USF SLIS: East Coast Connection

World Made by Hand
James Howard Kunstler

 Kunstler is the author of many books, fiction and non. He is well known for being an urban design critic, and he writes a blog entitled clusterfucknation. I'll be the first to admit that World Made by Hand is not great literature. Besides the main character, many others are not incredibly well developed, especially the women. Also, it is not exactly subtle. It comes right out and says what he wants to say. I would compare to Ishmael by Daniel Quinn; A thought provoking book about the world we live in, how we relate to it, and ideas of what may come to pass.

Despite it's literary shortcomings, I found it to be an engaging page turner. I had to read it all in one day, because everytime I tried to do something else, I couldn't get the book out of my mind. I had to see how Kunstler's vision of post oil America would unfold, but I'm getting ahead of myself. World made by hand takes place sometime in the future, maybe thirty years. There have been terrorist attacks in LA and DC, and the fallout eventually lead to an isolated America, who crippled itself through sanctions and restrictions, and has now more or less been without power for about 20 years. The land has gone back to nature, and the people of the country are forced to adjust to this new anti-futuristic future. Unlike other post-apocalyptic novels, Kuntsler's America is more like the Shire, than anything Phillip K. Dick ever thought up. Being forced to localize has created a healthier, freer society. The anarchial envirnment does cause some problems, and the townspeople miss law and order so much, that they are forced to start from scratch, and enforce some, but most people who read it, will find Kunstler's future to be an enjoyable place.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have no idea what the future will look like; Jetsons, Flintstones, in between? I enjoyed reading this, because it helped me make sense of the world I live in today. It gave me a sense of perspective, and hope for the future. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dreaming about alternative futures, or is fascinated by the thought of modern human beings living in a world without lights