This Isn’t Fine

The Cultural Shift We Need to Save Humanity from the Dumpster Fire We Started (a primer to the end of the world as we know it)

Non-Fiction - Environment
408 Pages
Reviewed on 03/18/2024
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

In This Isn't Fine, Taylor Ahlstrom begins with the intersection of her depression in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader societal and political issues. Advocating for a comprehensive understanding of where we have failed, she discusses the historical context of human energy consumption and the urgent need for transitioning to renewable sources. Ahlstrom covers the dangers of ecological overshoot and warns against the reality of climate change and its induced migration. Critiquing capitalism's evolution, Ahlstrom proposes systemic reforms to prioritize collective well-being and environmental sustainability. Encouraging a cultural shift in lifestyles, she speaks on the value of human connection and community over materialism, making a call for collective action and perseverance in addressing our global transgressions.

Taylor Ahlstrom's eco-philosophy book, This Isn't Fine, pulls together scientific evidence, sociology, economics, and plain common sense to give us a series of valid arguments on where we have gone so very wrong. Ahlstrom balances the severity of our global crisis with refreshing clarity in what she knows can help us overcome what we are able and with a humorous, conversational, and no-holds-barred manner of speaking that a pearl-clutcher might call potty mouth. I call it honest. I was not born in a first-world Western country, and while I love being in one now, I do feel like I have been forced into an environmental situation I did not contribute to but must, along with my children, pay for. Ahlstrom touches on the hand of religion and its part in some of where we are. That could make this moot, but at the dinner table, as I discussed what Ahlstrom taglines the title with, The Cultural Shift We Need to Save Humanity from the Dumpster Fire We Started, my daughter nodded and said that we were now paying in “blunt force karma.” This is an important book, and, with openmindedness and proactive change, we have the potential to take the necessary steps to fight the good fight alongside women like Ahlstrom. Very highly recommended.

K.C. Finn

This Isn’t Fine: The Cultural Shift We Need to Save Humanity from the Dumpster Fire We Started is a work of non-fiction by author Taylor Ahlstrom in the environmentalism, activism, and sociocultural writing subgenres. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience. Readers are invited into a refreshingly humorous and insightful exploration of the myriad challenges facing humanity in the modern era. Through a blend of charts, graphs, memes, and witty prose, Ahlstrom navigates the complex issues of finance, energy, culture, and ecology, offering relatable narratives and debunking common misconceptions along the way. Far from being a doom-and-gloom treatise on the end of the world, the book presents a call to action, providing readers with practical insights into how we can address the existential threats looming over society. It challenges readers to confront the harsh realities of our current predicament while instilling a sense of hope and empowerment, urging us to take responsibility for the future of our planet and ourselves.

Author Taylor Ahlstrom has crafted a work that really showcases an engaging writing style and clever use of humor to deliver complex topics in a totally accessible and thought-provoking way. The book utilizes visual aids, popular memes, and cultural references to highlight the interconnectedness of various global issues, from climate change to economic inequality, and offers tangible solutions for addressing them so that people can begin to do so at their own level at home. It also serves as a much-needed wake-up call, urging us to acknowledge the severity of the challenges we face while inspiring us to take meaningful action to enact positive change. Overall, This Isn’t Fine is a compelling read that challenges conventional wisdom and motivates readers to become agents of change in the fight to save humanity from the brink of disaster, and I feel it’s a work that everyone can benefit from when reading.

Courtnee Turner Hoyle

In This Isn't Fine by Taylor Ahlstrom, the author takes subjects like grocery stores, electricity, and water and does a gentle regression, showing readers how quickly their modern-day luxuries have been developed and fine-tuned. Ahlstrom illustrates the consequences of luxury items and how we need to alter our lives to prevent future harm to our planet. The author details the effects of fossil fuels, outlines interesting views on technology and ways for it to help us, and discusses changes to patents and voting. She hopes to find a balance and suggests ways to help our planet try to recover from the damage we have done to it. At the end of the book, Ahlstrom includes a sample sheet of "End of the World as We Know It" BINGO and a link for readers to grab more cards from her game.

Taylor Ahlstrom opens our eyes to how much we consume each day and shows that some things we think will fix our mistakes have harmful consequences, too. Though dark at times, the author provides humor and doesn't shy away from hard topics. Reading this book teaches readers about the history, economics, and science of a topic, like fossil fuels, and helps readers make connections to enlighten their future decisions. I challenge readers to read this book with an open mind. Not only will it enlighten them, but they will close it with renewed motivation and a sense of hope for our struggling species. By simply glancing over this work, it is clear that Ahlstrom is a well-traveled, intelligent individual, but when looking at her intellectual connections regarding the planet's resources, her aptitude fully shines, making this book a credible compilation. The author provides clear examples and relatable material in a conversational style, humbling us as we realize that This Isn't Fine.