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Written in lucid, rational prose, the theme of this book is the threat that overpopulation poses to the world. But rather than pontificate and propose global solutions, McKibben contends that there is something average, well-off adults can decide to do about it- they can choose to have only one child. Knowing that he has taken a controversial slant on a delicate subject, McKibben is at pains to demonstrate his reasonableness. He abhors the idea of coerced family planning, for example. Nor is he saying that all parents should limit their families. He points out, however, that there could be 500 million people in the US by 2050 -- what if population declines rather than increases? What would an America with 150 million people -- the population after World War II -- look like? This book does not dodge difficult questions, it seeks them out. Would a generation of only children pose a problem for society? After all they are commonly considered more likely to be lonely, self-centred or incapable of forming healthy social relationships. What about the difficulty of financing social security in an ageing populace? What of the deep emotional satisfaction many receive
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"The next I-search:50 years," says the author, "will be crucial to our planet's future--they are the years that could so devastate the earth's biology that it will never again be able to support life as abundantly as it does at present". This is a big topic for a relatively short book and an elegant writing style combined with good editing of information and points means that McKinnen's book does manage to explore this idea fully.
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The chapters are headed "Family", "Species", "Nation" and "Self", and each travels a fascinating path through past research, ideas and future predictions, made cohesive by the author's own passionate beliefs. Although its main pool of facts and figures source from the US, much of it is universal and McKinnen discusses global issues too.
Advocating one-child families is a difficult and controversial issue, as the author readily points out, and this is one of the sticking points that he wrestles with in the book. Instead of asking whether we should have just one child, he asks: what if we don't?
As the author himself says: This is the last chance to change the world. --Alison Jardine
"What stands out in this eloquent book... is McKibben's wonderfully illuminating and entertaining work in tracking down our national prejudice against only children and single-child families. There and throughout this call to arms, the reader feels the added dimension of a father's love."--Publishers Weekly "A timely book."--Booklist "An impassioned call for Americans to limit their offspring in the name of the planet."--Kirkus Reviews "A warmly personal exploration of what may be humankind's most compelling dilemma."--The San Francisco Chronicle "One of those rare books that encourages the reader to think and gives us the tools with which to do so; it has a point of view without ever becoming doctrinaire. For all its sobering issues, it is a delight to read. McKibben is that better kind of optimist, one who sees a problem and finds liberation in sculpting an answer."--The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review "Compelling."--The Boston Globe
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- PublisherAnchor Books
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 1862300046
- ISBN 13 9781862300040
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages272
- Rating
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Maybe One
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Anchor Books
(1999)
ISBN 10: 1862300046
ISBN 13: 9781862300040
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Book Description Condition: Bueno. Written in lucid, rational prose, the theme of this book is the threat that overpopulation poses to the world. But rather than pontificate and propose global solutions, McKibben contends that there is something average, well-off adults can decide to do about it- they can choose to have only one child. Knowing that he has taken a controversial slant on a delicate subject, McKibben is at pains to demonstrate his reasonableness. He abhors the idea of coerced family planning, for example. Nor is he saying that all parents should limit their families. He points out, however, that there could be 500 million people in the US by 2050 -- what if population declines rather than increases? What would an America with 150 million people -- the population after World War II -- look like? This book does not dodge difficult questions, it seeks them out. Would a generation of only children pose a problem for society? After all they are commonly considered more likely to be lonely, self-centred or incapable of forming healthy social relationships. What about the difficulty of financing social security in an ageing populace? What of the deep emotional satisfaction many receive Seguir leyendo BIOGRAFÍA DEL AUTORBill McKibben's books include The End of Nature, The Age of Missing Information and Hope, Human and Wild. A former staff writer for The New Yorker, he is a frequent contributor to a wide variety of publications. He lives with his wife and daughter in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Seguir leyendo EAN: 9781862300040 Tipo: Libros Categoría: Título: Maybe OneEditorial: - Formato: Tapa dura. Seller Inventory # Happ-2024-02-20-c39a3c37
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