Description
Book SynopsisForget the speculation of pundits and media personalities. For anyone asking "Now what?" the answer is out there. You just have to know where to look. In his 2005 book,
The Long Emergency, James Howard Kunstler described the global predicaments that would pitch the USA into political and economic turmoil in the 21st century—the end of affordable oil, climate irregularities, and flagging economic growth, to name a few. Now, he returns with a book that takes an up-close-and-personal approach to how real people are living
now—surviving The Long Emergency as it happens.
Through his popular blog, Clusterf*ck Nation, Kunstler has had the opportunity to connect with people from across the country. They've shared their stories with him—sometimes over years of correspondence—and in
Living in the Long Emergency: Global Crisis, the Failure of the Futurists, and the Early Adapters Who Are Showing Us the Way Forward, he shares them with us, offering an eye-opening and unprecedented look at what's really going on "out there" in the US—and beyond.
Kunstler also delves deep into his past predictions, comparing and contrastingt hem with the way things have unfolded with unflinching honesty. Further, he turns an eye to what's ahead, laying out the strategies that will help all of us as we navigate this new world.
With personal accounts from a Vermont baker, homesteaders, a building contractor in the Baltimore ghetto, a white nationalist, and many more,
Living in the Long Emergency is a unique and timely exploration of how the lives of everyday Americans are being transformed, for better and for worse, and what these stories tell us both about the future and about human perseverance.
Trade Review"Kunstler, author of 19 previous works, including The World Made by Hand series of speculative post-collapse novels in which he ingeniously imagines a what-if future US, is a master storyteller whether he's writing fiction or nonfiction . . . Kunstler chronicles the issues and all that's at stake with journalistic skill and energy."
—Booklist "You won't find a better, more concise summary of what's really happening, the predicaments we face, and real-life examples of how ordinary people are responding. Optimism for the future begins with the awareness that things cannot continue as they have been. This book jumps that hurdle, and explores the past, the present, and the future in a way that is ultimately and surprisingly optimistic."
—Chris Martenson, author of The Crash Course and blogger at Peakprosperity.com "Kunstler possesses the alchemy of describing a comprehensive disaster with a light touch. This is that rare, book on the future that is entertaining to the last page. The impression is that, along with the troubles, a more pleasant way to live will gradually emerge."
—
Andres Duany, author of Suburban NationTable of ContentsContents
Introduction
Part One: Where Are We in the Story?
Chapter 1: Hey, What Happened to Peak Oil?
Chapter 2: The Alt-Energy Freak Show
Part Two: Portraits in Heroic Adaptation
Chapter 3: The Garden of Eden . . . Approximately
Chapter 4: A Nation of One in a Place Called Limbo
Chapter 5: At Land’s End on the Left Coast
Chapter 6: Strange Doings in the Quiet Corner
Chapter 7: Making Whiskey in the Hills
Chapter 8: Fighting for Life in Small Business
Chapter 9: The Trials and Heartaches of a Gen Xer
Part Three: Now What . . . ?
Chapter 10: Climate Change
Chapter 11: The Food Question and Other Nagging Details
Chapter 12: Extinctions Near and Far
Chapter 13: Money, Oil, and Their By-Products
Chapter 14: Politics: Jacobins Rising
Chapter 15: Cultural Notes: Fumbling Toward Kafka’s Castle
Personal Coda
About the Author
