Book review – “The World Without Us” By Alan Weisman | BusinessWeek

Save The Planet: Disappear — Weisman presents a curiously refreshing vision of the apocalypse

THE WORLD WITHOUT US By Alan Weisman. Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press — 324pp — $24.95

The extinction of humankind is a grim topic. Yet in The World Without Us, journalist Alan Weisman invokes this ancient specter as the jumping-off point for a refreshing, and oddly hopeful, look at the fate of the environment. His central question: What would earth be like if humanity just vanished? Weisman’s answer is as fascinating as it is surprising. It turns out, from towering bridges to sprawling cities–not to mention delicate books or masterly artworks–precious few of man’s creations would last long. The author richly documents the damage done by industrial civilization, providing further momentum for business to go green. But his explanation of just how all of our methodically built cities, factories, and temples would implode under the slow assault of rot, rain, plants, and critters is the most compelling aspect of the book. The winners in Weisman’s tour de décomposition are the very flora and fauna that today are under pitiless assault from humanity…

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