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A penetrating, page-turning tour of a post-human Earth
 
In The World Without Us, Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanitys impact on the planet: he asks us to envision our Earth, without us.In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; which everyday items may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculpture, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe.The World Without Us reveals how, just days after humans disappear, floods in New Yorks subways would start eroding the citys foundations, and how, as the worlds cities crumble, asphalt jungles would give way to real ones. It describes the distinct ways that organic and chemically treated farms would revert to wild, how billions more birds would flourish, and how cockroaches in unheated cities would perish without us. Drawing on the expertise of engineers, atmospheric scientists, art conservators, zoologists, oil refiners, marine biologists, astrophysicists, religious leaders from rabbis to the Dali Lama, and paleontologists---who describe a prehuman world inhabited by megafauna like giant sloths that stood taller than mammoths---Weisman illustrates what the planet might be like today, if not for us.From places already devoid of humans (a last fragment of primeval European forest; the Korean DMZ; Chernobyl), Weisman reveals Earths tremendous capacity for self-healing. As he shows which human devastations are indelible, and which examples of our highest art and culture would endure longest, Weismans narrative ultimately drives toward a radical but persuasive solution that needn't depend on our demise. It is narrative nonfiction at its finest, and in posing an irresistible concept with both gravity and a highly readable touch, it looks deeply at our effects on the planet in a way that no other book has.

"interesting visions of the future"

Written By: Dylan Murphy

very interesting book that does a good job of using historical and current phenomenon to illustrate how things would turn out. personally, i love the idea of a world without people and found this to be a very appealing book.

"Illumanist bootlicker"

Written By: Kyle B.

I loved Weisman's "Gaviotas," as a story of hope and possibilities, but romanticizing the Illumanist agenda of killing off all or all but 500,000 (closely-related) humans is hardly laudable. True, humanity has utterly lost its way. The planet is a mess. We're a mess. Read the Ringing Cedars series (Anastasia) if you want to see the path out of the dark wood and glimpse a shining collective future.

"I Should Have Just Read The Essay"

Written By: Geoffrey Kleinman

The World Without us is a fascinating concept book. Looking at how the earth would reclaim the urban sprawl is utterly compelling and fairly depressing. Through exploring this concept the book also deals with deep environmental issues and how we attempt to control the forces of nature in order to exist on the planet.

All this is utterly engaging for a while, and then it just gets old. The book was based on an essay and that's where I think it would be strongest. The book feels bloated and overly fleshed out. Midway through I felt I had gotten everything I would get out of the book, and when I finished I realized I had.

Still a worth wile read if the concept is one which engages you, although I wish I had just read the essay.

"Great concept, mediocre execution "

Written By: Francis Tapon

PROS:
- Tackles a fascinating thought experiment: what would happen to the planet if humans vanished overnight?
- Excellent research.
- It's hopeful in that it shows just how fast nature will take over, that life goes on and few will really miss our species. Often environmentalists like to think that humans are the worst thing that has ever happened to this planet, but they forget that far more devastation happened when a few asteroids blasted this planet.
- Reaches the correct, but unpopular, conclusion: if you want humans to have less impact on the planet, limit our population growth. Environmentalists who dream of minimizing human impact rarely talk about reversing human's growth rate. We can all live a low-impact existence, but that doesn't help if there are 100 billion of us. With the population doubling every 70 years, we'll get there in just 280 years. Most of the environmental change that we cause is not because we're evil, it's just because we want to live a decent life, just like every other living wants to do.

CONS:
- Lackluster writing. It's tedious, sluggish, and a bit academic. The sentences don't flow and they have awkward construction. It wasn't painful to read, but it wasn't a pleasure either.
- Needs more photos and illustrations. There are a couple of photos, but they're poor quality. To help envision a planet without us, illustrations and photos would have helped.
- Needs more headers and a better layout. It would help make the text more attractive.

CONCLUSION: Although I read many books, I usually buy only one book per year. This was that one book. I was so excited that I wanted this in my library. Although I'd like to re-read it someday, it's not as great as I hoped it would be. I wasn't bad either. If you're interested in this subject, then buy this book despite the criticism. You'll end up learning something, guaranteed. If you're not that interested, then skip it. I gave it four stars because of the conclusion and because it offers an outstanding perspective on this planet and our role in it.

"An eye opener"

Written By: Albert Newton

When I read this book, it reminded me of another book I enjoyed, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond. Yet this book put you at a distance as if you were a post-human-era visitor, interested but not panic, leaving room for your rationality to digest the discoveries, while feeling a faint sense of sadness. This was exactly the author had intended. In this aspect, Weisman is very successful and will serve as a good model for others to follow.