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In this groundbreaking book, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Green Book Thomas M. Kostigen reveals the vital missing link in today's environmental crisis: how we as individuals are connected to the most tenuous geography on the planet. Despite the recent prominence of "green" issues in the news, the direct relationship between our actions and the earth is too often ignored. But the seemingly insignificant things we do every day have the power to literally alter the landscape in the ongoing battle to resuscitate the planet.
There are living narratives of climate change that reveal the consequences of our everyday actions. You Are Here allows us to both comprehend and care about what's happening in these encampments of ruin. Kostigen shows us what may well be a glimpse of our future in Linfen City, China, one of the most polluted places on the planet. From a garbage patch twice the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to the melting arctic ice shelf, to the flood zone that is Mumbai, India, to the dwindling rainforests of the Amazon, You Are Here describes the environmental crisis in a way we can feel, see, and touch. Kostigen presents us with opportunities for change and shows us how to take action on the spot, wherever we are. Combining groundbreaking research and page-turning frontline reporting, Kostigen pulls back the curtain on the most pressing and provocative issues of the day and in so doing we see the earth and our place on it in a brand new light.
It's not enough to abstractly consider being "green," in the world today. Kostigen wants listeners to come face to face with the realistic outcomes of overexploitation of the world's resources. Traveling from cities where the pollution is so toxic people must always wear masks to a miles-wide flotilla of trash in the Pacific Ocean or where the rainforest meets industrialization, Kostigen provides listeners with some real evidence of excessive and detrimental waste. His goals are earnest, but though he provides typical and practical advice that people can follow every day to address these issues, his intentions don't translate well into his prose. Kostigen reads his text clearly and smoothly, and his voice and tone are easy to follow and enjoy. However, given the gravitas of his ideas, his voice lacks the passion and emphasis to reinforce his words that one might expect. A HarperOne hardcover. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. More Reviews and RecommendationsThomas M. Kostigen is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Green Book. He writes the "Ethics Monitor" column for Dow Jones MarketWatch and the "Better Planet" column and blog for Discover magazine. He is a longtime journalist and former Bloomberg News editor. Kostigen has been writing about global warming, the environment, social issues, and government policies for two decades. He lives in Santa Monica, California.
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October 10, 2009: The book is an easy read. I am not sure about the accuracy of the information as I am not knowledgeable about world wide sustainablity and international treatment of forests and waterways. The book was interesting for base knowledge. I disagree with some of the things he said though after reading and doing my own research.
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February 06, 2009: I thought YOU ARE HERE was the best I've read so far on the environment, and I have been reading on this topic for 20 years! A lot of books focus on just one problem, i.e. global warming or e-waste, etc. but this book was all-encompassing. It had enough facts and figures to make it credible but not so many that book became boring. It was a great book -- interesting and illuminating.