Susan Freinkel

I was recommended this book by my mother, an ardent gardener and lover of nature. From the start I was curious about it, and over the course of her reading it she shared many little tidbits here and there that only further piqued my interest. I was lucky enough to grab it from the library shortly after she finished the book, and together we've now embarked on our own minor mission to discover an American Chestnut in the wild. Only time will tell if we'll be successful. This is the sort of show more passion that this book has the ability to evoke, though. I firmly believe it will soon create a new generation infected with a brand of chestnuttiness.

The story of the American Chestnut is not a particularly singular story. Other trees and species have followed a similar fate, and therein lies the strength of the story itself. What the chestnut has that other plants and species do not, is an intrinsic weaving of its life with our own, and an all too quickly forgotten fate. This is a fascinating story, a very human story, and one that will ultimately affect how restoration and conservation goes in the future. Will the American Chestnut be brought back? I have faith it will, and that the passenger pigeon will as well. The question, however, is in what form will these things be brought back? It made me incredibly happy that [a: Susan Freinkel|657503|Susan Freinkel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1310704434p2/657503.jpg] discussed that issue in detail. It's one that will soon (hopefully) be a more common discussion.

This book is fascinating and really heightened my interest in trees and the complexities of them. Forestry, by its nature, is complicated and I'm glad that the author really discussed how vital every part of the ecosystem is to restoration. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it has within it the chance to start some important discussions that more people should be participating in.

I, for one, look forward to the full return of this species. show less

Fantastic book; I would give it a 5-star rating, except I save that for works that absolutely blow me away. I learned so much about plastic, as well as recent economic, political and cultural history mostly in the U.S. but not entirely. The book is incredibly well researched and Freinkel's writing is clear and engaging. I found myself rethinking so much of what I felt sure about previously, and in the end feel more informed and better able to make good personal and political/social/voting show more booth decisions about plastic. You can't ask for too much more from any book! show less

An in-depth, but very readable look at plastics, and both their wonderful properties and their worrying ones. Each chapter starts with a particular plastic object that serves as a jumping-off point to discuss various relevant topics, and although this makes for a rather loose structure, it works very well. The chapter centered on a Frisbee, for example, takes us to the plant where the toys are produced and leads into a general exploration of plastics manufacturing. A soda bottle left out for show more curbside collection starts up a complex discussion about plastics recycling and also the creation of new "biodegradable" plastics. A plastic IV bag demonstrates the life-saving medical applications of plastic, but also brings up the problem of potentially dangerous chemical contamination from plastics, both in hospitals and elsewhere. And so on.

It's all much more interesting than you might expect a book about plastics to be, in part because it brings up some very important environmental, economic, and public health issues, and in part because it's just incredibly eye-opening to take a closer look at this stuff that we tend to take completely for granted, stuff that's had a much bigger impact on our lives and our society than we realize. When you take a careful look around you, it's truly astonishing how all-pervasive plastics are in the modern world, and even more astonishing when you consider the fact that the substances didn't even exist until a couple of generations ago.

My one complaint about the book is the lack of illustrations. The chapter centering on plastic chairs, which talks about how designers work with plastic, desperately needed some pictures. I ended up having to look up images of the various chairs she was describing on the internet, just to be able to get any sense of the kinds of designs she was talking about, and there are a few other places in the book that could have benefited from a well-chosen illustration or two, as well. But, all in all, that's a minor (if somewhat annoying) flaw in a highly worthwhile book. show less

Rarely is there a book which says five stars right from the beginning and never veers from that ranking. This book from Susan Freinkel is absolutely such a work. It is first rate popular science, brimming with copious research but never stooping to that great folly of many non-fiction writers: “I researched this subject to death and by golly every detail is going to be shoe-horned in somewhere!” Quite on the contrary, facts flow seamlessly through an easy-going chronicle of the topic.

In show more the course of chapters titled after and loosely based around common plastic items Ms. Freinkel walks her reader through plastic’s design history (the ubiquitous green stacking chair), BPA controversy (IV bags and tubing), cultural history (Frisbee), environmental impact (T-shirt bags), and indestructibility (disposable lighters), among other objects and issues. Coverage of the chemistry involved in the manufacturing of various plastics is especially well done-easily accessible to any reader of popular science with just the right balance of detail and narrative flow.

A book of this nature could clearly become a platform for virulent environmentalism, and it is apparent that the author cares deeply about the environmental impact of plastic. However, she gives balanced press to a plethora of individuals from organizations as diverse as grassroots activists lobbying for bottle taxes to the owner of a Chinese plastic factory. It becomes clear that the issue is many-sided and complicated by many factors.

Plastics play a huge role in our modern world. This book is a short run through the tide they have become. Without a doubt there will be much here that will surprise and enlighten, and you think twice about just about every object that you encounter throughout your average day. If you read one popular science book this year, choose this one for its sheer relevance. show less