About book Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, And The Fate Of The Nation (2012)
I love the writings of James Howard Kunstler, especially his Monday morning blog update - Clusterfuck Nation. I have read all his non-fiction. In fact, "Home From Nowhere" and then "The Geography of Nowhere" led me down the path to a career change by returning to graduate school for a Master's Degree in City Planning. That is a "whole 'nother story." I obtained this copy to read through Inter-Library Loan and would purchase a copy if I saw one at a used book store. Back to "Too Much Magic." Nothing new here, I have heard/read it all before. Kunstler writes with a sort of "I am so incredulous at our continuing stupidity and fecklessness of our leaders" to the point that one feel his frustration jumping out of the page as you read. He feels there are things we could change about our addition to modernity, vis a vis, cheap oil, and that is the crux of the matter. Change is hard, and the change will alter everything and having lived a generation or two like this and invested heavily, mighty heavily, one can see why there is no change. As he says, Suburbia(American Lifestyle) is the largest misallocation of resources in the history of the world. Strong stuff, and it all wishful thinking. The belief is that we can keep it all operating by just adding another layer of technology to already complex technology. So have a nice day.It is an easy and quick read focusing on financial malfeasance on Wall Street, feckless party politics and peak oil with the overriding impact of climate change. It could have benefited from better proofreading. Good follow up to Kunstler's 2005 book "The Long Emergency". Much of it is a repeat of material in that book, but there is new stuff--updates on the peak oil situation and fresh social commentary. And even though the entire premise is frightening, it is presented in such a rational way it is incredible that no decision makers appear to be listening to Kunstler. He is not a nut, he is not left wing or right wing--he is forthcoming about his own background and a keen observer. It's a shame more people aren't listening.
Do You like book Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, And The Fate Of The Nation (2012)?
Interesting and holds some difficult truths - also overly pessimistic and condescending.
—Cris
JHK has influenced my thinking more than anyone of recent memory.
—kaybear
