What do you think?
Rate this book
The Human Age: The World Shaped By Us
Award-winning nature writer Diane Ackerman confronts the fact that the human race is now the single dominant force of change on the planet. Humans have "subdued 75 per cent of the land surface, concocted a wizardry of industrial and medical marvels, strung lights all across the darkness." We now collect the DNA of vanishing species in a "frozen ark," equip orangutans with iPads, create wearable technologies and synthetic species that might one day outsmart us. With her distinctive gift for making scientific discovery intelligible to the layperson, Ackerman takes us on an exciting journey to understand this bewildering new reality, introducing us to many of the people and ideas now creating--perhaps saving--the future.
The Human Ageis a surprising, optimistic engagement with the dramatic transformations that have shaped, and continue to alter, our world, our relationship with nature and our prospects for the future.
The Human Ageis a surprising, optimistic engagement with the dramatic transformations that have shaped, and continue to alter, our world, our relationship with nature and our prospects for the future.
344 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2014
190 people are currently reading
4899 people want to read
About the author
Diane Ackerman
71 books1,106 followersDiane Ackerman has been the finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in addition to many other awards and recognitions for her work, which include the bestsellers The Zookeeper’s Wife and A Natural History of the Senses.
The Zookeeper’s Wife, a little known true story of WWII, became a New York Times bestseller, and received the Orion Book Award, which honored it as, "a groundbreaking work of nonfiction." A movie of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, releases in theaters March 31st, 2017 from Focus Features.
She lives with her husband Paul West in Ithaca, New York.
The Zookeeper’s Wife, a little known true story of WWII, became a New York Times bestseller, and received the Orion Book Award, which honored it as, "a groundbreaking work of nonfiction." A movie of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, releases in theaters March 31st, 2017 from Focus Features.
She lives with her husband Paul West in Ithaca, New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
September 2, 2015
Ehhh... more like 2.5 stars. The writing was bad - journalistic at times, downright cringe-worthy at others (something about a father's voice "so husky it could haul a sled" eeuuurrrgggh). The tone was reverential, upbeat and hopeful in the face of discussions of mass extinctions and the price the planet will pay for our time on earth. And some of the details were just... made up. Like she read human features in the faces of sheep that had human cells in their organs. I would bet a lot of money Ackerman couldn't pick these supposedly human-looking specimens out of a lineup because spoiler alert they look like completely normal sheep (which I discovered through the magic of the internet). Ackerman uses offensive terms like "cr*ppled" and "g*psy" because it's fucking 1985 apparently. She also speaks of autism as a "disease" and then makes sweeping generalizations about human behavior without so much as a nod to neurodivergence. If "we" are all as "connected" as she insists, maybe she could do a quick google search to reveal how antiquated and harmful her terminology often is?
All that said, I did learn some things. Thanks to some truly purple prose, I did not enjoy learning those things.
All that said, I did learn some things. Thanks to some truly purple prose, I did not enjoy learning those things.
February 13, 2018
Narrated by Barbara Caruso who also narrated Sue Hubbell's books Broadsides from the Other Orders: A Book of Bugs & Waiting for Aphrodite: Journeys into the Time Before Bones. This book is very much in the same vein, often almost poetic yet filled with facts & interesting tidbits.
The Good:
I really liked how she frames our current age in the eyes of a researcher from the future studying what is left behind after a geologic age or two. What fossils will we leave? What strange chemicals & materials will be found in layers of rock? It's a good perspective to take since ours is typically so short.
As she points out, a long time to us is an eye blink in geologic time or even that of many types of plants & animals. Trilobytes died out a quarter of a billion years ago & yet thrived for as long. By comparison, human-like beings have only been around for a quarter of a million years with modern, sentient humans for roughly a fifth of that time. The Industrial Age is only a couple of centuries old & it's during this time when we have changed the planet as much as the other great extinction events in the 4.5 billion years of Earth's history.
She's of the opinion that technology got us into this mess & it should be used to get us out of it, although she doesn't state it as directly as Asimov did. She gives a lot of great examples of new or maturing technologies that are minimizing out impact on the environment. Some were new to me, especially some in exotic locales, but few were explored in any depth which was a problem at times.
She didn't do very well at robotics & AI, but did a great job with genes, epigenetics, & our microbiome. All of which combined to ask some great questions about how we define humanity, self awareness, & intelligence. I think Harrari does a better job in Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, but she asks the questions in a warmer way than he did with his algorithms.
Her travels gave her a great overview of the world which helped the wandering style of the book. She covers a lot of range, but is definitely but is definitely best when sticking to softer subjects. There were some great insights & even funny moments. I forget the context & the exact wording, but she said something about as the great sage put it, "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it." which about had me rolling. I never thought of Cole Porter in that way & tend to hear Joan Jett doing "Tank Girl" or see the chorus scene anyway.
The Bad:
She gets too humanistic at times. One quote was something about 'rabies knows anger & rage better than we know it ourselves'. Attributing volition or knowledge to diseases is ridiculous. It really undermined an otherwise great presentation on just how much bacteria can steer our thinking. She used Toxoplasmosis example, even extending it beyond the rat-cat cycle.
She has a tendency to use numbers to make a point without putting them in perspective & even suggests incorrect correlations such as when she compares solar energy station outputs with that of others. Storing energy in sufficient quantity is still very difficult & inefficient, so comparing it directly to stable power sources doesn't work without a lot of qualifications. She provides none. She ignores the danger of promoting industrialization & subsequent colonization in marginal areas like the Nevada desert, too.
Her description of the Swedish Solar Stirling Engine Plant had me thinking it was far better than a little research showed it is. It makes me wonder just what the ROI is on any of the schemes she promotes such as gathering the heat of commuters from subway stations.
ROI is ALWAYS a consideration. I've looked into alternative energy sources for my own farm & wouldn't mind paying a little extra to help the environment, but the last time I looked at wind turbines, it would have been a ridiculous investment of time & money. I can't afford to lay out $10,000 & only see a $2500 return in 5 years.
Her views on living with wildlife are idyllic at best. In dealing with pests & invasive species, she's unbelievably naive. She mentions collecting 1,000 pythons out of the Everglades in a decade, says there are an estimated 30,000, tells of one with 86 eggs, & yet makes it sound as if eradicating them is a possibility. Seriously? She didn't mention New Zealand's issues with rats, Australia's with rabbits, or ours with Gypsy moths. Hasn't she read Silent Spring? While we've gotten a little better, government attempts to eradicate pests are often far worse than the pests themselves.
Heck, our government is the reason we have a lot of the pests in the first place. Multifloral rose was actively planted by Federal mandate to halt erosion after their half-assed assessment assured them it wouldn't spread by seed. They only tested with 3 species of birds, all of which had gravels, though. Song birds don't, weren't tested & wound up being perfect Johnny Roseseeds. Not only do they prep the seed by dissolving the protective skin, but deposit it with fertilizer & moisture when they poop.
Her idea that large crop farming is hampered by crops which can't reproduce 'naturally' or patented seeds is ridiculous. There's very little natural about how wheat has stayed ahead of wheat rust nor should there be & seeds have been patented for over a century. Her use of the 'organic' label as something good is silly. Bt is used on organic corn, just not engineered in. Some of the 'natural' chemicals allowed are far worse than their manufactured counterparts & lack the quality controls. While she has a lot of company in her belief, I expected better from her. She needs to spend less time traveling to exotic locales & spend a little more time at home with local farmers & research what the 'organic' label really means.
Overall it was an enjoyable look at the Anthropocene epoch, if one that lacked some critical details & played a bit loose with facts. Considering the territory she covered, that was inevitable. She asked some good questions & showed a pretty balanced view overall. I'll give it 3.5 stars & round up to 4, but with a warning not to take everything she says at face value.
The Good:
I really liked how she frames our current age in the eyes of a researcher from the future studying what is left behind after a geologic age or two. What fossils will we leave? What strange chemicals & materials will be found in layers of rock? It's a good perspective to take since ours is typically so short.
As she points out, a long time to us is an eye blink in geologic time or even that of many types of plants & animals. Trilobytes died out a quarter of a billion years ago & yet thrived for as long. By comparison, human-like beings have only been around for a quarter of a million years with modern, sentient humans for roughly a fifth of that time. The Industrial Age is only a couple of centuries old & it's during this time when we have changed the planet as much as the other great extinction events in the 4.5 billion years of Earth's history.
She's of the opinion that technology got us into this mess & it should be used to get us out of it, although she doesn't state it as directly as Asimov did. She gives a lot of great examples of new or maturing technologies that are minimizing out impact on the environment. Some were new to me, especially some in exotic locales, but few were explored in any depth which was a problem at times.
She didn't do very well at robotics & AI, but did a great job with genes, epigenetics, & our microbiome. All of which combined to ask some great questions about how we define humanity, self awareness, & intelligence. I think Harrari does a better job in Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, but she asks the questions in a warmer way than he did with his algorithms.
Her travels gave her a great overview of the world which helped the wandering style of the book. She covers a lot of range, but is definitely but is definitely best when sticking to softer subjects. There were some great insights & even funny moments. I forget the context & the exact wording, but she said something about as the great sage put it, "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it." which about had me rolling. I never thought of Cole Porter in that way & tend to hear Joan Jett doing "Tank Girl" or see the chorus scene anyway.
The Bad:
She gets too humanistic at times. One quote was something about 'rabies knows anger & rage better than we know it ourselves'. Attributing volition or knowledge to diseases is ridiculous. It really undermined an otherwise great presentation on just how much bacteria can steer our thinking. She used Toxoplasmosis example, even extending it beyond the rat-cat cycle.
She has a tendency to use numbers to make a point without putting them in perspective & even suggests incorrect correlations such as when she compares solar energy station outputs with that of others. Storing energy in sufficient quantity is still very difficult & inefficient, so comparing it directly to stable power sources doesn't work without a lot of qualifications. She provides none. She ignores the danger of promoting industrialization & subsequent colonization in marginal areas like the Nevada desert, too.
Her description of the Swedish Solar Stirling Engine Plant had me thinking it was far better than a little research showed it is. It makes me wonder just what the ROI is on any of the schemes she promotes such as gathering the heat of commuters from subway stations.
ROI is ALWAYS a consideration. I've looked into alternative energy sources for my own farm & wouldn't mind paying a little extra to help the environment, but the last time I looked at wind turbines, it would have been a ridiculous investment of time & money. I can't afford to lay out $10,000 & only see a $2500 return in 5 years.
Her views on living with wildlife are idyllic at best. In dealing with pests & invasive species, she's unbelievably naive. She mentions collecting 1,000 pythons out of the Everglades in a decade, says there are an estimated 30,000, tells of one with 86 eggs, & yet makes it sound as if eradicating them is a possibility. Seriously? She didn't mention New Zealand's issues with rats, Australia's with rabbits, or ours with Gypsy moths. Hasn't she read Silent Spring? While we've gotten a little better, government attempts to eradicate pests are often far worse than the pests themselves.
Heck, our government is the reason we have a lot of the pests in the first place. Multifloral rose was actively planted by Federal mandate to halt erosion after their half-assed assessment assured them it wouldn't spread by seed. They only tested with 3 species of birds, all of which had gravels, though. Song birds don't, weren't tested & wound up being perfect Johnny Roseseeds. Not only do they prep the seed by dissolving the protective skin, but deposit it with fertilizer & moisture when they poop.
Her idea that large crop farming is hampered by crops which can't reproduce 'naturally' or patented seeds is ridiculous. There's very little natural about how wheat has stayed ahead of wheat rust nor should there be & seeds have been patented for over a century. Her use of the 'organic' label as something good is silly. Bt is used on organic corn, just not engineered in. Some of the 'natural' chemicals allowed are far worse than their manufactured counterparts & lack the quality controls. While she has a lot of company in her belief, I expected better from her. She needs to spend less time traveling to exotic locales & spend a little more time at home with local farmers & research what the 'organic' label really means.
Overall it was an enjoyable look at the Anthropocene epoch, if one that lacked some critical details & played a bit loose with facts. Considering the territory she covered, that was inevitable. She asked some good questions & showed a pretty balanced view overall. I'll give it 3.5 stars & round up to 4, but with a warning not to take everything she says at face value.
April 16, 2019
Five stars because it deserves 4.5... and everyone should read it, and almost everyone will enjoy and/or learn something from it. For those people who are still heedless of their impact on Mother Nature, some of the interlinked essays will, I hope, serve as prod. For those people who despair, many of the essays give hope that our inventiveness will enable us to live better within our biosphere.
Yes, as others have mentioned, Ackerman covers a lot of ground. It's a survey - there's a list of books "For Further Reading." Here we get anecdotes, outlines, ideas. And, yes, her prose is almost purple. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on the reader; I definitely prefer it to the dry academic tone of some serious science books, or the forced wit of some pop science books.
Bladeless wind turbines, 3D printing of organs, vertical gardens on skyscrapers, more of our body is microbes than human, sustainable mariculture, epigenetics, not just a disconnect from real life but also more myopia from our immersion in our devices, invasive species, Apps for Apes, palm oil in our products kills orangutans, mind-controlled prosthetics, bringing extinct species back to life, bringing AL to AI, treated wastewater getting further filtered through places like the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, etc. So much to learn about! Even:
"From her early years of seventeen to twenty-one, [Mary] Shelley was herself consumed by physical creation and literally sparking life, becoming pregnant and giving birth repeatedly, only to have three of her four children die soon after birth. She was constantly pregnant, nursing, or mourning--creating and being depleted by her own creations."
And just one example of the writing style: "About 500,000 nanometers would fit in the period at the end of this sentence, with room left over for a rave of microbes and a dictator's heart."
Yes, as others have mentioned, Ackerman covers a lot of ground. It's a survey - there's a list of books "For Further Reading." Here we get anecdotes, outlines, ideas. And, yes, her prose is almost purple. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on the reader; I definitely prefer it to the dry academic tone of some serious science books, or the forced wit of some pop science books.
Bladeless wind turbines, 3D printing of organs, vertical gardens on skyscrapers, more of our body is microbes than human, sustainable mariculture, epigenetics, not just a disconnect from real life but also more myopia from our immersion in our devices, invasive species, Apps for Apes, palm oil in our products kills orangutans, mind-controlled prosthetics, bringing extinct species back to life, bringing AL to AI, treated wastewater getting further filtered through places like the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, etc. So much to learn about! Even:
"From her early years of seventeen to twenty-one, [Mary] Shelley was herself consumed by physical creation and literally sparking life, becoming pregnant and giving birth repeatedly, only to have three of her four children die soon after birth. She was constantly pregnant, nursing, or mourning--creating and being depleted by her own creations."
And just one example of the writing style: "About 500,000 nanometers would fit in the period at the end of this sentence, with room left over for a rave of microbes and a dictator's heart."
September 25, 2014
I got a proof copy of this from Bookbridgr, so I'm not sure how many of the issues are going to be dealt with before the completed book is rolled out. There were still a lot of errors at this stage -- a bit where some words were struck out, problems with punctuation, etc. I think the purple prose will be there to stay, though; the writing isn't terrible, but it's rather overloaded, and I'm not keen on Ackerman's flights of imagination. It's one thing to imagine the trace we're leaving on the earth for future archaeologists, it's another to imagine those future archaeologists. That's science fiction, which I don't have any argument with, but I don't tend to like it when that crosses over into my supposed non-fiction.
Ackerman picked an interesting topic, though, and aside from the blizzard of adjectives, this book is an easy read. It's not a pessimistic humans-are-destroying-the-world sort of book; at one point she mentions the idea of (some) industrial landscapes being beautiful, which is apparently a growing tourist thing in some parts of the world.
Her chapters are short, though her sentences are long, and all in all it's a quick one. I'm not impressed by her writing style, but I would like to read more on the same topic with a similar outlook.
Ackerman picked an interesting topic, though, and aside from the blizzard of adjectives, this book is an easy read. It's not a pessimistic humans-are-destroying-the-world sort of book; at one point she mentions the idea of (some) industrial landscapes being beautiful, which is apparently a growing tourist thing in some parts of the world.
Her chapters are short, though her sentences are long, and all in all it's a quick one. I'm not impressed by her writing style, but I would like to read more on the same topic with a similar outlook.
August 3, 2014
Welcome to the Anthropocene Era
Apes playing with iPads, Japanese tourists visiting industrial sites, the great black marble that is the earth ringed with lights at night: all these are manifestations of the Anthropocene Era, the era in which man is the dominant force shaping the world.
The book is a series of stories each in a separate chapter ranging from nature to technology to the human body. I found each chapter well written, almost poetic. Whether you agree with her position that the way man has used and abused the environment is remediable not necessarily by using more technology but by modifying our behavior, including industrial and social behavior, she makes interesting points.
The ending chapters on the human body, particularly the factors we are beginning to understand in how our DNA influences what we become and the role played by the environment, were my favorite chapters, but there are other excellent sections ranging from the sea to outer space.
I highly recommend this book if you're interested in science, technology and the study of the human body. It's not a text book. It's an enjoyable read that gives you ideas to challenge the way you view the world.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
Apes playing with iPads, Japanese tourists visiting industrial sites, the great black marble that is the earth ringed with lights at night: all these are manifestations of the Anthropocene Era, the era in which man is the dominant force shaping the world.
The book is a series of stories each in a separate chapter ranging from nature to technology to the human body. I found each chapter well written, almost poetic. Whether you agree with her position that the way man has used and abused the environment is remediable not necessarily by using more technology but by modifying our behavior, including industrial and social behavior, she makes interesting points.
The ending chapters on the human body, particularly the factors we are beginning to understand in how our DNA influences what we become and the role played by the environment, were my favorite chapters, but there are other excellent sections ranging from the sea to outer space.
I highly recommend this book if you're interested in science, technology and the study of the human body. It's not a text book. It's an enjoyable read that gives you ideas to challenge the way you view the world.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.
March 4, 2015
I think the author tried to cram too many subjects into the book. With a title like that, admittedly it's a lot of ground to cover. I thought it would be mainly about how we have altered the physical landscape and ecosystems of the Earth, but it also went into how the latest technologies have reshaped our definition of being human beings ala cybernetics and robotics and 3D printed organs and body parts. Chapters on invasive species, climate change and mass extinction were expected, but there were also those on our advances in medical knowledge of genetics and the ecology of microbes in our bodies that were a little off topic, I felt. Overall the book felt more like a collection of various articles that are about current trends in biology and medical science. It is a celebration of human ingenuity without tempering it with caution and the realization that our impact on the environment has mainly been very negative, not just for other life but ultimately for our own future. Indeed, we already have all the technology and knowledge we need to avert the crisis of overshoot, so it is cultural and behavioral change that we need desperately to save the human race, not glorification of technology, which is what this book is mainly about.
The language is evocative and even flowery at times, which was pleasantly surprising for a book about science and technology. However it could have been better footnoted and referenced, what with all the cutting edge research and at times incredible statements made. Instead we are given a long list of 'further reading' at the end, which was not even ordered by chapter or topic.
The language is evocative and even flowery at times, which was pleasantly surprising for a book about science and technology. However it could have been better footnoted and referenced, what with all the cutting edge research and at times incredible statements made. Instead we are given a long list of 'further reading' at the end, which was not even ordered by chapter or topic.
November 15, 2014
It seems like I should have really liked this book, but I ended up not quite finishing it. It covers some very interesting topics about how human beings have shaped, and continue to shape, the world we live in, and it is very optimistic about how we can use our cleverness to solve the problems that our own cleverness has caused. Ackerman covers some very cool projects and technologies.
But I think that was one of my problems with the book: it covers SO much, and necessarily just at the surface level, that I felt overwhelmed and disoriented reading it. Also, I'm just not crazy about Ackerman's over-the-top writing style, way too many similes, some of them lovely but others weird and forced.
I think others might really enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.
But I think that was one of my problems with the book: it covers SO much, and necessarily just at the surface level, that I felt overwhelmed and disoriented reading it. Also, I'm just not crazy about Ackerman's over-the-top writing style, way too many similes, some of them lovely but others weird and forced.
I think others might really enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.
October 23, 2014
Using her wonderfully poetic language, Ackerman takes a long look at the impact we have on our earth. Calling this epoch of geological history Anthropocene, or the Human Age, she presents world-wide examples of how we are trying to mitigate the effects of humans on all aspects of our planet. She examines, among other things, changes in animal habitats and migrations, the warming of our climate, the changing oceans and the constant battle to supplant fossil fuels with other energy resources. Some responses to theses issues are definitely off the wall, but others show great promise. We need to address our resistance to change.
November 18, 2017
Wonderful look at all the things that make us what we are, and the effect we have on the planet. A series of essays that are lyrically and beautifully written, making us think, alternately depressing and inspiring.
September 2, 2014
»I received this book for free in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway«
At first, I wasn't aware that this was going to be a non-fiction read or that Diane Ackerman is usually a science writer (I was only aware of her fictional book, "The Zookeeper's Wife"). However, this book turned out to be absolutely fascinating!
The book covers the ability we, Homo Sapiens, have to vastly change our world through technology and exponentially advancing know-how. While it addresses the obvious negative effects we have on our environment and the planet, it's not all "doom-&-gloom".
Instead, the book is more focused on how we can better the environment by adapting and changing with the changing climate, developing intelligent "green" urban solutions and redefining our concept of what it means to be a human in this Human Age or the Anthropocene.
The ingenuity of humans to create an eco-friendly environment from existing buildings, railways and other man-made items is incredible and happening at present. But also, the advances in genetics and artificial intelligence is redefining the world and our future as we know it.
If you are interested in science, presented in a clear and straightforward manner, you should enjoy this book. Many of the advancements being made these days are straight from the world of science fiction; 3D printing of organs and body parts; robots learning from the environment to create robots-with-personalities; and influencing our health and medicine through changing the microbiotic composition of our bodies.
Overall, a smart and interesting read.
At first, I wasn't aware that this was going to be a non-fiction read or that Diane Ackerman is usually a science writer (I was only aware of her fictional book, "The Zookeeper's Wife"). However, this book turned out to be absolutely fascinating!
The book covers the ability we, Homo Sapiens, have to vastly change our world through technology and exponentially advancing know-how. While it addresses the obvious negative effects we have on our environment and the planet, it's not all "doom-&-gloom".
Instead, the book is more focused on how we can better the environment by adapting and changing with the changing climate, developing intelligent "green" urban solutions and redefining our concept of what it means to be a human in this Human Age or the Anthropocene.
The ingenuity of humans to create an eco-friendly environment from existing buildings, railways and other man-made items is incredible and happening at present. But also, the advances in genetics and artificial intelligence is redefining the world and our future as we know it.
If you are interested in science, presented in a clear and straightforward manner, you should enjoy this book. Many of the advancements being made these days are straight from the world of science fiction; 3D printing of organs and body parts; robots learning from the environment to create robots-with-personalities; and influencing our health and medicine through changing the microbiotic composition of our bodies.
Overall, a smart and interesting read.
October 15, 2014
This book really is amazing. I've read many of her books and learned a lot from each one. Here she points out how humans have shaped the entire planet beginning with planting crops and domesticating animals instead of merely hunting and gathering. The Industrial Revolution had a huge impact which continues to this day. Good and bad are profiled---not only climate change as the results of the petroleum industries but the amazing innovations humans are developing, like saving seeds and animal DNA, heating train stations in Sweden with human body heat that warms huge tanks of water which then heats nearby homes, waste water from factories being turned into steam to heat whole towns also in Sweden, using the braking of other trains to run trains the same way a Prius works in Paris, vertical gardening in the ocean in Maine, teaching orangutans to use iPads in order to communicate much as many parents are now teaching their children sign language before they can speak, and many, many others. Also impressive is her vocabulary as well as the connections she makes between ideas. Highly recommended.
March 24, 2015
It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since I read A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman. In her latest work The Human Age she talks about how much we have changed and shaped the world in just a short period of time. The change has indeed been vast and continues to accelerate. But one thing that hasn't changed is how wonderful Ackerman writes. I simply can not think of another author who waxes so poetic while writing about science. With each page I'm enthralled by both the beauty and brilliance of her words. By all means, read this book. And be prepared, to be not just richly educated, but totally amazed.
September 20, 2014
I'm not sure it's fair to say i 'read' this book. I certainly skimmed it. Well, as much as i could while rolling my eyes constantly at the malicious abuse of the english language. I'd never seen purple prose in non-fiction before (well, excluding biographies), so i guess i can tick that off the Bucket List.
January 28, 2020
Fascinating account of what it means to live in the anthropocene and our changing relationship with nature. Thoroughly researched and informed by the latest scientific and medical literature, it I also beautifully (even poetically) written. At a point where we are in danger of giving in to despair because of climate change and our horrendous burden on the planet's ecosystem, it offers plenty of food for thought and some degree of hope. Human ingenuity will be our salvation.
April 11, 2016
A perfect tonic to books like The Sixth Extinction, this is an intriguing and inspiring look at how some of the world’s brightest minds are working to mitigate the negative impacts we have had on the environment and improve human life through technology. Part 1 is the weakest – most of us are already all too aware of how we’ve trashed nature – but the book gets stronger as it goes on. My favorite chapters were the last five, about 3D printing, bionic body parts and human–animal hybrids created for medical use, and how epigenetics and the microbial life we all harbor might influence our personality and behavior more than we think.
As in David R. Boyd’s The Optimistic Environmentalist, Ackerman highlights some innovative programs that are working to improve the environment, such as “seeding the Antarctic Ocean with iron to trigger the growth of [blue-green] algae,” vertical gardens and green roofs, sustainable building models, “cradle to cradle” (completely recyclable or reusable) production technology, the wildlife-friendly Green Belt Corridor in Europe.
Some of the most interesting factoids for me were:
• “Because plastics take so long to degrade, they, too, will show up in the fossil record.”
• Studies have shown that city birds live faster-paced lives than country ones
• Bat guano and horse chestnuts have helped produce explosives for various war efforts
• “mothers who lived through the stresses of hurricanes and tropical storms while they were pregnant were more likely to have autistic children” (epigenetics)
• Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite often contracted from cats or from eating undercooked meat, may infect up to 25% Americans and 50% of Britons and is associated with mental illness and hyperactivity
Ackerman’s effusive, lyrical style can grate, especially in earlier chapters (“where the only low-hanging fruit are the stars, one’s sanity can tremble on a stem slender as a marigold’s” and, describing a python’s movement, “slipping through the sawgrass, sibilant as sassafras, slanting up to their prey, and then—slam!”). If there’s a metaphor there to be made, she generally won’t resist the urge. However, for the most part I found her enthusiasm infectious. This book will genuinely make you feel more hopeful about the future of human life on earth.
As in David R. Boyd’s The Optimistic Environmentalist, Ackerman highlights some innovative programs that are working to improve the environment, such as “seeding the Antarctic Ocean with iron to trigger the growth of [blue-green] algae,” vertical gardens and green roofs, sustainable building models, “cradle to cradle” (completely recyclable or reusable) production technology, the wildlife-friendly Green Belt Corridor in Europe.
Some of the most interesting factoids for me were:
• “Because plastics take so long to degrade, they, too, will show up in the fossil record.”
• Studies have shown that city birds live faster-paced lives than country ones
• Bat guano and horse chestnuts have helped produce explosives for various war efforts
• “mothers who lived through the stresses of hurricanes and tropical storms while they were pregnant were more likely to have autistic children” (epigenetics)
• Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite often contracted from cats or from eating undercooked meat, may infect up to 25% Americans and 50% of Britons and is associated with mental illness and hyperactivity
Ackerman’s effusive, lyrical style can grate, especially in earlier chapters (“where the only low-hanging fruit are the stars, one’s sanity can tremble on a stem slender as a marigold’s” and, describing a python’s movement, “slipping through the sawgrass, sibilant as sassafras, slanting up to their prey, and then—slam!”). If there’s a metaphor there to be made, she generally won’t resist the urge. However, for the most part I found her enthusiasm infectious. This book will genuinely make you feel more hopeful about the future of human life on earth.
June 23, 2021
A lovely and lyrical, if not at times overwrought and overly-romanticized, look at humanity and the roles we play in the world around us, and just how deeply it can affect us in return. A highly literary book of science essays, strange as it may seem, especially to uninitiated.
It hurts to admit it, but Ackerman's poetic waxing gets tiresome at points throughout the book, which could have benefited from some more scientific references, facts and/or figures. Half of what she writes sounds like exaggeration, and I felt an odd need to fact check half of her claims. I'm hoping the finished version had more footnotes and references to back up some of the more fantastical elements she discusses. I know that both humans and nature are capable are of far more than any of us can ever know, but it's nice to have the proof on hand just in case.
Her writing is enviously beautiful and insightful, and her overall outlook on humanity is overwhelmingly positive, and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more of her previous work. I may be too cynical to have truly enjoyed this particular book for what it is, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the skill and tenderness with which it was written and the hopeful humanist message it leaves.
*I received an ARC as part of the FirstReads program.*
It hurts to admit it, but Ackerman's poetic waxing gets tiresome at points throughout the book, which could have benefited from some more scientific references, facts and/or figures. Half of what she writes sounds like exaggeration, and I felt an odd need to fact check half of her claims. I'm hoping the finished version had more footnotes and references to back up some of the more fantastical elements she discusses. I know that both humans and nature are capable are of far more than any of us can ever know, but it's nice to have the proof on hand just in case.
Her writing is enviously beautiful and insightful, and her overall outlook on humanity is overwhelmingly positive, and I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more of her previous work. I may be too cynical to have truly enjoyed this particular book for what it is, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the skill and tenderness with which it was written and the hopeful humanist message it leaves.
*I received an ARC as part of the FirstReads program.*
August 17, 2017
It's kind of a Readers' Digest collection of everything humans do to tinker with the earth. I haven't read the last couple chapters because I just don't want to be finished with it. Here's a few paragraphs I liked: "A warmer world won't be terrible for everyone, and it's bound to inspire new technologies and good surprises, not just tragedy." "Tuvalu, a country in the South Pacific has begun evacuating it's people to New Zealand and the president of Kiribati an island nation of 32 atolls sprinkled across 3,500,000 km of ocean between Australia and Hawaii is negotiating with Fiji to buy 5000 acres of land so that his population of over 102,000 can relocate. One Kiribati native, Ioane Teitiota, appealed for refugee status to Auckland, New Zealand, arguing that none of Kiribati atolls is more than 2 m above sea level and therefore his life was endangered by the rising seas of global warming. The judge who heard his case found the claim novel, but not persuasive."
Since my grandson is serving a mission for the LDS church in Kiribati I was very heartened by Ackerman's positive take on the climate situation.
I need a copy of this book. There is so much I want to highlight. I just found the neatest used bookstore. It is actually a Goodwill. I will call and see if they have it.
Kathy
Since my grandson is serving a mission for the LDS church in Kiribati I was very heartened by Ackerman's positive take on the climate situation.
I need a copy of this book. There is so much I want to highlight. I just found the neatest used bookstore. It is actually a Goodwill. I will call and see if they have it.
Kathy
December 31, 2014
Informative and beautifully written, Diane Ackerman's newest work The Human Age describes many of the dumb things we as humans have done to harm our planet. But even better, it spends much more time expounding on really awesome things we as humans have done to stop or reverse that harm. The old adage "You get more flies with honey than vinegar" comes to mind as I reflect on the way Ackerman artfully approached this topic. Her descriptions of many recent innovations humans have made to help Mother Earth were uplifting and awe-inspiring, and she truly is a poet with her countless vivid metaphors and flowery prose (sometimes flowery prose gets on my nerves but in this case it did not). I appreciated her gentle encouragement to be more aware of the effect I am having on our planet in the way I live my life.
April 5, 2015
One of the most enjoyable non-fiction books I have read this year. Ackerman combines her broad thoughts on how humans have adapted to and changed the environment with vivid poetic prose. Ackerman is immensely talented at describing scientific knowledge in an engaging and easy to comprehend fashion. Ackerman outlines in this book that humans mastered nature in the Industrial Age and now in the Anthropocene era we must be dedicated to solving the problems we brought on from industrialization - encouraging the relentless problem solvers and creative minds among us to come up with long-term sustainable solutions for the future of planet Earth.
This was the first book I have read by Diane Ackerman and I am really looking forward to reading her other works.
This was the first book I have read by Diane Ackerman and I am really looking forward to reading her other works.
May 27, 2017
Full of perspective. This is my first Ackerman book, and I'm addicted. She is remarkable. She has the ability to talk about big issues in an approachable, almost lighthearted way.
The Human Age takes a step back and takes a look at the Anthropocene age (a term some experts use, notably Paul Crutzen to refer to the current geological age) and the ascent of human file over the planet. Ackerman examines our humble origins and the thresholds of discovery we have yet to cross. She is honest about our mistakes, our disregard for the earth, our sometimes unwise decisions to change the earth into our likeness, but she is optimistic about our future.
The Human Age takes a step back and takes a look at the Anthropocene age (a term some experts use, notably Paul Crutzen to refer to the current geological age) and the ascent of human file over the planet. Ackerman examines our humble origins and the thresholds of discovery we have yet to cross. She is honest about our mistakes, our disregard for the earth, our sometimes unwise decisions to change the earth into our likeness, but she is optimistic about our future.
January 21, 2015
Maybe we don’t need another book telling us how we as a species are having untold effects on the planet. Climate change, animal extinction, oceanic pollution, energy issues - we face severe challenges but Ackerman is an optimist (and a poet besides). She explores innovative solutions that showcase our resourcefulness as a species and is cautiously optimistic about our ability to solve some of the very problems we’ve created. Like other books of it’s ilk, she can only offer fleeting glimpses of our ingenuity as she cruises on to the next but it is with an infectious sense of wonder.
April 12, 2016
I found this book fascinating, both for Ackerman's take on what has come to be called the Anthropocene and for the many examples she gives of people making strides to mitigate our abuse of the planet. In some ways I would have liked fewer examples and more exploration of them, but as an overview of our impact on our earthship it is thought provoking. And as a nudge for all of us to consider how we can be part of the solution to our environmental ills, it is an important book.
October 26, 2014
I had to return this book before I finished reading it, but I probably would have abandoned it anyway. Her observations on our modern world are hardly insightful. She mostly just states what to most of us who pay attention would deem to be obvious. Pretty dull stuff.
November 25, 2018
This book is wonderful and I loved it! Humanity happens!
October 31, 2014
Reads like a collection of essays rather than a sustained narrative but interesting and lively with some intriguing ideas of how to fix the world's current predicament.
May 2, 2021
Q:
We not only bespangle the night, we broadloom the day. (c)
We not only bespangle the night, we broadloom the day. (c)
March 4, 2023
Lots of interesting information about the Anthropocene. An enjoyable non-fiction read.
August 8, 2021
Even though this felt like a collection of linked essays, there was a nice balance between apocalyptic dread at the damage humans have caused the planet during our brief existence and palpable hope at the efforts of many said humans to undo said damage. Of course, Ms. Ackerman’s writing is beautiful and her curiosity infectious. From vertical gardens to emotional robots, there’s enough awe here to interest just about anyone. Also, her recommended reading list at the end of the book is outstanding.
June 21, 2017
Quite an extraordinary book. The writing is poetic and the ideas provocative. The book really pushes you to ask new kinds of questions about our role on the planet, the not-so-thin line separating nature and not nature. Plus there are so many fascinating projects profiled in the book. I relished every page.
March 8, 2021
Most of what I have read here, I have read elsewhere. If this were my first book on the topic, I would have given it four stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews