Tropic of Chaos

Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence

By: Christian Parenti

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

From Africa to Asia and Latin America, the era of climate wars has begun. Extreme weather is breeding banditry, humanitarian crisis, and state failure. In Tropic of Chaos, investigative journalist Christian Parenti travels along the front lines of this gathering catastrophe - the belt of economically and politically battered postcolonial nations and war zones girding the planet's mid-latitudes. Here he finds failed states amid climatic disasters. But he also reveals the unsettling presence of Western military forces and explains how they see an opportunity in the crisis to prepare for open-ended global counterinsurgency.

Parenti argues that this incipient "climate fascism" - a political hardening of wealthy states - is bound to fail. The struggling states of the developing world cannot be allowed to collapse, as they will take other nations down as well. Instead, we must work to meet the challenge of climate-driven violence with a very different set of sustainable economic and development policies.

©2011 Christian Parenti (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

love it

Falls close to conspiracy theory sometimes, but overall a great audio book. Really complete picture of the relation between conflict and climate change.

A different angle on Climate Chaos

Parenti’s 2011 book examines our ongoing predicament from the perspective of its effects upon social conflicts around the world. It’s a unique perspective and provides a telling forecast into what’s likely ahead for a world that continues to largely ignore his advice for mitigation.

A very enjoyable audiobook

What did you like best about this story?

I don't agree with all the views expressed by the author, but the book is very good overall. Some parts require some patience, because the points explained at one part may not seem immediately relevant to the whole idea of climate change, but the questions brought up by the author are worth discussion.

Any additional comments?

I think there were some minor pronunciation errors by the narrator, but overall, I think the narrator did a great job of engaging the reader.

Disappointing

Clearly a psyop intended to convince the left of the futility of revolution in order to combat the climate crisis. The whole end chapter about how capitalism is part of the solution was the nail in the coffin for me. Plus the substance of the book didn’t really provide a lot of enlightening information, it’s pretty obvious that climate change will exacerbate seemingly unrelated social problems. Very meh. Waste of a credit imo.

Really important book

I thought the book was phenomenal. My only issue is with the narration. The narrator is engaging but mispronounces simple worlds like statism.