This is a report on the book ‘The World without us’ by Weisman A. The book was written after intensive research on the environment. The author was trying to imagine what the world would be like if human beings became extinct. He tries to imagine how our lives on Earth wouldn’t have been if we did not have to deal with the constant daily threshold that we heap on the world. “I was trying to visualize the world being more relaxed without us!” (Alan 90).
Alan Weisman wrote this book after he had done much research on the environment all over the world. He then compiled all his research together with some additional ideas and then decided to write a book titled ‘the World without Us’ -a book that talks about nature. He shows how Europe was once like and how we can relate with nature with what could not be there if we were extinct. The story gets to be very interesting and creates a lot of anxiety to know what it could be like without the beautiful things that man has built. He had been a journalist and when reading through the book , we get to know and appreciate that Weisman is experienced.
In this book the author addresses various themes. He wants us to think of the things we have done and those that we cannot do. He visualizes everything in dream-like imaginations. It is however not very evident whether he is talking to us, but logically he should be. It could indeed be a style he is using to express his work to us the readers or however uses his work. Without us the writer asks very many questions like the imagination on how nature could pull our works down. Nobody can control the things that we see. He says that everything may go back to the stage where they were. Just like no one will be there to control the waters, the tunnel will be filled with water and all including cities will be filled with water just like before water was separated by mountains.
The book is written for a layman. Therefore any common reader can always go for it. But surprisingly, the author does not address the reader directly. This calls for proper and keen reading to comprehend his ideas. He is seen to be imagining throughout the book. So it is definite that he wants us to visualize together with him. I picked on the book because it has good referencing and indexing that makes his imaginations come to life in one’s mind very easily. So as one reads through the book, he or she gets a clear vivid picture of what really is in the world for us.
“The book begins in a world without humans.” (Loil 167). It asks the big question of what would happen if the human race became extinct. Its setting is in the city of New York though the author varies the sceneries to homes, forests and water bodies. For instance, the author of the book imagines of what the island of Manhattan would be like if humans were extinct. He goes ahead to create different scenarios of imagination but in the real sense he wants us to real imagine of what the world would be without us.
We should imagine of what it could be like if all the things just had the same ability just like us. Everything could mutually benefit from another. Maybe it could be true that we could not get ability to be distrustful and wasteful the way we can be at times. This gets to be an opportunity that we should not miss out as we read the book. Fortunately, it is coming to the right time when we all should be at the top to take the privilege that we have to control everything fairly as we take into account the nature and our surrounding.
“What really happens to our desires when we are gone?” (Soiel & Domney 111). If so and we imagine together with Weisman, we really take a different perspective of what the world is like. And what could happen if there was something that was governing all the nature. What stage or rank could man take? How could superior be like. In as much of all this imaginations can be created and make us have high anxiety, they may really be of no use. All we should do is to put all our minds on the nature under what we built besides the environment. Perhaps this will create a newer impression on what we should feel like if nature is treated sparingly.
The important messages conveyed in the book do come out clearly. First, the author makes us think on what man can do and what they can’t. Eventually the author takes over virtually everything that human beings have built. In the book, nature is clearly addressed as a theme. Surely nature does not have anything man-made a reason as to why he might have imagined of the Earths state without the presence of man and artificial objects. Of course we do expect so many challenges to come our way as long as nature can dictate. But man has always tried to put everything under his control. All we should do is imagine what if we are not in the world, how nature will be. Nature is very diverse and at no time it will really be understood fully. That is why we keep imagining what if we were extinct, and the imagination sets so many questions to our mind.
Important messages have been structured in form of rhetorical phrases. The author uses a very impressive technique, speaking as though he does not want to talk directly to the readers but in real sense he is. He tries imagining on everything what if. Even the title of the book, the world without us-is an imagination. One develops urge to find out how our extinction would affect the world. The writer also uses another style of symbolism where he sets something to signify different scenarios as though they are real.
Many other authors, just like Alan, have produced similar works that have nature as a major theme. ‘Ecological design’ is one of the works produced by Sim Van Der Ryn. It tries to explain how nature would be if some things were eliminated. Stuart Archer has also produced another work on environment called ‘The Army of the republic.’
Many important authors came out almost at the same time Alan was producing this work. Among them are; McDonough and Braun art who wrote a book on the environment and the plastic industry. Major topics are related to those found in ‘the world without us’. Nature and environment are major themes that keep on being brought up throughout the story. In fact it carries the story.
The author tries to ask so many questions concerning his imaginations, but his main focus is on what the planet would be like without human life. His research and wide study puts him in a position of finding out so much regarding the earth without humans.
After reading the book, I realized that I had a different perspective of how the earth would be. First, I took a lot of my time to know the world around me. It has also raised my curiosity so much that I want to find out what the world would be like if it hypothetically came to a sudden end.
The world without us is the book that makes us think more passionately about nature, we see what man has done and imagine so many things that we can create in our minds. It enables us to see things in a different light. Everything we think of is observed in a form different perspective, which is in a world with no human presence. It is a funny kind of imagination anyway. Any layman should actually check this book.
After long analysis of historical sketches, the book Cradle to Cradle came to be written. Analysis was done in the major principles of design and other industrial products influencing industrial development. The big question that is being answered here is on industrial product waste disposal. How can the wastes be disposed to cater for the well being of the environment, promote economy and promote the social life of the people in that particular environment.
The author of the book is McDonough W. is recognized as a hero. He is branded the title ‘A Hero of the Planet.’ The former head and lecturer in the department of architecture was assisted by his college friend Michael B. Michael B is a chemist and founder of an environmental protection encouraging agency. They are inspired to start working on the writing after some motivation from and wide research, their profession and wide analysis that they might have carried out. He had visited so many places all over the world and had a rough idea of what the environment was like. After combing the forces with McDonough, they eventually settled on the piece of work as their research and writing. They take advantage of the research that they have carried out and which becomes of very important. This gives them a quick start.
There are so many current issues on the environment that touched me to write a report on this book. It can all be summarized in remarking about how we make things. The book comes up with a lot of ideas. “The ideas on environment and industrial production are the most stressed on all through the book…” (Kempher et al. 56). The book has key motivating themes of nature and environment that keep pulling the reader and keeping within the mind of the author.
Paper or plastic neither, say William McDonough and Michael Braunart. The authors are trying to appreciate the environment by advising on the best way to conserve the environment. In ‘Cradle to Cradle’ the authors call for smarter ways to do things. For instance, in the industries, when we talk about recycling, this is a very smart way to conserving the environment and it is calling for changes to help in making industries better at resource management. Most people in industries want to eliminate the concept of recycling. The authors give several examples that keep the environment and are doing so well in finance.
When it comes to national and international matters, the environmentalists are often disregarded. It is becoming a hot issue in the media and now that research has started regarding the environment. Global issues could be the reason for all this. In major and minor industries, the environment is often disregarded. People are often not considerate on whether the end result will harm the environment or not. The authors try as much as possible to guide people holding industries to bear in mind the environment during the production process.
The authors however try to guide us on the right manner to do things. They try as much as possible to give real and working examples. They however admit that the book may not fully give the all required details and suggestions regarding the environment. There are so many frustrations that may accompany the environment and its related issues. But we should not tire till we acquire what the target is.
July 10, 2007 was the date the book was first released. It then circulated to other countries starting with Germany, France and Brazil. Later on it was circulated all over the world. For quite a long time, we have always been discussing on the issues of environment and industrial design. The topics are always continuous and ever bring very hot discussion points. We get proper and practical guidance in the book “cradle to cradle.” According to John et al (P 19)In the process, we get to appreciate and conclude that the environment can indeed do a lot to us. We can then extend this to our industries and produce virtually all that we need. That is if we really appreciate the environment
Knowledge in technology keeps growing day after day. But if we use the natural systems like the energy from the sun, we can create products from the natural resources and make the production the same and better to the environment. The authors are advising us to work on better methods of production but quality is maintained.
In the book, Cradle to Cradle creates the picture in our minds on the various models of industrial design with the environment. All the economy either directly or indirectly relies on the environment. “The entire book is geared at the future- the hope of the future relies on the book…” (Abnes 279-282)
Other than discussing the environment and nature, it is required to make the regular and outright principles that guide and govern the environment. The principles and guidelines should be close to people and easily accessible till it gets to be like a trend. “The recycling of materials and items should also be stressed in environment safety.” In the book literature is complex. (John et al 119).
As an individual, you read keenly through the book, you can actually gain a lot of experience in the environment and other processing industries at large. For one you learn how to maximize the returns of your company and keep the environment clean. The book is actually for anyone who lives on the earth and wants to mind about the environment.
The authors of “cradle to cradle” McDonough W. and Michael B. Addressing, are addressing the people to use the environment to solve our problems. They try as much as possible to display real life examples that design an efficient use and application of energy. Environment is the best way to achieve the best in all the societies that require ecological and sustainable environment.
According to( McDonough & Michael 83) “Reduce, reuse, recycle” is all the authors are telling us as we read through the book. We must try in all ways that in whatever we do, we don’t harm the environment. The book allows us to look at the things that we do in a different way. That is why it is remaking the way we make things. We are advised to advance with technology but keep in technological cycle so that that technology will not be dumped. Technology is there to stay. Food should stay in a natural cycle-they can be broken down. Companies should be responsible on the materials that they are using and recycle them for another use.
A lot of stuff that we need keeps coming back. “After we use all the stuff we should ask ourselves the big question, where are these things going?” (Martin 67). After that, we can be able to start thinking of reuse and the environment will be cured. The whole idea is the thing of recycling should be smarter-meaning they should be cheap and the whole idea calls for working together.
The summary is that the book cradle the cradle, shows us that the authors should be working on very big projects. This should be the reason why he talks about the ford factory. “All the idea here is that we should try and support all the companies that are doing it better.” We should measure this by looking at the environment and seeing the way things are cycled.
All in all, the two books are very interesting and when we read them at same time just like I did, we end up thinking that they are similar books with the same content and written by the same author. Environment is very important. We should also appraise technology-because technology is important too. We must be there to develop technology. Maybe, Weisman is trying to imagine how good the environment could be without us being present to temper with it.
Works cited
Boyd Abnes M. “Commentary on Cradle to cradle.” 279–282. Indonesia: Pelmar. 2004.
John Bedeks et al “Rule discovery from time series.” Longman; KDD. 1998.
Kempher Jonson, Mark D. & Hongo K. “Literature is complex.” KDD; Longman. 2003.
Lanma, Loil. “Discovery of spatial association rules in geographic information databases” 1995.
McDonough W and Michael B. “Cradle to Cradle Remaking the Way We Make Things.
North Point Press.” Oxford: New York. 2004.
Martin M. “Structure and evolution of blog-space” CACM, Oxford, New York, 2004.
Soiel B. and Domny Gordon. “Analysis-the world without us” Oxford, New York. 2003.
Weisman, Alan. “The world without us.” ICDM, London: Campridge University Press. 2004.