"Ten zwrot był najbardziej widoczny w USA, gdzie w 1980 roku, gdy Reagan rozpoczynał friedmanowską krucjatę, prezesi zarabiali 43 razy tyle, ile pracownicy. W 2005 roku było to już 411 razy więcej."

Naomi Klein "Doktryna szoku. Jak współczesny kapitalizm wykorzystuje klęski żywiołowe i kryzysy społeczne"

(e-book dostępny m.in. w księgarni Ebookpoint)

Reading The Shock Doctrine, I got flashbacks to reading No Logo all those years ago when I was a student. Klein's writing was eye-opening back then, and her case studies and research made even a dry brick of a book a project that I could not set down. 

It is the same experience with this one. The sheer amount of detail and background make Klein's book very addictive because it feels like an attempt at keeping a record of events that will probably be edited out of the footnotes of history.

The Shock Doctrine feels like an attempt of holding people accountable, and it is a very timely and thought-provoking read. It's also entirely infuriating. It's very depressing to be reminded that current events/circumstances are the very basis for the disaster capitalism that Klein describes. 

The only reason that I am not increasing my rating for this book is that I felt it lacked balance, which was most evident for me when Klein wrote about Hugo Chavez, without any mention of criticism. Granted the book was written in 2008, but still I expected more balance even if I agree with the underlying premise Klein is arguing.

Still, this was again a thought-provoking read and, maybe because of the current events we are living through, I loved that the book ended on the message (paraphrasing here): 

What can we do right now to start to bring our community back in spite of the government, not because of it?

Copy on its way! can't wait! One of the best writing duos of all time.

***

I don't think of myself as being a fan of series in general, because so many series that I started out loving became unreadable at some point. Maybe there will be a let down somewhere in the future, or maybe, as with Terry Pratchett, the books will just keep getting better. Fingers crossed.

Frieda is in trouble with powers that be, because she's such a maverick, but she also has more powerful powers that be, which are vague, and mysterious, and appreciate a clever woman. There's her whole extended family of people who mostly aren't related to her, and her cat, and her fire, and her walking. The mystery was fine, although that really isn't the point any more. Mostly now Freida has to deal with her own sort of celebrity, which is horrible for someone who never sought the limelight. And there's this other problem that won't go away...

At this point I wouldn't mind at all if the authors dropped the mystery plot convention altogether. As a means of addressing a topic it is fine, but they could just use a patient. I admit that I love seeing social injustice (and crime) being fought, even if Frieda didn't win.

Advance copy, yay!

So both books on the science reading list, which means I am seriously striking out with this list. Both were listened to on audiobook, and those narrators did nothing but add to the misery of listening to the writing of these books.

Naomi Klein can't write a damn narrative to save her life but she can nag and nag for up to 80+ minutes at a given time. There was some good info given in between the nag sessions, but the first chapter was over 80 minutes and was just the prologue. She is too damn long-winded and can't seem to end a point. And from what it sounded like when I listened to the narrator, Klein must use a WHOLE LOT of EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!

Rachel Carson's writing is way too flowery, so the science gets lost. There is little to no narrative, just scene after scene describing the landscape and then a dystopian nightmare of dead insects and birds due to chemical spraying. It was just repetitive. The narrator read the book as if she was reading a lullaby or cozy mystery, with little to no variation in her tone. It was a great way to fall asleep....but I don't need help falling asleep.

This is the first weekend in the last two months I don't have anything scheduled. So a reading binge in very much overdue. Yesterday, I started The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years by Sonia Shah for my science reading list. I plan to finish that one and at least start on Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay, clearing up the last of my library loans. I have This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein on audio to listen while writing the nine book reviews left standing. I don't know why, but I am still not at all interested in reading fiction. 

Next week is devoted to finishing anything and everything so I have a clean slate for next weekend's Dewey read-a-thon.