Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization (City Lights Open Media) Kindle Edition

I no longer care for terminology that calls for “fighting” climate change. It is not climate changing we fight, after all, but rather our own civilization and society. Climate has changed naturally before, and it is changing now, under our influence. If we are to survive, we need to learn the simple truth that we a part of this, and they only way to survive it is to let it-our current civilization-go. Only then can we focus on what comes next, and only the will we see the possibility of ourselves as accepting our fate. We must “die” in order to live. That is the call to action laid out in this short, but brilliant work. Not that we must sit back and do nothing. But that we must accept what we have done, that we will be impacted, perhaps critically so, and that with that knowledge in hand act on our future’s behalf, no longer focusing on the now.This book made a huge difference in my growing pessimism and futile look on climate change. Yes, bad things are about to happen. Our civilization is probably already dead.But what comes next?

This small and concise book presents the ecological likelihood of our human fate, the blinkered and predatory ways we are dealing with it, the inescapable human reliance of violence in the case of threat, and the lack of any real control in ensuring our continuity . Roy Scranton, a former soldier, has written a deeply thoughtful essay. It is a call to accepting our mortality while working to continue what has been deepest and most enduring in our culture. One may or may not agree with any of the specific arguments here, but there is no doubt that this book places all the crucial issues on the table.

I definitely recommend it, but before you buy it be sure you're interested in Scranton's core question. That is, what the humanities offer us in this perilous situation? If you're uninterested in that question, find another book.If you're into Scranton's question, this book offers some novel thoughts and some new/compelling ways of summarizing old thoughts/history, but don't expect to be blown away. He does a good job formulating his question and using credible sources to describe the scientific and political context. And I think the points he makes about the humanities are salient.But I think he says too little about what the humanities can do for us. The type of person most likely to buy a book with "Anthropocene" in the title already knows much of what he says about climate science, policy, and current social ills. You'd think he'd balance that with an equal amount of attention to what he views as the positive/productive promise/power/role of the humanities. Sometimes (like in Chapter Four) he does single out aspects of "the problem" that are seldom addressed and addresses them in fresh ways. But still, he spends more time describing the problem than answering his question, which is underwhelming since it's by answering his question that we can learn to die in the Anthropocene. The answer is there, but he could've done more with it, even in a volume as short as his.It's a good book, though. And the endnotes and bibliography are very useful.Three last critiques: first, his use of the word "anarchy" early in the book shows he doesn't know what anarchism is. Second, he doesn't address capitalism's role in this mess, a subject better dealt with in Naomi Kline's "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate" and Jason W. Moore's "Anthropocene or Capitalocene? Nature, History, and the Crisis of Capitalism." Third: the book is disjointed -- it jumps around a bit.

This is a very short introduction to problems of the "Anthropocene" for people willing to face just how dire the situation is. As Scranton's subtitle admits, these are "reflections," although he synthesizes many different sources. The major importance, spread amidst the other arguments, is Scranton's insistence on the importance of mourning, in place of fake optimism, and learning to live in the ruins of our currrent culture as part of our response to the coming climate change. In the year since this book appeared, the argument has been echoed by other activists and scholars, including Anna Loewenhaupt Tsing in The Mushroom at the End of the World, and Josh Fox in his new documentary, How to Let Go of the World and Love the Things Climate Can't Change.

This fairly short book contains a lot of information on climate change, but the author, former soldier Roy Scranton, didn't write it to discuss the details of climate change. It's a reality and Scranton uses philosophy, the importance of the humanities and his own thoughts to bring to light the fact that the human species will eventually face extinction. Not this year or next, but my great-grandchildren may see the beginning hardships of a planet not respected and not properly cared for as our computers, cell phones and the technology today depends on fossil fuels. Everytime we charge our cell phones we add to the problem.A reread of this book would definitely benefit me. The book skips around a lot, so it would be a bit easier to read if it flowed in better order. Depressing, yes. Informative and thought producing, definitely.

We all face extinction, individually and as as species. There are no easy answers in this short book. The author faced up to his own mortality serving in Iraq, when gazing into the rear-view mirror of his humvee and seeing a blank space. I have marked some sections to return to and ponder.

Thought-provoking, but doesn't really say anything that new or enlightening in its three or so chapters. I was just starting to wonder what section two would open up when the book ended and I found I'd paid more than £8 for a book the length of a Kindle single.

A short but sweet discussion about a period of history where human activity affecting the planets equilibrium can be objectively measured. The language used is very welcoming and discussion is organised to make it approachable for those that may not be familiar with the topic.

I have struggled through many so called profound books but this is simply one of the best It's concise, challenging and is a mindful elegy for humankind.Try it...

excellent book.