Book report: This Changes Everything, by Naomi Klein

Book report: This Changes Everything, by Naomi Klein

I usually write book reports about books that I’ve actually read. In this case, I want to write about why I didn’t finish reading the book.

This is a book that purports to be about how capitalism must change if we want to solve the climate crisis. Maybe it is. I wouldn’t know, because I gave up reading it. I started out reading it. Then I started skimming pages. Then I started skipping whole sections. Finally, I gave up and looked for the payoff at the end. I never found it.

Now, I happen to know something about writing non-fiction that gives solutions to problems. I’ve published more than 200 magazine articles on technical topics, and they basically all have the same kind of form: introduction to the problem, some possible solutions to the problem, why some of the solutions don’t actually work, what the solution turns out to be, and how that solution plays out.

My problem with this book is that we never get to the solution. We’re given the problem. And more of the problem. And still more of the problem. And yet more of the problem. And why the problem’s hard.  And why the problem’s bad. And why the hardness and the badness of the problem make it really hard and bad. And how some people think X will help, but they’re wrong and stupid and pointless and wasting energy that could go toward the REAL solution, whatever that might be. And others think Y will help, but they’re even worse. And I’m only 2/26ths of the way through the alphabet.

There was a glimmer of hope at one point. She began talking about certain European countries, such as Germany, that are making real strides in expanding their use of solar power and wind-generated electricity, for example. I thought we might be onto something. But no. Back to how bad the problem is, etc. etc. etc.

Another issue I have with this book is the repetitiveness of its construction. A typical sentence sounds like this: “Joquanda P. Kantt-PronounceIt, Executive Director [everyone in this book is an executive director: in this world there are more executive directors than fast-food workers] of The International Amalgamated Committee on Rectifying Everything Wrong with This Benighted World Preferably Using Tofu, is quoted as saying, “[400 words here, none of which would make a good t-shirt or poster slogan]”. There’s at least 5 of these kinds of sentences on every page and, believe me, it gets tedious after a while. A short while.

She also has a typical structure to every section. It starts with her jetting in (on one of those non-polluting jets with no carbon footprint) to either (A) a spiritually and historically significant gathering of some of the world’s finest thinkers and most compassionate souls (if she agrees with them) or (B) a diabolical cartel of soon-to-be-indicted war criminals whose only thought is to loot the planet and kill baby bunnies (if she doesn’t agree with them). She gives us the weather report, some details on whatever snack she’s picked up, and then starts quoting executive directors.

For 577 pages.

Klein has apparently never discovered the Delete button on her keyboard, and we’re the ones who suffer the consequences. There’s just too much of this book.

And, mind you, I’m pretty much on her side in this debate. I WANT to find out what the solution is. Why won’t she tell me?

She repeatedly (and repeatedly and repeatedly) voices her astonishment that the entire human race didn’t instantaneously change direction when we discovered that humans were changing the climate for the worse. Really? Really? Human beings have been around for about 200,000 years, just doing things the way they always have. In the last 50 or so years, we’ve started to notice the effects of our petroleum-based technology on the climate. And she expects 200,000 years of momentum to change course like that? That’s like expecting a race car to careen to a stop because a ball bounces a fraction of a millimeter from the front bumper. Sorry, but it ain’t gonna happen.

I agree that it’s regrettable that we haven’t been able to respond as quickly as we’d like to the crisis. But is it really surprising?

Her attitude is that this “inaction” is due to moral failings, greed, and a lack of vision or courage. What about plain old human nature? This is the way people are. You can bemoan it all you want (and she does: her default setting is “Bemoan”), but that’s reality. You can’t accomplish more than people are capable of assimilating, period, in any field of endeavor. Ask cops. Ask teachers. Ask doctors. Ask lawyers.

To sum up: there might be a solution in there somewhere. I didn’t find it. But if it reflects her flawed idea of what humanity is capable of, I’m dubious of how practical or effective a solution it will be.

Bottom line: this doesn’t change anything.