What if the entire human race simply disappeared from the planet one day without warning? This scenario is exactly what Alan Weisman posits in this book as he speculates in detail how Earth might cope with what we’ve left behind and recover from our activities. How long would a skyscraper stand? What would happen to suddenly unmanned nuclear power plants? How would the environment recover? What types of human artifacts would linger longest?

I was enthralled by the detail and research Weisman presents, and wished the book could have been even more in-depth. However, by far the strongest sentiment I took away was that of dismay at how poorly we have treated our home. It would probably serve us right to get evicted!

This book is very easy to read, however it’s something you won’t soon forget. It contains many of the things that interest me (urban planning, abandoned places, and nature). It is very detailed and clearly explained, but it does leave the reader questioning their fate. You can only hope humanity is intelligent enough to change the things they can.

It would make a perfect book for a book club.

This is one of my favorite books.

This book is really interesting, and very thoroughly researched. However, it is also making me incredibly depressed. I just finished reading the section on nuclear waste.