The Coming Population Crash

The Coming Population Crash and our Planet’s Surprising Future looked like it was going to be a book filled with doom and gloom about how we were all going to die. That was not the case. Fred Pearce, the author, presents a warning about how our planet may not be able to continue to support us, but also shows how we could prevent this from happening.

The Coming Population Crash begins with historical information about previous fears of overpopulation and birthrates of the past. Pearce then continues to give portraits of various countries’ current fertility rates and struggles with population (whether it be too high or too small), and finishes the book with various ways our future could turn out.

What I liked best about The Coming Population Crash is that it taught me things I didn’t know, but, unlike many of the other books that presented new information, I felt like I understood what I was taught. Pearce writes in a style that can be understood by all, and he avoids “science talk” even though his subject could certainly be discussed in that vernacular. Rather than sticking solely to the big picture, Pearce makes his points by focusing on particular countries, using individual people’s stories which make the problems much more tangible.

A book simply about population sounds like it might be boring; I certainly thought it would be. But a book about population also means a book about eugenics, about birth control, about one-child policy, about feminism, about poverty, about environmentalism, about immigration. And those things are all interesting.

I liked The Coming Population Crash a lot. It not only made me think, but it also made me want to keep reading. I was planning on rating it 4/5, but then I asked myself, “What kept it from getting a five?” and I had no answer. So, 5/5 it is. I recommend it.

Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Fred Pearce (It's a good one!)

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Crazy Like Us

Woah man, I loved Crazy Like Us. Seriously, the whole time I was reading it, I couldn’t help saying, “This is so fascinating,” (sometimes even out loud), and I wouldn’t shut up about it to my family and friends.

The book, written by Ethan Watters, chronicles the globalization of American mental disorders and their treatments. Crazy Like Us is separated into four parts, each of which focuses on a particular disorder and geographic area: Anorexia in Hong Kong, PTSD in Sri Lanka, Schizophrenia in Zanzibar, and Depression in Japan. Each section is broken into smaller parts, where Watters focuses on individual cases, discusses how the American disorder (or mentality about the disorder) came to be in the area at hand, and a brief description about the disorder itself. The organized nature of the text, coupled with Watters’s easy to understand prose, makes the book an easy one to put down and pick up. But, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be so interested, you can’t help but read entire sections at a time.

Though Watters’s opinion and voice carries through the text, making it read easier than articles in Psychology journals, he does not let it overwhelm the content. And it is the content that made me so enthralled by Crazy Like Us. Though I could regurgitate all the knowledge I gained from reading the book, instead, I will tell you to read the book and learn it for yourself. It’ll give you a new insight both on the cultural differences in dealing with disease and disorder and on the mental disorders in the United States. As you may have guessed, I’m giving Crazy Like Us a 5/5.

Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Ethan Watters

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The Checklist Manifesto

When Jon Stewart interviewed Atul Gawande about his book The Checklist Manifesto, I was watching the show with my friend Amanda. After the interview, Amanda said, "Boy that book sounds boring," at the same time as I said, "Wow, this book is going to be interesting." Luckily, my prediction was the correct one.

True, I'm predisposed to like this book: I make myself checklists on a regular basis, and I love rules. However, even if you aren't as list-happy as I am, you could definitely get into The Checklist Manifesto.

The Checklist Manifesto mainly deals with the checklist in relation to surgery. Gawande begins by sharing the story of a five-item checklist that Peter Pronovost, a critical care specialist at John Hopkins Hospital, developed to reduce central line infections (Spoiler Alert: This checklist worked amazingly, decreasing the infection rate of the Michigan Hospital that tested it by 66%). Additionally, much of the book focuses on Gawande's creation of a 19-item checklist for all surgeries. However, Gawande also spends time in other fields where checklists play a large role, including aviation and construction.

Before picking up The Checklist Manifesto, though I knew I was interested in the subject matter, I was a little concerned about the writing style; after all, Gawande's primary career is a surgeon, not a writer. I had nothing to worry about though. Gawande writes in an easy-to-understand, engaging style, telling thrilling stories of surgeries without much doctor jargon. It is a non-fiction book without the "I'm reading this textbook for school" feel.

I give it a 4/5; the only thing that keeps it from getting a 5 is that occasionally, Gawande goes on a bit long, particularly when discussing the role the checklist plays in construction. You should still read it though, if only to read the one thing about Walmart that will make you hate it less.

Watch Jon Stewart's Interview with Atul Gawande

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