The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

Hard Science - Speculative Fiction
Title: The World Without Us
Author: Alan Weisman
Rating: Excellent!
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Publisher's E-mail: ThomasDunneBooks@stmartins.com
Reviewed by: Liam Brennan

What if the unimaginable occurred and Earth was suddenly devoid of human beings? What would happen to everything mankind has worked so hard to sustain? And what effects will our existence have had on the environment? After extensive research and consultation with expert scientists, Alan Weisman, an award-winning environmental sciences author, provides an astounding look at what the world was like prior to humanity, and prophesizes about what it might be like long after we are gone.

Weisman begins at home in New York, explaining how a common household would breakdown beginning with water seepage around the chimney. Rodents, squirrels, birds, lizards, and numerous other animals would quickly chew their way through the drywall and outer exterior. Rain and snow would eventually make their way into the house, rotting the wood, and causing mold buildup. 50 to 100 years later, the roof collapses in on itself as the trusses begin to bend.

As nature eventually reclaims the remaining scrap piles, the New York City Subway system is rapidly falling apart. With no maintenance workers to unclog drains during a thundershower, water builds up in the train tunnels. Soon enough, streets begin to crater as steel columns corrode and “Lexington Avenue caves in, becoming a river.” Nature is taking over where humans left off, attempting to return to its former state.

From there, Weisman travels around the globe to discover the inevitable future of humanities creations. Abandoned hotels in formerly troubled Cyprus, the Korean demilitarized zone, and even Chernobyl act as prime examples of what will happen when humans are gone and nature is left to thrive. Though the concept may seem complicated at first, readers will soon find their imaginations enthralled by Weisman’s bold predictions and the evidence used to back them up.

With the world becoming increasingly more aware of greenhouse gases and global warming, this book provides a fantastically detailed and thought provoking glimpse at the precise effect humans are having on the Earth. By presenting environmental science in a straightforward and user-friendly approach, this book allows readers to clearly understand the perils facing the planet today and the opportunity to go green in their own lives. And while we cannot know for certain what will happen in our absence, Weisman believes that “the only real prediction you can make is that life will go on. And that it will be interesting.”


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