Book Log 2008 #12: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

I had a bit of a catastrophe streak going, between the last book that took place in a world without electricity, and this one that imagines what would happen to the Earth if, all of a sudden, people just disappeared.

Most of the chapters put forth specific scenarios, such as how Manhattan would flood and revert to its wilder beginnings without the people who keep the subway tunnels from filling with water. It also delves into some more theoretical areas, such as which animals would survive, how endangered species may rally or continue to dwindle, and if anything would evolve to take our place. It's all quite interesting and sharply written.

In some chapters, though, he's more focused more on cataloging our current neglect of the environment and how our consumerist society would impact the planet for millenia after we disappear. It's a strong argument for changing the way we do things, from our use of plastic to the way we mine for mineral resources, but it's also a little distracting. I found it changed the tone of those chapters a bit, as the what would happen part was much less of the focus of these chapters.

Still, this is probably the best book I've read in 2008.