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1,001 Voices on Climate Change: Everyday Stories of Flood, Fire, Drought, and Displacement from Around the World
Join journalist Devi Lockwood on this “monumental achievement” (Richard Moor, bestselling author of On Trails ) as she bikes around the world collecting personal stories about how flood, fire, drought, and rising seas are changing communities.
It’s apocalyptic climate predictions finally came true. Catastrophic wildfires, relentless hurricanes, melting permafrost, and coastal flooding have given us a taste of what some communities have already been living with for far too long. Yet, we don’t often hear the voices of the people most affected. Journalist Devi Lockwood set out to change that.
In 1,001 Voices on Climate Change , Lockwood travels the world, often by bicycle, collecting first-person accounts of climate change. She frequently carried with her a simple carboard sign reading, “Tell me a story about climate change.”
Over five years, covering twenty countries across six continents, Lockwood hears from indigenous elders and youth in Fiji and Tuvalu about drought and disappearing coastlines, attends the UN climate conference in Morocco, and bikes the length of New Zealand and Australia, interviewing the people she meets about retreating glaciers, contaminated rivers, and wildfires. She rides through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia to listen to marionette puppeteers and novice Buddhist monks.
From Denmark and Sweden to China, Turkey, the Canadian Artic, and the Peruvian Amazon, she finds that ordinary people sharing their stories foes far more to advance understanding and empathy than even the most alarming statistics and studies. This “luminous book” (Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad and The Poisoner’s Handbook ) is a hopeful global listening tour for climate change, channeling the urgency of those who have already glimpsed the future to help us avoid the worst.
It’s apocalyptic climate predictions finally came true. Catastrophic wildfires, relentless hurricanes, melting permafrost, and coastal flooding have given us a taste of what some communities have already been living with for far too long. Yet, we don’t often hear the voices of the people most affected. Journalist Devi Lockwood set out to change that.
In 1,001 Voices on Climate Change , Lockwood travels the world, often by bicycle, collecting first-person accounts of climate change. She frequently carried with her a simple carboard sign reading, “Tell me a story about climate change.”
Over five years, covering twenty countries across six continents, Lockwood hears from indigenous elders and youth in Fiji and Tuvalu about drought and disappearing coastlines, attends the UN climate conference in Morocco, and bikes the length of New Zealand and Australia, interviewing the people she meets about retreating glaciers, contaminated rivers, and wildfires. She rides through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia to listen to marionette puppeteers and novice Buddhist monks.
From Denmark and Sweden to China, Turkey, the Canadian Artic, and the Peruvian Amazon, she finds that ordinary people sharing their stories foes far more to advance understanding and empathy than even the most alarming statistics and studies. This “luminous book” (Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad and The Poisoner’s Handbook ) is a hopeful global listening tour for climate change, channeling the urgency of those who have already glimpsed the future to help us avoid the worst.
352 pages, Paperback
Published June 21, 2022
20 people are currently reading
2270 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 18, 2021
Showing the real consequences of the climate crisis is an urgent and worthy case and I appreciate the dedication and stamina of the author.
However, for a book that claims to focus on stories of other people - strangers encountered all around the world - there was too much of the author herself. The adventures of an American twenty-something backpacker are not that interesting, sorry to say, and her naivety and lack of preparedness were somewhat unnerving. She evidently has a real talent for connecting with others and I guess is a good listener, but the editors should help her with structuring her writing.
It was a little bit of a disappointing read for me - but maybe I am just too old and grumpy.
Thanks to the publisher, Tiller Press, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
However, for a book that claims to focus on stories of other people - strangers encountered all around the world - there was too much of the author herself. The adventures of an American twenty-something backpacker are not that interesting, sorry to say, and her naivety and lack of preparedness were somewhat unnerving. She evidently has a real talent for connecting with others and I guess is a good listener, but the editors should help her with structuring her writing.
