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A Choice of Catastrophes
Isaac Asimov, scientist, author, and Earth-dweller, explores the many potential natural and man-made catastrophes that could change life as we know it, or erase us from the face of the Earth.
Natural properties and laws might change at any time, rendering life on this planet—or anywhere in the universe—impossible. But the disasters that are most imminent are in our power to control—technology, nuclear warfare, pollution. Natural forces far more powerful than man might destroy us. Or they may have nothing to do with bringing about the end.
“The master of the future tense has done it again. . . . Chillingly credible.”—UPI
Natural properties and laws might change at any time, rendering life on this planet—or anywhere in the universe—impossible. But the disasters that are most imminent are in our power to control—technology, nuclear warfare, pollution. Natural forces far more powerful than man might destroy us. Or they may have nothing to do with bringing about the end.
“The master of the future tense has done it again. . . . Chillingly credible.”—UPI
380 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1979
29 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,348 books27.9k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 2, 2020
Asimov tackles the apocalyptic truths of the universe via nonfiction. He discusses the catastrophes potentially facing humanity from a variety of perspectives- beginning with those catastrophes that would effect the universe as a whole (entropy, black holes, etc.) continuing to discuss impending doom for Earth specifically (asteroids, earthquakes...), and ending with the downfall of humanity (population, pollution...). The science is a bit outdated now, but the ideas are solid. His attempt to remain optimistic while portraying a grim future is endlessly entertaining.
April 5, 2008
I read this book for the first time at age 10 (or so). Scared the hell out of me. Re-read it at a later age when I was past my fears of an imminent apocalypse (thank you, Catholic school) and I enjoyed it a great deal.
April 13, 2014
This is an interesting book if a little dry. The premise is that the catastrophe is one of series ranking from first class to fifth - where the first is something that wipes out all of the universe to the fifth which only destroys civilisation but not the human race. Each class then is broken down in to various scenarios which are then discussed and explored. Some are only briefly looked at while others are discussed at great length. It is a mixture of personal opinion (and never let it be said that Asimov was not extremely intelligent and educated) and current scientific knowledge - it was published in 2007. If ever you wanted to write about the end of the world this would be a good place for source material
April 29, 2022
Avl. free to borrow on openlibrary.org.
I don't care so much about the first class of catastrophes, but the ones that an SF writer might use as inspiration are interesting. Starting at about p. 110 (of 377) I therefore am closely skimming some of the sections, instead of basically just paging through.
I do appreciate that Asimov does express "we don't know" often enough. One reason that's good is simply because 'doing science' is active, there are no 100% final answers. The other reason is that it means that the book is not outdated. Any time a reader sees Asimov explain something incompletely, or has a question, s/he can use other resources to update or clarify, yes. But meanwhile, this is a good introduction to a lot of ideas.
In fact, even though it's not worth a careful read, it's def. worth a careful skim for the fascinating way the man predicted so much of what is going on now. Climate change, the graying of the population, plague, Google, ennui, genetic engineering and varieties of intelligence, etc. etc. If only more leaders and influencers had read this and taken action based on his theories!
I liked the afterword, in which he exhorts us to choose *none* of the catastrophes.
There is also an extensive index, so you can choose the topics that most interest you, as you read a sample to decide if you want more.
Now, the only thing that would be better, for me, if it were a themed short story anthology, instead.... ;)
I don't care so much about the first class of catastrophes, but the ones that an SF writer might use as inspiration are interesting. Starting at about p. 110 (of 377) I therefore am closely skimming some of the sections, instead of basically just paging through.
I do appreciate that Asimov does express "we don't know" often enough. One reason that's good is simply because 'doing science' is active, there are no 100% final answers. The other reason is that it means that the book is not outdated. Any time a reader sees Asimov explain something incompletely, or has a question, s/he can use other resources to update or clarify, yes. But meanwhile, this is a good introduction to a lot of ideas.
In fact, even though it's not worth a careful read, it's def. worth a careful skim for the fascinating way the man predicted so much of what is going on now. Climate change, the graying of the population, plague, Google, ennui, genetic engineering and varieties of intelligence, etc. etc. If only more leaders and influencers had read this and taken action based on his theories!
I liked the afterword, in which he exhorts us to choose *none* of the catastrophes.
There is also an extensive index, so you can choose the topics that most interest you, as you read a sample to decide if you want more.
Now, the only thing that would be better, for me, if it were a themed short story anthology, instead.... ;)
April 3, 2021
A 4.5 / 5
I would have given a 5 but most of the scientific jargon outside the field of my expertise flew over my head.
Issac Asimov is a visionary. In this book he talks about the potential catastrophes that may may bring about the end of humanity as we know in the future ( his future and our present )
In this book a mentions how technology can advance and that the future may have a Globalised Computer Terminal which can be used to access whatever information from wherever we need. This was spot on as Google Search drives the world now.
He also conveyed there maybe a outbreak of new type of disease , similar to the bubonic plague in the 14th century, which may be brought about because of the advancement of medical technology.
Considering the situation we are in now,it is is scary to think how many of the things he predicted may come true in the future.
I would have given a 5 but most of the scientific jargon outside the field of my expertise flew over my head.
Issac Asimov is a visionary. In this book he talks about the potential catastrophes that may may bring about the end of humanity as we know in the future ( his future and our present )
In this book a mentions how technology can advance and that the future may have a Globalised Computer Terminal which can be used to access whatever information from wherever we need. This was spot on as Google Search drives the world now.
He also conveyed there maybe a outbreak of new type of disease , similar to the bubonic plague in the 14th century, which may be brought about because of the advancement of medical technology.
Considering the situation we are in now,it is is scary to think how many of the things he predicted may come true in the future.
June 10, 2024
A great analysis of things that potentially threaten our world and humanity. These range from the vast scale unavoidable issues such as the constant increase in entropy of the universe, down to human scale problems such as overpopulation and pollution.
Considering this book was written in the 80's, 9o% of it is still relevant. There were a few chapters that obviously showed their age, technology has passed them by. But even these were very interesting to read and assess how close Asimov's predictions were. For example, back in pre-internet days, he predicts that one day every home would have a link to a vast 'World Library' where anyone could access the sum of human knowledge. In a few other areas he was a bit off. We don't yet have solar arrays in orbit, nor any facilities on the moon. The idea that the big bang will eventually slow and become the big crunch is now looking highly unlikely.
Well worth the read.
Considering this book was written in the 80's, 9o% of it is still relevant. There were a few chapters that obviously showed their age, technology has passed them by. But even these were very interesting to read and assess how close Asimov's predictions were. For example, back in pre-internet days, he predicts that one day every home would have a link to a vast 'World Library' where anyone could access the sum of human knowledge. In a few other areas he was a bit off. We don't yet have solar arrays in orbit, nor any facilities on the moon. The idea that the big bang will eventually slow and become the big crunch is now looking highly unlikely.
Well worth the read.
November 10, 2020
A genuinely good read. The most interesting part was comparing Asimov’s thoughts and predictions in ’79 (which is crazy for how accurate and well researched they are) to where we are now and, specifically, what types of risks and crisis we are facing and will have to deal with. He certainly hit nail on many fronts (the development of pandemic diseases, scarcity of resources, nuclear war threats, population growth etc.), but the book felt a bit dated at times, esp. in its lack of mention of climate change / global warming, and in the author’s optimism - which is kinda commendable. However, I wonder - what would Asimov say looking at how little we are caring for this world, and for the challenges that are ahead of us? I can't help but think that he would be very let down by our lack of active concern.
September 22, 2008
Seriously, fuck mini-black holes.
May 6, 2020
This book overviews all possibilities of the “end of the world”. Written in 1979 it still feels very modern with exception of mention of some theories that some years later became confirmed by further scientific discoveries. The book starts from a short excursion to ancient believes and origins of the idea of Apokalypse and Ragnarok it examines all possibilities from most unlikely to plausible causes. Interesting read... few things came to my mind this year remembering the part which talks about infectious diseases...
March 3, 2025
Il buon vecchio zio Isaac scrive questo saggio nel lontano 1979, edizione italiana dell’anno successivo.
È un gran bel saggio nel complesso, ma adatto a un pubblico delle scuole medie, massimo prima superiore e minimo V elementare. Almeno così la vedo io, ma io ero quello che in terza media leggeva di astronomia e astronautica almeno a livello di V liceo.
L’autore istruisce su cinque gradi di catastrofi che possono colpire (e colpiscono, pessimisticamente dico io) l’umanità nel suo insieme.
Nel primo tipo rientrano le catastrofi del mito e della cosmologia. Il Ragnarok come inteso nelle ultime saghe islandesi, la morte termica dell’universo e scendendo di livello, il big crunch e il collasso di stelle e i buchi neri. Carina l’esposizione, ma siamo per l’appunto a livello di scuole medie. Peccato che nessun professore adotti questo testo.
Le catastrofi del secondo tipo riguardano il sole, la nostra stella, e le eventuali conseguenze sempre negative per la vita sulla Terra.
Al terzo tipo troviamo elencate e trattate le catastrofi riguardanti il pianeta Terra, ossia tutti quegli eventi che ne possono mettere a rischio l’abitabilità della vita, non solo umana. Qui troviamo trattati molto elegantemente e semplicemente argomenti come le maree, il sistema gravitazionale che lega la Terra alla Luna ed altri concetti non sempre semplici da spiegare agli adolescenti e pre-adolescenti senza annoiarli.
Le catastrofi del quarto tipo riguardano la vita e l’intelligenza, ossia la biologia della nostra specie e degli ecosistemi in cui vive (praticamente tutti) e tutto quello che la riguarda. Asimov allude fortemente al concetto di biosfera e avanza, nel lontano 1979, presagi di quello che sta accadendo oggi. Ma lo fa con il suo consueto piglio ottimistico, di fede nella tecnologia e soprattutto nel buonsenso dell’umanità.
Con le catastrofi del quinto tipo arriviamo alla parte veramente interessante del libro. Riguardano le società umane ed il loro sviluppo e regresso, e spaziano dall’impoverimento delle risorse energetiche e di materie, ai “pericoli della vittoria” come li definisce lui. Nelle ultime 40 pagine si concentra sulla sovrappopolazione, sull’istruzione, sulla tecnologia e sui “calcolatori” ossia i computer e l’intelligenza artificiale.
In questa ultima parte Asimov dà sfogo alla sua capacità di previsioni su base secolare e ci metteva in guardia da una serie di conseguenze a cui, in quel 1979, l’umanità andava incontro. Le previsioni di Asimov si stanno avverando in larga parte, anche se non sempre come le intendeva lui. Quello che purtroppo non si sta avverando è la sua ottimistica previsione risolutiva dei problemi basata sulla “…pace e buona volontà…” dell’umanità nel suo insieme.
La lettura di questo testo, come dicevo, la consiglierei a chiunque in età tra gli 11 ed i 15 anni, perché permette, nella sua semplicità espositiva, di farsi una idea generale del perché le cose nel mondo oggi vadano come vanno, ossia sempre peggio anche quando in apparenza migliorano. È un testo che, specialmente nelle ultime 40 pagine, dà molti spunti di riflessione ad un ragazzino o ad una ragazzina, ne stimola la curiosità e la voglia di apprendere.
Alcune frasi rilevanti di quest’ultima parte nella traduzione di Tullio Chersi:
“D’altro canto, si può sostenere che le carenze di risorse alimentari sono colpa dell’uomo, il risultato di sprechi, inefficienza, ingiustizia. Con governi migliori e più umani, con un uso sensato della terra, con tenori di vita più parsimoniosi, una distribuzione di risorse alimentari più equa, la Terra potrebbe mantenere una popolazione molto maggiore di quella attuale senza sovraccaricare la sua capacità.”
“Saremo testimoni, per così dire, dell’incanutimento della Terra” riferito ai suoi abitanti.
E parlando delle differenze tra gioventù e vecchiaia a livello mentale e psicologico “Ma quanta parte di questa stagnazione (dei maturi e anziani) non dipende dalla tradizione di una scuola centrata sulla gioventù?”
“La natura dell’istruzione oggi rende inevitabile che venga considerata come uno degli svantaggi della gioventù, e ciò rende attraente il fallimento scolastico.”
“La Biblioteca Globale Automatizzata sarebbe essenziale per…” in pratica prevede un misto di WWW, Wikipedia, Youtube. Ma quanto era avanti Isaac Asimov?
“Anche quando le osservazioni paiono essere oneste, c’è un notevole dubbio sul fatto che i test d’intelligenza misurino niente altro che la somiglianza di chi li pone con chi li subisce – e chi li pone assume naturalmente di essere la crema dell’intelligenza.”
“…lo scopo di ogni società sensata dovrebbe essere quello di ridurre la noia e la disperazione…”
È un gran bel saggio nel complesso, ma adatto a un pubblico delle scuole medie, massimo prima superiore e minimo V elementare. Almeno così la vedo io, ma io ero quello che in terza media leggeva di astronomia e astronautica almeno a livello di V liceo.
L’autore istruisce su cinque gradi di catastrofi che possono colpire (e colpiscono, pessimisticamente dico io) l’umanità nel suo insieme.
Nel primo tipo rientrano le catastrofi del mito e della cosmologia. Il Ragnarok come inteso nelle ultime saghe islandesi, la morte termica dell’universo e scendendo di livello, il big crunch e il collasso di stelle e i buchi neri. Carina l’esposizione, ma siamo per l’appunto a livello di scuole medie. Peccato che nessun professore adotti questo testo.
Le catastrofi del secondo tipo riguardano il sole, la nostra stella, e le eventuali conseguenze sempre negative per la vita sulla Terra.
Al terzo tipo troviamo elencate e trattate le catastrofi riguardanti il pianeta Terra, ossia tutti quegli eventi che ne possono mettere a rischio l’abitabilità della vita, non solo umana. Qui troviamo trattati molto elegantemente e semplicemente argomenti come le maree, il sistema gravitazionale che lega la Terra alla Luna ed altri concetti non sempre semplici da spiegare agli adolescenti e pre-adolescenti senza annoiarli.
Le catastrofi del quarto tipo riguardano la vita e l’intelligenza, ossia la biologia della nostra specie e degli ecosistemi in cui vive (praticamente tutti) e tutto quello che la riguarda. Asimov allude fortemente al concetto di biosfera e avanza, nel lontano 1979, presagi di quello che sta accadendo oggi. Ma lo fa con il suo consueto piglio ottimistico, di fede nella tecnologia e soprattutto nel buonsenso dell’umanità.
Con le catastrofi del quinto tipo arriviamo alla parte veramente interessante del libro. Riguardano le società umane ed il loro sviluppo e regresso, e spaziano dall’impoverimento delle risorse energetiche e di materie, ai “pericoli della vittoria” come li definisce lui. Nelle ultime 40 pagine si concentra sulla sovrappopolazione, sull’istruzione, sulla tecnologia e sui “calcolatori” ossia i computer e l’intelligenza artificiale.
In questa ultima parte Asimov dà sfogo alla sua capacità di previsioni su base secolare e ci metteva in guardia da una serie di conseguenze a cui, in quel 1979, l’umanità andava incontro. Le previsioni di Asimov si stanno avverando in larga parte, anche se non sempre come le intendeva lui. Quello che purtroppo non si sta avverando è la sua ottimistica previsione risolutiva dei problemi basata sulla “…pace e buona volontà…” dell’umanità nel suo insieme.
La lettura di questo testo, come dicevo, la consiglierei a chiunque in età tra gli 11 ed i 15 anni, perché permette, nella sua semplicità espositiva, di farsi una idea generale del perché le cose nel mondo oggi vadano come vanno, ossia sempre peggio anche quando in apparenza migliorano. È un testo che, specialmente nelle ultime 40 pagine, dà molti spunti di riflessione ad un ragazzino o ad una ragazzina, ne stimola la curiosità e la voglia di apprendere.
Alcune frasi rilevanti di quest’ultima parte nella traduzione di Tullio Chersi:
“D’altro canto, si può sostenere che le carenze di risorse alimentari sono colpa dell’uomo, il risultato di sprechi, inefficienza, ingiustizia. Con governi migliori e più umani, con un uso sensato della terra, con tenori di vita più parsimoniosi, una distribuzione di risorse alimentari più equa, la Terra potrebbe mantenere una popolazione molto maggiore di quella attuale senza sovraccaricare la sua capacità.”
“Saremo testimoni, per così dire, dell’incanutimento della Terra” riferito ai suoi abitanti.
E parlando delle differenze tra gioventù e vecchiaia a livello mentale e psicologico “Ma quanta parte di questa stagnazione (dei maturi e anziani) non dipende dalla tradizione di una scuola centrata sulla gioventù?”
“La natura dell’istruzione oggi rende inevitabile che venga considerata come uno degli svantaggi della gioventù, e ciò rende attraente il fallimento scolastico.”
“La Biblioteca Globale Automatizzata sarebbe essenziale per…” in pratica prevede un misto di WWW, Wikipedia, Youtube. Ma quanto era avanti Isaac Asimov?
“Anche quando le osservazioni paiono essere oneste, c’è un notevole dubbio sul fatto che i test d’intelligenza misurino niente altro che la somiglianza di chi li pone con chi li subisce – e chi li pone assume naturalmente di essere la crema dell’intelligenza.”
“…lo scopo di ogni società sensata dovrebbe essere quello di ridurre la noia e la disperazione…”
December 11, 2024
asimov king of the world 🙏🏻 I wish he had books on every single subject in the world
March 30, 2017
Readability 7. Rating 8. I read this the first time in the early 1980s and thought it was great. Thirty-five years later, I still think it is great. The title is offputting and the subtitle is alamarmist ("The Disasters That Threaten Our World"), while Asimov's treatment is both sober and interesting. The book is both a rundown of how humankind could come to an end - starting with the heat death of the universe and ending with various ways humanity might bring about its own destruction, but also a wonderfully lucid tour of science and the universe. Only at the very end does he raise the alarm on some issues that he finds critical, injecting his viewpoints into what is largely a factual account. The book is definitely dated, but benefits greatly from how current Asimov was at the time as well as his talent for clarity - in some cases, while progress has been made, his explanation is so well done that current findings are well encompassed.
February 8, 2020
I'll start this, the way I do - all of Asimov's books, as, no other way exists (at least, for me) - What can I say? It's Asimov.
He presents the possible realities, which, most of us never bother to think about. "A.", explores each of the possible conditions that could lead to the destruction of civilization, the demise of our species, or, of the planet itself. He thoroughly demonstrates each possibility, organizing the possible scenarios, categorically, and into sub-categories...Out of sight - out of mind, for most of us.
From natural disasters of various kinds, to human-caused extinctions. I think, only he could do this, in such a thorough way. I thank him again for his enlightenment.
He presents the possible realities, which, most of us never bother to think about. "A.", explores each of the possible conditions that could lead to the destruction of civilization, the demise of our species, or, of the planet itself. He thoroughly demonstrates each possibility, organizing the possible scenarios, categorically, and into sub-categories...Out of sight - out of mind, for most of us.
From natural disasters of various kinds, to human-caused extinctions. I think, only he could do this, in such a thorough way. I thank him again for his enlightenment.
August 2, 2017
Great book, lovely piece of literature.
I would make it obligatory for anyone to read it above the ages of 16-18.
Nicely structured, wide topics, everything is explained with relevant scientific knowledge, put into historical perspective and proper estimates have been made for the future (like the prediction of internet as the "global computerized library").
Also, it is really enjoyable to read whatever Asimov wrote... :)
I would make it obligatory for anyone to read it above the ages of 16-18.
Nicely structured, wide topics, everything is explained with relevant scientific knowledge, put into historical perspective and proper estimates have been made for the future (like the prediction of internet as the "global computerized library").
Also, it is really enjoyable to read whatever Asimov wrote... :)
April 5, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Asimov explains complicated scientific theory clearly and without resorting to using complicated lingo that only a fellow scientist can understand. This book covers all of the horrible things that could happen to the human race, and how likely they are to happen (and in what time frame). Really puts things into perspective.
June 25, 2008
alot of remakes of this coming out now that the issues asimov approaced in the late 70s are coming to a head. cynics love reading about the end of civilization and optimists love reading about the chance of curbing it.
February 1, 2025
Resenha de "Escolha a Catástrofe" – Isaac Asimov
Identificação do Livro
Título: Escolha a Catástrofe (A Choice of Catastrophes)
Autor: Isaac Asimov
Ano de Publicação: 1979
Gênero: Divulgação científica
Resumo da Obra
Isaac Asimov organiza o livro em uma escala crescente de proximidade, começando com eventos cósmicos que podem destruir a Terra e terminando com ameaças diretamente causadas pela humanidade.
Ele inicia explorando catástrofes de nível universal, como o colapso do próprio cosmos ou eventos relacionados à evolução do Sol, que inevitavelmente tornará a vida na Terra impossível. Depois, passa para desastres astronômicos, como o impacto de asteroides ou explosões de supernovas próximas. A seguir, aborda ameaças geológicas e climáticas, como terremotos, vulcões, mudanças climáticas e pandemias, que afetam diretamente a vida no planeta.
As últimas partes do livro focam em perigos antropogênicos, como guerra nuclear, degradação ambiental e, de forma surpreendentemente visionária para 1979, o avanço da inteligência artificial. Embora os computadores da época ainda fossem rudimentares, Asimov já especulava sobre máquinas que poderiam superar o controle humano, um tema que hoje se tornou ainda mais relevante.
Análise Crítica
Asimov tem o dom de explicar conceitos científicos complexos de maneira clara e acessível, sem perder o rigor acadêmico. O livro combina fatos sólidos com especulações fundamentadas, mantendo um equilíbrio entre pessimismo e realismo. Seu estilo envolvente faz com que temas potencialmente assustadores se tornem fascinantes, transformando a leitura em um exercício intelectual instigante.
Pontos Positivos e Negativos
✅ Positivos:
Abordagem sistemática e bem estruturada dos tipos de catástrofes.
Escrita acessível e cativante, mesmo para quem não tem formação científica.
Reflexões que continuam relevantes, especialmente sobre os riscos do progresso tecnológico.
❌ Negativos:
Algumas previsões estão desatualizadas devido aos avanços científicos desde 1979.
Pode parecer excessivamente pessimista para leitores mais sensíveis.
Comparações e Contexto
Diferente de obras mais recentes como O Fim de Todas as Coisas (Segundo a Astrofísica), de Katie Mack, que foca exclusivamente em catástrofes ligadas à astrofísica (como o destino do universo), Escolha a Catástrofe tem uma abordagem muito mais ampla. Asimov explora não apenas ameaças cósmicas, mas também eventos geológicos, biológicos e tecnológicos que podem impactar a humanidade. Seu objetivo não é apenas especular sobre o fim do mundo, mas apresentar um panorama geral dos perigos que a ciência consegue prever.
Opinião Pessoal
A forma como Asimov organiza o livro torna a leitura fluida e instigante, levando o leitor de ameaças distantes e abstratas até problemas muito próximos e urgentes. A inclusão da inteligência artificial como um fator de risco, mesmo em 1979, mostra o quão à frente do seu tempo ele estava.
Conclusão e Recomendação
Recomendo Escolha a Catástrofe para qualquer pessoa interessada em ciência, história da tecnologia e cenários futuros. Apesar de algumas informações estarem desatualizadas, a estrutura do livro e a forma como Asimov apresenta os temas continuam sendo um exemplo brilhante de divulgação científica.
Isaac Asimov (1920–1992)
Foi um dos mais prolíficos escritores de ficção científica e divulgação científica do século XX. Doutor em bioquímica, Asimov escreveu mais de 500 livros, abordando desde robótica e astronomia até história e literatura. É mundialmente conhecido pela série Fundação e pelas Três Leis da Robótica, que influenciaram profundamente a cultura e a ciência. Seu estilo claro e didático tornou a ciência acessível a milhões de leitores.
August 25, 2017
Nel genere, una perla
March 20, 2014
Прекрасная книга!
Азимов, как ни крути, очень крутой популист. В книге разбираются события, последствием которых является гибель человечества.
Автор делит их на пять категорий (от гибели вселенной до эволюции роботов) и каждую друг за дружкой рассматривает с точки зрения предпосылок, вероятности, последствий и причин.
При этом каждой катастрофе даётся научно-популярное объяснение - то есть, если речь идёт о ледниковом периоде, то автор подробно рассматривает явление с исторической точки зрения и наглядно поясняет, почему вообще такое явление как ледниковый эффект может произойти на нашей планете.
Я вот, например, с удивлением узнал, что помимо обычных четырех сезонов года, на планете есть еще суперзима и суперлето - например, сейчас в южном полушарии суперлето (мягкие зимы и жаркое лето), а у нас в северном - наоборот, суперзима - суровые зимы и не очень теплое лето. И такой цикл суперзима-суперлето меняется раз в 20 тысяч лет:)
Больше всего понравилась последняя часть с катастрофами пятой категории. Автор рассуждает о том, что делать, если человечество избежало всех опасностей - планетарных, вселенских, энергетических, социальных и т.п. Что же человечеству делать дальше?.. Гы, а вы знали, что если человечество будет размножаться как сейчас, то через 5 тысяч лет вся масса человечества превысит массу вселенной?:)
В общем, тем, кто желает расширить свой кругозор - читать обязательно.
Азимов, как ни крути, очень крутой популист. В книге разбираются события, последствием которых является гибель человечества.
Автор делит их на пять категорий (от гибели вселенной до эволюции роботов) и каждую друг за дружкой рассматривает с точки зрения предпосылок, вероятности, последствий и причин.
При этом каждой катастрофе даётся научно-популярное объяснение - то есть, если речь идёт о ледниковом периоде, то автор подробно рассматривает явление с исторической точки зрения и наглядно поясняет, почему вообще такое явление как ледниковый эффект может произойти на нашей планете.
Я вот, например, с удивлением узнал, что помимо обычных четырех сезонов года, на планете есть еще суперзима и суперлето - например, сейчас в южном полушарии суперлето (мягкие зимы и жаркое лето), а у нас в северном - наоборот, суперзима - суровые зимы и не очень теплое лето. И такой цикл суперзима-суперлето меняется раз в 20 тысяч лет:)
Больше всего понравилась последняя часть с катастрофами пятой категории. Автор рассуждает о том, что делать, если человечество избежало всех опасностей - планетарных, вселенских, энергетических, социальных и т.п. Что же человечеству делать дальше?.. Гы, а вы знали, что если человечество будет размножаться как сейчас, то через 5 тысяч лет вся масса человечества превысит массу вселенной?:)
В общем, тем, кто желает расширить свой кругозор - читать обязательно.
November 28, 2015
Подборка буквально худших образчиков SciFi, на мой взгляд.
Поверив другим отзывам, что в конце поинтереснее, домучил до конца. Но даже последний рассказ, действительно довольно занятный, изложен в общем напыщенном и скучном стиле, как и прочие рассказы.
Основная моя претензия к этим рассказам - тяжеловесный стиль изложения. Идеи, положенные в рассказы, довольно любопытны, но не в таком исполнении.
Поверив другим отзывам, что в конце поинтереснее, домучил до конца. Но даже последний рассказ, действительно довольно занятный, изложен в общем напыщенном и скучном стиле, как и прочие рассказы.
Основная моя претензия к этим рассказам - тяжеловесный стиль изложения. Идеи, положенные в рассказы, довольно любопытны, но не в таком исполнении.
August 18, 2012
Only the final chapter was really interesting to me, where the author plays with various ideas concerning the future of humanity.
The rest of the book is by now pretty much recycled information (the book was written cca. 1980.).
I would have given it three stars but the authors could not withhold from openly berating certain other authors *and* ideas.
The rest of the book is by now pretty much recycled information (the book was written cca. 1980.).
I would have given it three stars but the authors could not withhold from openly berating certain other authors *and* ideas.
August 14, 2009
How will the world end; the Good Doctor speculates about various environmental and cosmic catastrophes facing humanity, the environment, and the Earth.
October 27, 2013
This book was a well edited mix of hard, speculative, and post apocalyptic science fiction. It also had a nice mix of Golden Age pulp writers and modern writers of science fiction.
April 13, 2014
An interesting premise/whatever, but the best stories i've already read & otherwise ,not remarkable
December 1, 2014
Short stories about catastrophes from various authors, all pretty good as edited by Asimov.
July 29, 2016
I guess it makes an interesting topic for a book. I bought this many years ago and I recall I am yet to read it in full as its a tad depressing!
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