Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
There's an incorrect yet widely held assumption "that the human experience with ancient climatic shifts is irrelevant to today's industrialized world," according to this impassioned history. Anthropology professor Fagan (Fishing) and archaeologist Durrani (Bigger Than History) look at how previous generations have adapted to climate change, going as far back as before the first millennium CE, when early humans valued cooperation and showed "an intimate knowledge of the changing environment... and a deep respect for the natural world." Later sections revisit the end of the Roman Empire, when a plague ran rampant, and how, for example, Native Americans in the early 16th century dealt with drought via "mobility and by maintaining kin ties with neighboring communities." The authors round things out with a handful of "brutally simple" lessons: that humans must better use their skills at planning, cooperation, and reasoning in the face of climate change; that humans have a remarkable ability to predict climate change thanks to science and technology; that a great deal of adaptation must come at the local level; and that connections with family and communities are "a remarkable survival mechanism." Educational and earnest, Fagan and Durrani's work offers an original historical perspective. Climate-minded readers will find much to consider. Agent: Susan Rabiner, Rabiner Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In this latest book, Fagan and Durrani (who previously collaborated on What We Did in Bed and Bigger Than History) seek to answer one question: why is history relevant to the way societies will handle future climate chaos? The result is a thorough study of human history, as seen entirely through the impact of climate. They survey 30,000 years of global humanity to show how previous societies responded, or didn't, to climate shifts; they also outline lessons for modern societies adapting to future irreversible global warming. They do touch on climate science, but because of the complexity and fast-changing nature of the discipline, they chose instead to focus on archaeology and history, to great effect. Theirs is not a typical work of popular world history; it's fresh and new, and, unlike similar titles, marvelously eschews specificity in favor of generality and universality. The authors create thought-provoking connections and draw striking conclusions that will interest even the most climate-savvy of readers. VERDICT Complete with maps and illustrations, this wide-ranging historical survey is international in scope, while remaining accessible. A title for every reader, no matter their academic background.--Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A long look back at human interactions with changing climate issues in the past. Archaeologists Fagan and Durrani, the former of whom has written about climate and natural resources in several popular books, survey the "story of how our ancestors adapted to…myriad shifts, large and small," as portions of the world alternately heated and cooled. One adaptation of long standing is simply to move, as Ancestral Puebloan people did when a centurylong drought settled over what is now the Southwestern U.S. Ecological refugees who are leaving present-day drought-stricken zones in places such as the Sahel are evidence of "the ancient survival strategy of mobility on a truly massive scale." The massive drought that has settled over the present-day Southwest does not afford the same ability. As exploding population in the region, the authors write, has "placed major stresses on groundwater and other scarce water supplies as global warming intensifies." Given that mass migration "is no longer a viable option in our time," it's up to modern planners to figure out a way to ensure the chances of our survival. While questioning our near-religious faith in the thought that technology can somehow save us, the authors allow that it will help, even as we continue to wreak catastrophic damage. Megadroughts in places such as the Southwest and India are not our only concern; the authors write of climate change--induced flooding and plagues, noting that the difference between present and past is that the natural alterations of old are now human-caused. What we do have going for us, the authors conclude in this accessible survey, is our ability to think problems through. "In planning adaptations to future climate change," they write, "we need to maximize those enduring qualities that will sustain us as we plan decisive adaptations for the future." That includes local leadership to address local effects. Can we survive climate change? This learned book suggests that we can, but it won't be easy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