It was a little bit of a disappointing read for me - but maybe I am just too old and grumpy.
Thanks to the publisher, Tiller Press, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
May 16, 2021
This book is a definite 4.5 stars! Lockwood has done a beautiful job of sharing the stories of many of the people most closely impacted by climate change, focusing on individuals and their lived experiences, and not just the numbers. The author does not insert herself into the stories that people share, letting them speak for themselves while weaving the stories together brilliantly. I also loved reading about Lockwood's travels and personal journey - her approach to traveling alone, how was able to connect with people, and how she was able to ask for and receive support. When the book dips into science, Lockwood keeps it at just the right level - clearly explained and not so much detail that my eyes glaze over. Highly recommend! Thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC.
March 24, 2023
I think I had high expectations based on the premise of this book and it just didn’t meet them for me. I liked the author and I think what she did biking across the world and gathering stories was really cool… but then the stories couldn’t hold my attention. It does pick up after her first couple of chapters but I still struggled getting through this book.
January 23, 2023
I enjoyed this book as a travelogue but think it came up a bit short in the stories on climate change. Perhaps that was some of her getting better as a journalist as time went on as the last chapters were a bit better.
January 17, 2024
Lockwood can write and paint a beautiful or painful picture with her words—she is an artist. However, my issue with this book is that the title claims to be something it is not. There are many voices and stories about water and climate change, yet Lockwood features heavily in this book. For me, that took away the power of the participants’ voices. This book read more like Lockwood’s memoir. It was organized on Lockwood’s travel schedule. The book would have been more powerful if it centered on the common themes reported by the participants.
This was an interesting read, and there is a market for it. However, my personal opinion is that a book on climate change needs to be structured more scientifically. Case studies, which is what this book is, are fantastic! However, Lockwood needs to situate herself as a researcher by describing her approach to research, things about herself that could affect how her research is interpreted, her beliefs, and personal biases. Then, she must remove herself from the research as best as possible. There is potential in Lockwood’s work and the research she is gathering. It just needs to be structured in a slightly different manner.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
This was an interesting read, and there is a market for it. However, my personal opinion is that a book on climate change needs to be structured more scientifically. Case studies, which is what this book is, are fantastic! However, Lockwood needs to situate herself as a researcher by describing her approach to research, things about herself that could affect how her research is interpreted, her beliefs, and personal biases. Then, she must remove herself from the research as best as possible. There is potential in Lockwood’s work and the research she is gathering. It just needs to be structured in a slightly different manner.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
September 1, 2023
This book I had high expectations for and it was a disappointment. I've read a lot of climate change books it's something that truly interests me. With this book however I felt despite its title it seemed to have very little to do with climate change. It read more like a travel memoir about this person's bike trip. If that's what it was supposed to be than that would be ok but it wasn't. If you like travel memoirs than maybe you'll like it but if your looking for a climate change book this isn't it.
May 21, 2025
Not bad, per se, but I couldn't finish it. As other reviewers note, it reads like a personal travel memoir with a sprinkling of climate change. The details the author includes are of personal interactions with the people supporting her journey, yet those same people's stories of climate change are often summed up in a paragraph or less.
I may come back to it, (as someone who loved field notes of a catastrophe maybe my expectations were just too high), but for now this isn't it.
I may come back to it, (as someone who loved field notes of a catastrophe maybe my expectations were just too high), but for now this isn't it.
March 25, 2022
This book is made up of a lot of really short stories. It’s sort of interesting because it means you get to hear about a lot of things, but it also feels a bit scattered. Some of the stories were hard to follow and felt like they were missing some critical details.
