World Without Us

By: Alan Weisman

Narrated by: Adam Grupper

Most works about the environment build on dire threats warning of the possible extinction of humanity. Alan Weisman avoids frightening off readers by disarmingly wiping out our species in the first few minutes. He then continues with an astounding depiction of how Earth will fare once we're no longer around.

The World Without Us is a one-of-a-kind work that sweeps through time from the moment of humanity's future extinction to millions of years into the future. Drawing on interviews with experts and on real examples of places in the world that have already been abandoned by humans - Chernobyl, the Korean DMZ and an ancient Polish forest - Weisman shows both the shocking impact we've had on our planet and how impermanent our footprint actually is.

Fantastic work of non-fiction

Grupper is the perfect reader for Weisman's tour of the world without humans. Memorable sections include the fate of New York City, the Panama Canal, an inverted ecosystem in the middle of the Pacific, and an abandoned city on the island of Cyprus.

A Must-Read for Every Human

This is a must-read for every human on this earth.

I read a lot of novels, rarely venturing into the too depressingly realistic realm of non-fiction. This book has made me vow to read more non-fiction from here on out. This book isn’t just about what the world will be like without us – it weaves together the world before us, the world with us (and our pollutants), and the world after us. Wiesman does this with uncommon skill. His tapestry plunged me to the depths of despair (yes, this book has many horrible facts about what humans have done to the planet) and then carried me onwards and upwards to lands of hope and reverence (Wiesman counteracts the dark places of the narrative with many inspiring moments and ideas).

The performance is just what you want for non-fiction: clear, non-irritating, and appropriately emotive.

Read this book. It will make you think. You will learn so much.