Paperback, 368 pages
English language
Published Aug. 31, 2010 by Penguin Books.
A stirring investigation into what happens in the aftermath of disaster, from the author of Orwell’s Roses
The most startling thing about disasters, according to award-winning author Rebecca Solnit, is not merely that so many people rise to the occasion, but that they do so with joy. That joy reveals an ordinarily unmet yearning for community, purposefulness, and meaningful work that disaster often provides. A Paradise Built in Hell is an investigation of the moments of altruism, resourcefulness, and generosity that arise amid disaster’s grief and disruption and considers their implications for everyday life. It points to a new vision of what society could become-one that is less authoritarian and fearful, more collaborative and local.
There are few books I would say are must-reads. I wish everyone would read this book. Solnit does an amazing job recounting some of the worst disasters (mainly in the U.S.) over the past 100 years. In doing so, she paints a picture that contrasts the state response to disaster with the ways that everyday folks build paradises in hell. An amazing book well conceived and well written. 5/5
Very disorganized.
