Many people view the author as Chicken Little. However, if even half of the events he describes come to pass, life on earth after oil supplies are depleted will never be the same - and I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. In any event, we all should begin to think (and act) as though his predictions just might be true. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. ...and plant a garden in your back yard. In fact, Barbara Kingsolver's book ANIMAL , VEGETABLE, MIRACLE is a good pairing to read with this one. ( )

There are a few other Peak Oil resources I would recommend before 'The Long Emergency' to those who are new to the topic. However, once you've 'dipped your toes' into the waters and have a basic understanding of the theory, I defiantly endorse exploring this book.

The greatest strength of 'The Long Emergency' is Kunstler's unapologetic, unabashed pessimism. Given the gravity of the 'challenges' that Peak Oil represent, I find that far too many books on the subject are woefully optimistic. It is strangely refreshing to encounter an author who is willing to slap the reader in the face with the cold realities and dire implications of Peak Oil.

The sections on disease and climate change are less compelling than the predominant sections focused on Peak Oil. I appreciate Kunstler's attempt to address the various 'converging catastrophes' in a single volume; however, the book probably would have been most effective if its focus was not dispersed over such a wide range.

Keep in mind that skeptics or the otherwise uninitiated are likely to dismiss this book as "alarmist". Do not try to introduce Peak Oil to anyone by giving them this book. Otherwise recommended to those who are familiar with the subject. ( )

Back in the seventies, I read Rolling Stone religiously because I loved reportage by the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, James Howard Kunstler and others. Then Thompson blew his brains out, Jann Wenner came out of the closet, and the whole enterprise went South. For all I can tell, Mr. Kunstler -- when he fled the burning building -- must have left his brain unnoticed in a corner somewhere.

If the first two pages of "The Long Emergency" are in any way typical of what Kunstler writes today, then Mr. Kunstler has sold me his last book. The typesetting is atrocious, the "vicissitudes" are "enormous," and ideas borrowed from Bob Heinlein in 1958 at this date seem stale. ( )

"A controversial hit that sparked debate among businessmen, environmentalists,
and bloggers, The Long Emergency is an eye-opening look at the unprecedented
challenges we face in the years ahead, as oil runs out and the global systems
built on it are forced to change radically." --back cover