pdotb reviewed Commanding Hope by Thomas Homer-Dixon
Some good stuff, but ultimately unsatisfying
3 stars
I'm afraid this seems to be a common theme in the books I'm reading on the topic of climate change. There's some good stuff earlier in the book, particularly on the importance of a more active form of hope, on critiquing techno-optimism, on different types of worldviews, and even on how to relate to people we don't agree with. Where it all starts to fall apart is towards the end where Homer-Dixon appears to be offering solutions. He critiques anti-capitalism approaches, though in a pretty strawman-like way (in particular by complaining about the former communist countries, without considering that the common factor is growth, and without engaging with the idea that capitalism requires growth in order to function), then goes on to advocate for a particular worldview (which he calls "Renew The Future" as opposed to "Mad Max") but then, unless I'm missing something, just leaps over the whole question …
I'm afraid this seems to be a common theme in the books I'm reading on the topic of climate change. There's some good stuff earlier in the book, particularly on the importance of a more active form of hope, on critiquing techno-optimism, on different types of worldviews, and even on how to relate to people we don't agree with. Where it all starts to fall apart is towards the end where Homer-Dixon appears to be offering solutions. He critiques anti-capitalism approaches, though in a pretty strawman-like way (in particular by complaining about the former communist countries, without considering that the common factor is growth, and without engaging with the idea that capitalism requires growth in order to function), then goes on to advocate for a particular worldview (which he calls "Renew The Future" as opposed to "Mad Max") but then, unless I'm missing something, just leaps over the whole question of how we get people to think like that. After all, isn't that the real challenge? Sigh.