Book Review: Battered Earth by D. Hilleren



Genre: End of the World
Pages: 229
Acquired: 8/4/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Review Copy
Series: None

The world is experiencing strangely strong natural disasters. Many believe it is a direct result of humankind's footprint on the environment. But many more believe that they are just freak anomalies that will go away if we just wait them out. A group of environmentalists and energy scientists are set to meet in Stockholm to brainstorm ways to reduce the impact we have on the environment. However, there is a group of powerful individuals that will do just about anything to make sure their ideas never see the light of day.

Nicole Hunter is the host of the meeting in Stockholm. She is determined to find a way to reduce our use of fossil fuels for energy. When there is an attack and someone from the meeting is killed Oliver Odin shows up to investigate. His investigation leads him on quite a chase across Europe and Asia, uncovering a huge plot that could potentially kill millions.

The writing style of this book threw me off at first. It is not written in a typical novel fashion. It struck me as much more like the human interest pieces you often read in the local papers. A lot of facts, and a little personality. Whether or not the author intended it to read this way, it worked once you got used to it. I found myself eagerly anticipating the next "edition/chapter" and wondering where the story would turn next.

4/5

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Robert Quinn

Ishmael is looking for a student, a student that wants to change the world. He finds one in our author and together they delve into the history of man, the universe, and our current culture. They cover everything from why we do the things we do, to how things got to be this way, to how we are living against the laws of nature. We follow the author through not only a quest for knowledge, but an emotional quest that teaches him about himself and makes him take a close look at what he believes. This is one of those books that stays with you forever, and has the potential to change how you think about the world around you.

This is definitely a book that is going to make my own personal list of ‘Must Reads”. If I could give a book 6 stars, then I would give this one 6/5. I read it twice, back to back and was just as awed when I finished the second time as I was the first.

It’s given me a new motto in life “You can’t change how people act without first changing how they think.”