July 17, 2025
I was pretty disappointed by this. Most of it reads like a travel journal more than stories of climate change. I also take some issue with the way Lockwood portrayed her travel. For the first half or so of the book, it appeared that she went to different places around the world with almost no plan and just relied on strangers in often dangerous situations. She didn't bring enough money to Tuvalu, so she asked someone at the airport if she could stay with them. She kept staying with random people that she met along the way which is dangerous and also puts a burden on those people. For example, she mentions how fresh water and food can be scarce in Tuvalu, but yet imposes on various families. It seemed like she planned to bike around southeast Asia but didn't realize that the monsoon rains (which happen every year) would make many roads nearly impassable for a regular bike. When she ends up riding a bus, she sits next to a man who threatens physical violence and then decides to lecture him about mansplaining and manspreading. This seems naive and misguided at best, and actively encouraging violence at worst. I traveled to different countries quite a bit by myself in my 20s, and you will inherently need to change your plans as you travel, but speaking as a small-statured woman, it is also crucial to make sure you're doing so in a way that will keep you reasonably safe. Young people are going to do some dumb shit when they travel, but it's best to know a little bit before you go to help you adapt better. It's also important to not make your travel a burden on others. I mentioned the constant staying with random folks (she also stays at some Buddhist temples that allow her to camp there), but at one point, Lockwood realizes she doesn't have the money to get from one place to another, so she starts a kickstarter. To me, this is placing the burden of your travel on someone else. It's not everyone else's responsibility to fund your vacation, especially when this is the part of the book that still seems like a vacation rather than a journalistic endeavor.
The last half or so was much better. Not only was there more research, but it seemed like things were more structured. The focus was less on Lockwood's trip and more on the communities, people, and organizations she talked to. This was much more of the kind of thing I was looking for from this book. There were anecdotes, but there was also data. Lockwood also mentions different aspects of her travels here (e.g. buying a ring crafted by someone in Nunavut), but the focus is on the residents and the environment. Because of how strong the last part of the book was, I'm rating it a 3.
The last half or so was much better. Not only was there more research, but it seemed like things were more structured. The focus was less on Lockwood's trip and more on the communities, people, and organizations she talked to. This was much more of the kind of thing I was looking for from this book. There were anecdotes, but there was also data. Lockwood also mentions different aspects of her travels here (e.g. buying a ring crafted by someone in Nunavut), but the focus is on the residents and the environment. Because of how strong the last part of the book was, I'm rating it a 3.
May 3, 2021
I have to admit that I admire that so much was done so young and so creatively by this author. It took a lot of courage to travel (often biking) around the world wearing a sign that says, "Tell me a story about climate change."
The book got really exciting about 30% into it, when storytellers started to talk about things like floods and tsunamis. The author had some real adventures on the sea and traveling to world conferences on climate change. The beginning was a little slow to me. The first section seemed more like a travel log with lots of motorbike riding and swimming, but, as I said, the excitement picks up later, especially when she learns how much her flying contributes to climate change and she seeks other ways to get from country to country. There may not be 1,001 stories, but there were plenty of farmers and others who talked about the changes they've seen.
The conferences and climate marches were interesting, but I thought 100's of thousands of people flying to fight climate change can't be too good for the climate. We need to find virtual ways to show our support for ways to protect our world.
This book wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for the imagination and bravery of Ms. Lockwood. I look forward to more writing from her. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of this book.
The book got really exciting about 30% into it, when storytellers started to talk about things like floods and tsunamis. The author had some real adventures on the sea and traveling to world conferences on climate change. The beginning was a little slow to me. The first section seemed more like a travel log with lots of motorbike riding and swimming, but, as I said, the excitement picks up later, especially when she learns how much her flying contributes to climate change and she seeks other ways to get from country to country. There may not be 1,001 stories, but there were plenty of farmers and others who talked about the changes they've seen.
The conferences and climate marches were interesting, but I thought 100's of thousands of people flying to fight climate change can't be too good for the climate. We need to find virtual ways to show our support for ways to protect our world.
This book wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for the imagination and bravery of Ms. Lockwood. I look forward to more writing from her. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of this book.
September 8, 2022
I think for people needing an introduction to the climate change conversation, this is a great book to start off with! There is a lot of information in some of the chapters, but with how each chapter and story are seperated, it makes it easy to disgest information and take breaks when needed. The one thing I feel like this book is lacking in is more recognition of Indigenous communities. Indigenous communities all over the globe have been consistently fighting for and taking care of the planet for centuries. I wish the author had put something in the introduction or conclusion of the book (and throughout as well) recognizing these communities more and honoring these sacred spaces she was in. Overall though, it was a good read and definitely brought some new topics to my mind regarding the fight for climate justice
November 4, 2023
Listening: a radical concept these days! Storytelling as a way to understand? Without social media? Revolutionary!. No matter how YOU feel about climate change, hearing everyday farmers, shoppers, scientists, and people tell their short stories about (mostly) water is powerful & makes you think of your stories too. (I wonder where the horseshoe crab of Long Beach Island has gone). I interviewed Devi Lockwood in 2022 at the University of Pennsylvania on a day for high school students who were beginning to tell their climate stories and interview members of their communities. Oral history is important; face-to-face human connection is important. Being slow in one's day is important. This book, also, can be read slowly...one story at a time or one country's stories at a time. Worth a read and your time.
October 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! The author's style of storytelling is accessible and deeply human. Unlike many other books about climate change, this one really puts a face to the crisis. The stories are a hard read sometimes due to the gravity of the situation that the planet and the life upon it is facing... but these are the stories we need to hear in order to act, and the author tells others peoples' stories with respect and care.
Note, I received a complimentary advance copy of this book to review - but really enjoyed it!
Note, I received a complimentary advance copy of this book to review - but really enjoyed it!
September 4, 2021
This was a bit of a gut punch, but one I really enjoyed.
By design, this project feels a bit disjointed, as it is truly a series of conversation and experience snapshots that Lockwood collected over years, and so the through-line and commentary are generally lighter than some might like.
With that being said, this was a surprisingly gentle look at the many ways that climate change affects people around the globe, and I was totally sucked in by it.
By design, this project feels a bit disjointed, as it is truly a series of conversation and experience snapshots that Lockwood collected over years, and so the through-line and commentary are generally lighter than some might like.
With that being said, this was a surprisingly gentle look at the many ways that climate change affects people around the globe, and I was totally sucked in by it.
November 6, 2022
Climate change is often such an intangible topic, hard to truly wrap your head around, even if you believe in its impacts.
Through narrative storytelling, Devi sucks you in from the very beginning. She makes such a massive topic like climate change so tangible. You can see it, feel it, touch it, hear it, and taste it.
Through narrative storytelling, Devi sucks you in from the very beginning. She makes such a massive topic like climate change so tangible. You can see it, feel it, touch it, hear it, and taste it.
October 26, 2023
7/10
A really neat little book! A cool travelogue, but it took me a few pickups to get through as some of the stories can kind of bleed together, but I suppose that is, in a way, the point of highlighting that which binds us.
A really neat little book! A cool travelogue, but it took me a few pickups to get through as some of the stories can kind of bleed together, but I suppose that is, in a way, the point of highlighting that which binds us.
May 23, 2024
Really enjoyed the stories of all the people the author met and of her experience traveling the world! A good look into the lives of others who are already seeing a direct impact from climate change.
June 13, 2021
Great read
August 23, 2021
super biased bc the author is a friend … a very smart friend
December 6, 2024
thought it would be more anecdotal than it was, i feel like i’m picking up a lot of scientific facts and technical explanations of processes that weren’t ethos
May 9, 2022
read this on recommendation from the author of disasterology which I absolutely loved. part memoir, part anthropological narrative from a young journalist traveling and cycling across the world and speaking with strangers in their experiences with climate change. an important work on dissemination on climate change science and people’s experience with it, giving voice to the every day person and how climate change affects their daily lives, culture, and perspective
August 18, 2021
A 20-something Harvard grad who speaks for the whole world.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews