A Paradise Built in Hell

We have all seen disaster movies and TV shows with people screaming and running around as the earthquake, tsunami, or Godzilla strikes. But Rebecca Solnit argues instead that normal people don’t panic during disasters – it is the elite, the wealthy, and the decision-makers who lose their minds. For normal people, altruism and mutual aid help all of us get through shocks, whether fire, car accident or COVID19. Her writing is excellent and she uses examples across time and space, ranging from the San Francisco earthquake at the start of the 20th century to the Mexico City earthquake at… show more.

Rebecca Solnit is one of my favorite thinkers. In this book, she discusses how utopian communities often come about in response to disaster and explains as well as anything I’ve read how activist communities are forged. She does this by showing how natural or manmade disasters can bring out the best in people when social and economic boundaries become less important than helping one another survive. Using examples ranging from the San Francisco and Mexico City earthquakes to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, she demonstrates that when disparate individuals discover a shared and larger purpose, even the most terrible circumstances can… show more.

While at first glance this book is about disasters and how we cope with them, what Rebecca Solnit really offers here is a painfully relevant work on human nature in which she breaks down many of the false beliefs and assumptions we have about ourselves in times of calamities. Through extensive research, she argues that human beings are actually far more altruistic, communal and overall good that we give ourselves credit for, and emphasizes the importance of those beliefs as we move forward and progress as a society. A must read for anyone who desires an effective antidote to the… show more.