il cambiamento climatico non è solo intorno a noi, ma dentro di noi. Possiamo però opporci a queste gli esseri umani hanno causato la crisi climatica e gli effetti neurologici che ne risultano, e saranno gli esseri umani, con tutta una serie di buone pratiche ma soprattutto con la solidarietà, a farli regredire. Questo libro non è l’onda che ci spazza via. È la mano che si protende per salvarci.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
June 19, 2024
I wish I read this with a friend so we could talk after every chapter. There’s so much to unpack, but still a digestible read that’s insightful and thoughtful without being unnecessarily dense - which is a massive compliment to a book that so expansively intertwines complex ideas and research into very human and beautifully articulated elements.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
November 4, 2024
A riveting and troubling read speculating the future—how climate change will affect not just our world, but our minds and bodies.
Aldern weaves complex systems together in a manner digestible to the average mind. Definitely a book that I probably shouldn't have read on the eve of the 2024 election, since I'm already stressed out and this made it no better.
Aldern weaves complex systems together in a manner digestible to the average mind. Definitely a book that I probably shouldn't have read on the eve of the 2024 election, since I'm already stressed out and this made it no better.
February 20, 2024
Nature is changing in more ways than we realize. Author Clayton Page Aldern describes some truly frightening phenomena that are increasing due to warming oceans, wildfire air pollution, and much more. In my readings of articles in my favorite magazines, "National Geographic" and "Scientific American," I know that an incredible amount of work on saving our planet is being done by organizations and individuals, but we are in a battle for our very existence, and we MUST increase our knowledge and our actions exponentially if we are to succeed. Aldern gives us new information about what we are facing. Don't read this book if you prefer to stick your head in the sand and remain ignorant. If you want to be part of the solution, arm yourself with the information in this outstanding book.
January 2, 2025
It's not at all a tough sell: The tendrils of climate change strangle every corner of the Earth; bleaching the seas, poisoning the topsoil, and incinerating the forests. Why *wouldn't* they impact our fragile, human brains?
As a book like The Heat Will Kill You First details (the single most required text for climate change that I've read in what is admittedly not a lengthy canon), so much of the danger in our environments is how interconnected everything is, how silent killers are tethered by invisible domino lines snaking over the world.
An abnormally hot day metabolizes local termite populations causing them to draw out the moisture in trees as they sate their turbo-charged appetite, and suddenly your forest is a tinderbox. If you put 100 of them in a room and asked them to name their top 100 threats on days of extreme heat warnings, how many people would think to even mention termites as a major danger of climate change? We are still finding numberless new ways for climate change to kill us like Agent 47 in a Hitman level.
The point being: My mind is open to new, terrifying ideas. Nothing is off the table.
That said, here is an area without a ton of usable meat on the bone. To extend the metaphor, there are some gripping, well-researched (I suppose the whole thing could be described that way, even the parts I don't care for) morsels about shifting baseline syndrome, the neurotransmitter activity related to forgetting, and brain-eating amoeba spawning in our overheated lakes.
Mostly though, there is fat. Lots of fat.
It mostly comes from Aldern's writing style, which is repetitive and far too preoccupied with delivering a lyrical flourish or a succinct bow that ties up one idea and propels us to another. Aldern is so concerned with these moments that he will sometimes unpack very similar concepts multiple times in order to really land that flourish. It is the *exact* kind of bloat that people associate with nonfiction books that, yes, sadly could have been a lengthy article (though to Aldern's credit, this topic, his research, and the scope of his ideas are worthy of the book format). It does not help that Aldern's more poetic turns often fail to inspire much reaction. Could be that these flourishes are unwelcome in a situation so dire and so a low rent Bill Nye explanation feels tacky or that this kind of writing is simply not a strength of is. I remember several instances in A Sand County Almanac or the aforementioned The Heat Will Kill You First that were shrieking cacophonies of minute detail working hard (and succeeding) to capture the situation through evocative language and using every inch of their poetic license. I liked it in those books, I found it annoying here.
But Aldern's writing style is hardly the thing that makes this somewhat of a lackluster read. I wouldn't say Aldern is prone to reaching on his points, but there are *many* instances where he goes on an odd tangent or forces a metaphor and you realize, a little awkwardly, that this is not some rickety transitionary idea but in fact the entire statement. One example: Aldern offers the analogy that because a loss of identity often leads to depression and anxiety, an environment losing its character (the example he uses in this section are the decapitated mountains in coal-towns littering Appalachia, a really sad state of affairs I wasn't fully aware of), that there is a similar sense of identity-loss. Yes, that's plausible. But rather than this being an entry point to talk about more neurology (as Aldern does in many places) or trigger the rube Goldberg to his next point, this is just the entire thought. And rather than heaping more research or examples onto these points, he often just drills the metaphor (which, as I've established, is not a strong suit for Aldern but neither is it painfully bad, to be clear).
As other reviewers have noted, this is an area in desperate need of more scholarship and research. I don't think Aldern has a shoddy basis for some of his bolder claims. It all tracks. There were rarely times where I thought that he was arguing something that seemed implausible or silly to argue (which would leave me with a much more negative impression of the book). Instead, though, the book is littered with suggestions that seem difficult to prove because the observation is mostly based in sentimentality (like the identity example above) rather than an empirical figure. I prefer the areas where he comes equipped with historical and scientific perspectives that bolster his argument than the more "creative" readings into how our world is changing. Still, I am extremely sympathetic and would probably even say many of the same things Aldern does if *I* were tasked with writing this book, so I've little room to judge or even say that I dislike it. But I have no background in neuroscience and our author does.
An enormously terrifying topic, if a wonky survey of it. It is also, in many ways, one of the texts that can make you more proactive as someone interested in climate justice (a common complaint about these kinds of books: "So what do I do! Nothing? Thanks!" which is a position I empathize with but cannot take seriously). It is not simply "the sun is baking your brain and there's no real way to prevent the splash damage"-- but instead a list of things to be on the lookout for as you catalog the changing Earth from your own perspective. How do you practice climate mindfulness (the kind of concept you need to be on board with before you even crack the book open)? And my god, wear noseplugs if you go jet skiing. And try to cut back on shellfish.
As a book like The Heat Will Kill You First details (the single most required text for climate change that I've read in what is admittedly not a lengthy canon), so much of the danger in our environments is how interconnected everything is, how silent killers are tethered by invisible domino lines snaking over the world.
An abnormally hot day metabolizes local termite populations causing them to draw out the moisture in trees as they sate their turbo-charged appetite, and suddenly your forest is a tinderbox. If you put 100 of them in a room and asked them to name their top 100 threats on days of extreme heat warnings, how many people would think to even mention termites as a major danger of climate change? We are still finding numberless new ways for climate change to kill us like Agent 47 in a Hitman level.
The point being: My mind is open to new, terrifying ideas. Nothing is off the table.
That said, here is an area without a ton of usable meat on the bone. To extend the metaphor, there are some gripping, well-researched (I suppose the whole thing could be described that way, even the parts I don't care for) morsels about shifting baseline syndrome, the neurotransmitter activity related to forgetting, and brain-eating amoeba spawning in our overheated lakes.
Mostly though, there is fat. Lots of fat.
It mostly comes from Aldern's writing style, which is repetitive and far too preoccupied with delivering a lyrical flourish or a succinct bow that ties up one idea and propels us to another. Aldern is so concerned with these moments that he will sometimes unpack very similar concepts multiple times in order to really land that flourish. It is the *exact* kind of bloat that people associate with nonfiction books that, yes, sadly could have been a lengthy article (though to Aldern's credit, this topic, his research, and the scope of his ideas are worthy of the book format). It does not help that Aldern's more poetic turns often fail to inspire much reaction. Could be that these flourishes are unwelcome in a situation so dire and so a low rent Bill Nye explanation feels tacky or that this kind of writing is simply not a strength of is. I remember several instances in A Sand County Almanac or the aforementioned The Heat Will Kill You First that were shrieking cacophonies of minute detail working hard (and succeeding) to capture the situation through evocative language and using every inch of their poetic license. I liked it in those books, I found it annoying here.
But Aldern's writing style is hardly the thing that makes this somewhat of a lackluster read. I wouldn't say Aldern is prone to reaching on his points, but there are *many* instances where he goes on an odd tangent or forces a metaphor and you realize, a little awkwardly, that this is not some rickety transitionary idea but in fact the entire statement. One example: Aldern offers the analogy that because a loss of identity often leads to depression and anxiety, an environment losing its character (the example he uses in this section are the decapitated mountains in coal-towns littering Appalachia, a really sad state of affairs I wasn't fully aware of), that there is a similar sense of identity-loss. Yes, that's plausible. But rather than this being an entry point to talk about more neurology (as Aldern does in many places) or trigger the rube Goldberg to his next point, this is just the entire thought. And rather than heaping more research or examples onto these points, he often just drills the metaphor (which, as I've established, is not a strong suit for Aldern but neither is it painfully bad, to be clear).
As other reviewers have noted, this is an area in desperate need of more scholarship and research. I don't think Aldern has a shoddy basis for some of his bolder claims. It all tracks. There were rarely times where I thought that he was arguing something that seemed implausible or silly to argue (which would leave me with a much more negative impression of the book). Instead, though, the book is littered with suggestions that seem difficult to prove because the observation is mostly based in sentimentality (like the identity example above) rather than an empirical figure. I prefer the areas where he comes equipped with historical and scientific perspectives that bolster his argument than the more "creative" readings into how our world is changing. Still, I am extremely sympathetic and would probably even say many of the same things Aldern does if *I* were tasked with writing this book, so I've little room to judge or even say that I dislike it. But I have no background in neuroscience and our author does.
An enormously terrifying topic, if a wonky survey of it. It is also, in many ways, one of the texts that can make you more proactive as someone interested in climate justice (a common complaint about these kinds of books: "So what do I do! Nothing? Thanks!" which is a position I empathize with but cannot take seriously). It is not simply "the sun is baking your brain and there's no real way to prevent the splash damage"-- but instead a list of things to be on the lookout for as you catalog the changing Earth from your own perspective. How do you practice climate mindfulness (the kind of concept you need to be on board with before you even crack the book open)? And my god, wear noseplugs if you go jet skiing. And try to cut back on shellfish.
October 2, 2024
Admittedly, I’m not very interested in climate as a topic. Perhaps it is the political rhetoric.
However, this book was deep on the science and there were so many facts about the effects of higher temperatures on humans and animals. I pondered many of these after each chapter, including that with high temps; pitchers are more likely to hit batters, judges are less lenient, students do worse on tests, etc. This was true even if the buildings had air conditioning.
However, this book was deep on the science and there were so many facts about the effects of higher temperatures on humans and animals. I pondered many of these after each chapter, including that with high temps; pitchers are more likely to hit batters, judges are less lenient, students do worse on tests, etc. This was true even if the buildings had air conditioning.
March 9, 2024
I think I need to take a break from reading climatology books for awhile. They just make me sad, angry and depressed. There are simple changes to help excessive CO2 like changing what you eat, but food and what people eat is a heavy topic; everyone has an opinion. The grains being used to fatten up animals used in animal agriculture can be used to feed to feed the global population. That is just for starters....
There are just too many people globally using non-rewable resources like water. Do not even get me started about the destruction/pollution of the oceans.
Cutting down trees for other human needs when trees naturally absorb/protect us from CO2..
People globally do not want to admit that were also entering the era of the 6th extinction. General population does not realize if bees go extinct, that is the end of fruits, veggies, and most products used on a daily basis. Bees need protection.
This book tackles all these topics and more. It is just so sickening and depressing to think the planet is screwed.
Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, Clayton Page Aldern and Columbia Univeristy Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available:
4/9/2024
There are just too many people globally using non-rewable resources like water. Do not even get me started about the destruction/pollution of the oceans.
Cutting down trees for other human needs when trees naturally absorb/protect us from CO2..
People globally do not want to admit that were also entering the era of the 6th extinction. General population does not realize if bees go extinct, that is the end of fruits, veggies, and most products used on a daily basis. Bees need protection.
This book tackles all these topics and more. It is just so sickening and depressing to think the planet is screwed.
Recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, Clayton Page Aldern and Columbia Univeristy Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available:
4/9/2024
April 2, 2024
“When heat takes its place in your brain, it is pushing you out”.
After reading so many books and articles about the climate crisis, I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and original this was. Written with journalistic flair, it looks into the surprising links between rising temperatures and the behavior of the human brain.
It begins by exploring the question so many experts ask - why we don't act with sufficient urgency, why climate change is so hard to grasp. I found this part eye-opening. In later chapters, the author turns his attention to how our brains may be affected by our warming world - and while some similar physiological aspects have been described, for example, in the excellent The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet, here too he is able to discover totally unexpected effects and grim consequences. In the process, he ventures into so many areas of interest to me: zoonotic diseases, forest fires, animal senses, linguistics.
Aldern neatly sums up my own feelings when he writes that “climate anxiety is real. But the phrase is a misnomer. Anxiety, psychiatrically, suggests irrational fear. There is nothing irrational about worrying about collapse.” All this paints a rather apocalyptic picture, as the author himself admits - but he adds that “if we want a shot at warding off the coming neurological nightmare, we have to walk into this thing with open eyes”. And I agree. Everyone should read this book, it is too late to pretend that we can comfortably ignore what awaits us all. As Aldern writes towards the end, “Recognizing and welcoming our heavy planetary bonds may offer a means of realizing a societal response to the climate crisis—a manner in which we can build the connections that are necessary for the collective action that protest, policymaking, and accountability require. Anchored, steadied by grief, we can act”.
Thanks to the publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
After reading so many books and articles about the climate crisis, I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and original this was. Written with journalistic flair, it looks into the surprising links between rising temperatures and the behavior of the human brain.
It begins by exploring the question so many experts ask - why we don't act with sufficient urgency, why climate change is so hard to grasp. I found this part eye-opening. In later chapters, the author turns his attention to how our brains may be affected by our warming world - and while some similar physiological aspects have been described, for example, in the excellent The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet, here too he is able to discover totally unexpected effects and grim consequences. In the process, he ventures into so many areas of interest to me: zoonotic diseases, forest fires, animal senses, linguistics.
Aldern neatly sums up my own feelings when he writes that “climate anxiety is real. But the phrase is a misnomer. Anxiety, psychiatrically, suggests irrational fear. There is nothing irrational about worrying about collapse.” All this paints a rather apocalyptic picture, as the author himself admits - but he adds that “if we want a shot at warding off the coming neurological nightmare, we have to walk into this thing with open eyes”. And I agree. Everyone should read this book, it is too late to pretend that we can comfortably ignore what awaits us all. As Aldern writes towards the end, “Recognizing and welcoming our heavy planetary bonds may offer a means of realizing a societal response to the climate crisis—a manner in which we can build the connections that are necessary for the collective action that protest, policymaking, and accountability require. Anchored, steadied by grief, we can act”.
Thanks to the publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Read
July 29, 2024This was a valuable, eye opening read from my perspective as someone who does community organizing, but also works as a psychotherapist. I was already thinking about climate change in relation to migration & displacement and things like that, but had not really read up on the science and processes of how a changing climate can actually affect our bodies’ chemistry and things like executive function. The section of the book that spoke about how the brain uses glucose, for example, it was particularly fascinating. As a whole, this book is a call to awareness and action, rather than depressing perspective, and encourages us to mobilize and actually work together.
October 8, 2024
This book was an absolute mindfuck. I think many are aware that changes that are happening due to climate change but we don’t know how much it affects us at the cognitive and biological level. I’d absolutely recommend this to everyone who wants to know more about climatology or environmentalism. The only pet peeve was I felt the author went circles when trying to get his point across. Aside from that, overall, something I would reread again.
December 24, 2024
This book was interesting and informative, but the different sections felt a bit disjointed in my opinion. Additionally, it sometimes felt like the author "lost the plot," so to speak, and focused too heavily on things outside of the changing climate. I like that the book highlights the vast changes we'll see along with changing temperatures, storms, and general weather patterns, and even the second tier, domino-effect changes that will follow. However, the last section of the book got too far away from climate at times.
I appreciate the humanity/responsibility approach and perspective. There are no clear solutions laid out in this book, as there are no clear solutions for individuals affected by climate change, but there are some ideas suggested. The research is grim, yet not signalling the end to everything as we know it. Speaking of research, this book tends to be research and stats heavy, but that to me was expected. I did feel like it was all laid out in a way that was approachable and comprehensive for normies.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and would recommend it to those interested in the climate crisis from an academic, psychological perspective.
I appreciate the humanity/responsibility approach and perspective. There are no clear solutions laid out in this book, as there are no clear solutions for individuals affected by climate change, but there are some ideas suggested. The research is grim, yet not signalling the end to everything as we know it. Speaking of research, this book tends to be research and stats heavy, but that to me was expected. I did feel like it was all laid out in a way that was approachable and comprehensive for normies.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and would recommend it to those interested in the climate crisis from an academic, psychological perspective.
June 19, 2024
This is not a book I ordinarily choose to read, because I like stories that are fictional. I wish this book about climate change was fictional, but sadly is not.
However, I did enjoy this book because human behavior is affected by weather and rising temperatures and it’s a good thing someone is finally making this information clear, concise and easy to understand.
I found each chapter very interesting in the ways nature affects us. One particularly has basically convinced me to never swim in a lake again. I recently noticed signs on the beach of Lake Erie’s western basin shore warning beachgoers about the dangers of algae. I don’t think I would have correlated climate change and those signs together before.
Thanks to the book, I am certainly more aware.
However, I did enjoy this book because human behavior is affected by weather and rising temperatures and it’s a good thing someone is finally making this information clear, concise and easy to understand.
I found each chapter very interesting in the ways nature affects us. One particularly has basically convinced me to never swim in a lake again. I recently noticed signs on the beach of Lake Erie’s western basin shore warning beachgoers about the dangers of algae. I don’t think I would have correlated climate change and those signs together before.
Thanks to the book, I am certainly more aware.
July 31, 2024
Brilliant and devastating. I will be thinking about the way the warming planet is making us more forgetful, the loss of shades of green, and the drift away from indigenous languages resulting in the loss of understanding of natural phenomena for years to come. My loved ones are sick of hearing about me talk about brain eating amoebas but damn this book taught me so much about the way human impact on the planet is literally chipping away at our brain power. This is the kind of book that I want a physical copy to mark up and revisit over and over again.
February 6, 2025
In could not finish this book in fact, I really couldn’t get into it. The author was writing it and besides it being a depressing book, his voice was depressing. I did not see anyway that he was going to help mitigate a depression caused by this book. Yes there is climate change. Yes, we should do something about it. Yes, I am trying my best and the rest of the country has to do their best too.
August 20, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this one, and found the perspective unexpected and interesting. Rather than a scientific book about how the climate is changing, this is a surprisingly philosophical book about how the climate is changing us.
From physical effects such as how heat impacts the brain's ability to function properly (related to forming memories, general energy and performance in cognition, and increases in aggressive behavior), to things like the increasing occurrence of disease brought on by heat-fueled toxic algae blooms or the infamous "brain-eating amoebas," to the effects of things like wildfires on mental stability and community resilience- every chapter was both interesting and a bit overwhelming in its sadness.
If you don't normally enjoy science books, then I would still recommend you give this a shot as it was filled with science but written in a more poetic way, similar to Robert Macfarlane's Underland: A Deep Time Journey except less upbeat.
I really liked this one, and found the perspective unexpected and interesting. Rather than a scientific book about how the climate is changing, this is a surprisingly philosophical book about how the climate is changing us.
From physical effects such as how heat impacts the brain's ability to function properly (related to forming memories, general energy and performance in cognition, and increases in aggressive behavior), to things like the increasing occurrence of disease brought on by heat-fueled toxic algae blooms or the infamous "brain-eating amoebas," to the effects of things like wildfires on mental stability and community resilience- every chapter was both interesting and a bit overwhelming in its sadness.
If you don't normally enjoy science books, then I would still recommend you give this a shot as it was filled with science but written in a more poetic way, similar to Robert Macfarlane's Underland: A Deep Time Journey except less upbeat.
November 19, 2024
4.5 rounded up, this is excellent, a different avenue of climate change change that we are seeing and will increasingly continue to see - how our minds and bodies will respond to warmer weather, increased parasites and diseases, natural disasters that cannot be predicted or controlled. I knew the heat made me grumpy, but here's a whole book justifying it. There is a lot in here to unpack and further study, definitely reread worthy.
June 1, 2025
"The weight of nature is an anchor and it binds us to this world."
With any book about climate change, I feel a sense of dread and need to do something, anything, now alongside the overwhelming fear that it's too late and we've doomed ourselves for the sake of comfort and money.
This book also takes on the way in which climate change affects our brains. From the post traumatic stress from ecological disasters to the loss linguistical connections, there is a lot packed into this book. An important and interesting read!
With any book about climate change, I feel a sense of dread and need to do something, anything, now alongside the overwhelming fear that it's too late and we've doomed ourselves for the sake of comfort and money.
This book also takes on the way in which climate change affects our brains. From the post traumatic stress from ecological disasters to the loss linguistical connections, there is a lot packed into this book. An important and interesting read!
October 2, 2025
So much to unpack in this book and so many reasons to be anxious and afraid because our world IS changing and policies don’t reflect this. It was an informative and awakening read. I especially liked the spotlights on indigenous cultures and languages. Human rights and environmental justice is so intertwined and I’m glad that this book addressed this. But sheesh I’m lowkey afraid of swimming in lakes now in case I breathe in amoebas.
May 13, 2025
really well written. really hard to listen to.
this book is not about climate change -- it is about the way our brains work, and explores how each of these things is influenced by our warming climate
this book is not about climate change -- it is about the way our brains work, and explores how each of these things is influenced by our warming climate
June 8, 2024
Really really good.
July 13, 2026
This book is a somewhat pessimistic view of how a warming climate is affecting us humans. As early as 1896, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius puts out in a study the idea that burning fossil fuels and releasing CO2 into the atmosphere could create a greenhouse/warming effect.
This heating is affecting the planet, people, students, and we are not doing enough to prevent this heat!
The book advocates for balance and taking care of ourselves "AND" our precious planet, the only one like it that we know of. We need to address these issues NOW.
This heating is affecting the planet, people, students, and we are not doing enough to prevent this heat!
The book advocates for balance and taking care of ourselves "AND" our precious planet, the only one like it that we know of. We need to address these issues NOW.
September 14, 2024
Spoiler: it’s not good news.
December 27, 2025
Very interesting analytical take on how the brain is responding to climate change. Brain eating amoeba is spooky.
June 4, 2024
An intriguing investigation into many dimensions of humanity affected by climate -and specifically how climate change can detract from our experiences in these dimensions. A little complex and repetitive , maybe a little disjointed at times, but it did give me much to think about. 4.5 rounded up.
April 21, 2024
How many times does one need to make the same points?? Better editing might have helped...
February 11, 2025
Chilling, compulsive reading covering a diverse range of interconnected subjects. Despite the grim details I would have enjoyed reading more related to the first three quarters of this book. Yes please, tell me more about vampire bats social life and brain eating amoeba!
So what happened during the final quarter? Despite the writing still being excellent the subject matter felt disconnected from the first portion. Ultimately, as the book drew to a closer I appreciated what the author had in mind but for me it really took me out of the book and I struggled to stay focused and appreciate the book as a cohesive whole. I believe with another few passes and some insight from his editor this would have been a phenomenal book vs an excellent but moderately flawed book that didn't quite stick the landing for me.
That said, I learned SO much! Here are a few of my favorite observations from the book:
"Friston's theory formalizes this logic at multiple scales of analysis. It says the point of all living things is to maximize evidence for their own model-their own existence-to minimize the surprise they encounter in the world, relative to their current understanding of the relationship between causes and consequences. The causes, here, amount to reality: the everything outside ourselves. The consequences are our percep- tions of this world-the sensations we feel when navigating our envi- ronments. When our expectations match our perceptions, our brains are doing a good job. When they don't, we adjust accordingly. We adapt.
"Outsize influence is resonance and oscillation. It is the thing that causes complex dynamical systems to falter."
"Sustainable self-evidencing - that's it. That's the meaning of life, if there's one to be dug up. That is what it means TO BE."
"Yes, sure, we are all connected. But that's boring. What's not boring is the fact that despite the porous boundaries between us, and in addition to the interconnectedness of the individual and its environment, we also share a defi- nition of success with every other thing that physically exists, at any scale. "Sustainability" means the same thing for everything."
So what happened during the final quarter? Despite the writing still being excellent the subject matter felt disconnected from the first portion. Ultimately, as the book drew to a closer I appreciated what the author had in mind but for me it really took me out of the book and I struggled to stay focused and appreciate the book as a cohesive whole. I believe with another few passes and some insight from his editor this would have been a phenomenal book vs an excellent but moderately flawed book that didn't quite stick the landing for me.
That said, I learned SO much! Here are a few of my favorite observations from the book:
"Friston's theory formalizes this logic at multiple scales of analysis. It says the point of all living things is to maximize evidence for their own model-their own existence-to minimize the surprise they encounter in the world, relative to their current understanding of the relationship between causes and consequences. The causes, here, amount to reality: the everything outside ourselves. The consequences are our percep- tions of this world-the sensations we feel when navigating our envi- ronments. When our expectations match our perceptions, our brains are doing a good job. When they don't, we adjust accordingly. We adapt.
"Outsize influence is resonance and oscillation. It is the thing that causes complex dynamical systems to falter."
"Sustainable self-evidencing - that's it. That's the meaning of life, if there's one to be dug up. That is what it means TO BE."
"Yes, sure, we are all connected. But that's boring. What's not boring is the fact that despite the porous boundaries between us, and in addition to the interconnectedness of the individual and its environment, we also share a defi- nition of success with every other thing that physically exists, at any scale. "Sustainability" means the same thing for everything."
March 11, 2025
Audiobook listen to this one. Very interesting topic. I like how he weaved in vignettes that complemented the scientific studies he referenced. I feel like there wasn’t groundbreaking information however besides just putting a number or a p-value to observations I’ve already made. For example, people are quicker to anger, irrationality, and have lower test scores on hotter days.
This book gave me a better picture of the current state of climate change and taught me new terms to use such as climate anxiety. However, I feel like the story that stuck with me the most was brain eating amoeba thriving in lakes with warmer temperatures. I think strays from the intent of the book because it isn’t a neurological impact and has such a low prevalence. Another detracting topic was the idea of language loss due to climate change. Yes, I agree that this is tragic and action should be taken to mitigate, but there are greater forces at work stripping language from people and this just felt off.
Overall I would recommend this read or listen. I think this work opens up the conversation for more research on the impact of climate change on us. Maybe the lens of personal ramifications has a better chance of spurring change for world and industry leaders.
This book gave me a better picture of the current state of climate change and taught me new terms to use such as climate anxiety. However, I feel like the story that stuck with me the most was brain eating amoeba thriving in lakes with warmer temperatures. I think strays from the intent of the book because it isn’t a neurological impact and has such a low prevalence. Another detracting topic was the idea of language loss due to climate change. Yes, I agree that this is tragic and action should be taken to mitigate, but there are greater forces at work stripping language from people and this just felt off.
Overall I would recommend this read or listen. I think this work opens up the conversation for more research on the impact of climate change on us. Maybe the lens of personal ramifications has a better chance of spurring change for world and industry leaders.
September 16, 2024
I believe climate change is real. I believe we should be putting more collective attention towards it than we do. While sometimes tough to read I believe a level of alarmism is needed. That being said this book seems to stray too far into fear mongering and seemingly focused too much on what ‘could’ happen and less about potential solutions or strategies. At points the book is pretty repetitive and strays from some key questions. It’s clearly no question that rising temperatures have potential negative effects on the brain but there is no discussion on how typically hot environments have already evolved. Said differently - wouldn’t tropical environments naturally have these problems already with hot temperatures consistently? Towards the end of the book he dives into the loss of language due to climate change - while I’m not denying that it read as a pretty big stretch while glossing over the larger issues of globalization. Was almost a DNF but stuck with it because I was actually engaged with how frustrating I found the book to be while overall really interested in the topic (and solutions and strategies that never presented themselves!)
January 8, 2025
41%
The problem with books like this is that it makes people that are actually successfully advocating for climate change initiatives sound absolutely unbalanced. The author could not keep his ADHD in check, which maybe we can tease out as a result of climate change and the heat rising, but who knows? Going on so many different tangents here, poetic nature, mindlessness. If he's a scientist, he's not a very smart scientist. Because there was a lot of stuff in here that should not have been in here because it doesn't add to the narrative of combating climate change. Instead, we just complain about it and then go off on some weird side quest tangents where we are just totally winging it. I like winging it too sometimes, but there's a time and a place for it. If we're advocating for climate change, let's not wing it and give opposition a chance to say that we're unbalanced like the author is doing right here.
The problem with books like this is that it makes people that are actually successfully advocating for climate change initiatives sound absolutely unbalanced. The author could not keep his ADHD in check, which maybe we can tease out as a result of climate change and the heat rising, but who knows? Going on so many different tangents here, poetic nature, mindlessness. If he's a scientist, he's not a very smart scientist. Because there was a lot of stuff in here that should not have been in here because it doesn't add to the narrative of combating climate change. Instead, we just complain about it and then go off on some weird side quest tangents where we are just totally winging it. I like winging it too sometimes, but there's a time and a place for it. If we're advocating for climate change, let's not wing it and give opposition a chance to say that we're unbalanced like the author is doing right here.
February 17, 2025
Our actions are the worlds sensations, and our sensations are the worlds actions. It’s all a dance. (P.g 202)
Admittedly not what I thought it was going to be going into it. Overall a good read with some very good nuggets of information. I thought the part about political instability was interesting and loved the part about karl fristons theory of everything. There was a lot of parts where I wish we went into a bit more detail (like science-y detail) and some where it felt too sentimental (like reading an interpretative dance)
Read like a lot of little stories of the authors life while he mused on climate change.
Side note: I Oscillated between knowing all the information and needing to read super slowly and still feeling dumb lol
Admittedly not what I thought it was going to be going into it. Overall a good read with some very good nuggets of information. I thought the part about political instability was interesting and loved the part about karl fristons theory of everything. There was a lot of parts where I wish we went into a bit more detail (like science-y detail) and some where it felt too sentimental (like reading an interpretative dance)
Read like a lot of little stories of the authors life while he mused on climate change.
Side note: I Oscillated between knowing all the information and needing to read super slowly and still feeling dumb lol
April 28, 2026
Interesting concept but he misses the forest for the trees. Natural selection is the engine of life. Evolution is the response. Yes our world is changing, and drastically so, but that is the norm not the exception. Planet earth is a dynamic system and should be acknowledged as such. He points out that Cyanobacteria changed the composition of the air spewing out oxygen and eventually leading to the existence of all oxygen breathing organisms including us… but then discussed at length how those same Cyanobacteria are harming us. You can’t have your cake and eat it to Clayton. Also your neuroscience is off at times.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews