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 prescribed read for anyone with a brain Feb 11, 2010
This book tells all those truths that nobody wants to hear. Hard truths that we need to hear. Beware anyone who does not heed this advice.
Admirably written in a language understandable to all. Wide ranging in its scope but always right on target with solid arguments. Essential reading.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Review of "The Long Emergency" Nov 30, 2009
"The Long Emergency" by James Kunstler is a must read for any individual who wants a stark and frigtening look into the future that await the End of Oil. Kunstler has done his homework. Big Oil wants us to believe that there's no end to oil; that cheap fossil fuel will continue to be pumped from wells far into the future if only they can drill where they want to.
Kunstler shows why this is not so, and is abacked by a dozen or so of Americas leading geologists, some investment bankers, and an "oil engineer." The Big Oil companies want us to believe the end is not near in order to keep the price of their stocks from dropping. But, as Kunstler points out, they are not building any new infrastructure and machinery for doing that, in spite of the fact the present infrastructure, the pumps and refineries are wearing out.
A look into the future with Kunstler is not for those who a weak of heart or who are more comfortable reminaing in denial. It is a truly frigntening look. Roughly 99% of all the artifacts and agriculture you see around yourself is dependent on fossil fuels. If you read "The Long Emergency" you will never see the world in the same light. It even affected a dream of mine about a week after I read it.The World's Greatest Books Volume 02 Fiction
0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Kunslter's an ideologue--adds little to the debate. Nov 16, 2009
Kunstler fails to demonstrate a basic knowledge of foreign policy or history. In addition to the inaccuracies in the the historical and international-relations perspective. Kunstler also makes many questionable if not contradictory arguments.
Some of Kunstler's claims are downright contradictory. For example, in the section about alternative fuels he points out the necessity of cars. Earlier in the book he's railing against the disconnect between SUV drivers and oil dependency, however, the situation is as dire as Kunstler alleges it is, the car paradgim will have to shift (he alludes to this).
Kunstler alleges that the rural lifestyle is better prepared for surviving the "long emergency." He overlooks the fact that: (1) car dependency is inherent in such a lifestyle; (2) in many parts of the country such a lifestyle is only possible because of subsidies. If the paradigm Kunstler advocates is correct, the subsidies will eventually go away.
Moreover, Kunstler's rants against all things corporate did not lend credibility to himself. He selectively cites Matthew Simmons' work on the possible peaking of Saudi Arabia fields, but with undertones that Simmons worked for the "evil industry."
Kunstler lost any credibility he had left in the final section when he started stereotyping: e.g. everyone in the South is a bible-thumper, people in the Rocky Mountains are survivalists who want to violently overthrow the government, etc.
I agree with the premise that there will be a paradigm shift in the American lifestyle and as well as a decline in the American standard of living. However, Kunstler played fast and loose with the facts and made too many far-fetched arguments to be taken seriously. A much better book for anyone interested in oil-dependency and the possible paradigm shifts related to to it is $20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better" It has flaws, but is a much better book than the Long Emergency.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
A powerful look into the near future Sep 30, 2009
I must admit that I was prepared for this treatise on our civilization's future by having already read some very good books and articles on the subject including Dr. Steve Leeb's masterpiece, "The Oil Factor", and "Game Over" and also the daily updates on my favorite energy-related web site, "The Oil Drum" [...]. So, in a way this review is from a member of the choir, not a neophyte that has come to this point of view via sudden epiphany.
That notwithstanding, I found the prose in this book quite enjoyable to read and at times, caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand straight up, due to the content. How is it that we let our endowment of oil, this cheap, easy-to-find and extract energy source, be squandered on something as unsustainable as the American urban and sub-urban lifestyles? Mr. Kunstler explains this foolishness in a series of chapters that exposes the cluster of memes that permeate our thinking and render us utterly powerless to stop or even slightly modify our wasteful behavior patterns. The memes of "There is plenty of easy-to-get-to cheap oil and it's just a matter of finding it" and "If we can get the tree-huggers to give up on ANWR, we will be in like Flynn" and my favorite, "Technology will save us with some new energy delivery system based on hydrogen, wind power, solar power, natural gas and if all else fails, nuclear power to propel us into the future!" are all part of the trance that we have entered as part of the constant over-supply of, among other things, mindless entertainment that distracts our attention while extracting dollars from our wallets, with very little in return to show for our time spent gazing at our televisions, movie screens and computer monitors.
Mr. Kunstler carefully decomposes each of these memes (and many more) to shows the likely consequences of what holding on to them will cost us.
Two other points: I needed to have a dictionary handy when reading this tome. Mr. Kunstler's writing vocabulary dwarfs my reading vocabulary! Also, I think that he is predominantly correct, but that his predictions will unfold much slower than he suggests in his book. New economies will spring forward and become widespread and cushion the shock when "Peak Oil" manifests for real. However, I am taking his description of the "dog days" (or should it be "dog years") of the Long Emergency at face value and preparing for them now. If it does not happen, I will be way ahead of the game in terms of detachment from the material aspects of life and more self-reliant as a consequence. If he's right, well, the same analysis applies.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
lONG vIEW Sep 06, 2009
The long emergency puts the oil crisis into perspective from the standpoint of looking at our relations in the Middle East with a long view (over many years retrospective. I found the book extremely interesting.
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