While I like and agree with the premise of this book - that the individual "feel good" actions we are always told to take in order to "save the planet" distract/prevent us from looking at the bigger picture of legislative and financial actions - the tone of this book is awful. Condescending, sarcastic, and full of sentences that don't actually make sense. Not sure what audience Price is going for with this book that reads more like an internet message board rant.

This is a rant, in book form - a reminder that the environment is here, in our homes and neighbourhoods, not some abstract out-there concept; a call to move away from the guilt-inducing minutiae of individuals’saving the planet’ and to focus on areas where real change can happen- environmental justice and political accountability; and it’s a rant against greenwashing and consumerism.

As someone who gets caught up/bogged down in detail, I found this broader-picture approach and call for a different focus new and helpful. It made me think, and gets the points across quickly and effectively.

I read this as an e-ARC (thank you for the advance copy #NetGalley and W.W.Norton), and get the impression that the final book will have a strong visual/design element. The book is aimed squarely at US readers (I am not one) and the style is such that I’m not sure I’ll want to come back to it. But thank you for the shift in perspective and encouragement towards activism it gave me.

A fresh take on some of the sometimes hidden, but structural issues with that popular brand of environmentalism that encourages us to pat polluting companies on the back for doing the bare minimum, for doing all but addressing the issue at hand.

Stop Saving the Planet is a short, accessible and insightful read about environmentalism and climate change. It's a subject I'd long wondered about (how valuable are individual actions if corporations and government policy don't change significantly too), and so I'm glad the subject is being addressed in a short, non-academic text. It also tackles the subject on a broader issue, such as how social deprivation is intertwined with environmentalism, which is a hugely important conversation to be having.

The problem is, this book is a really difficult one to put together. The short and fun nature is a big selling point (would I have picked it up or continued reading if it was longer? Quite possibly not). But I was also left wishing there had been more to it, particularly in terms of human anecdotes and examples. As a UK reader, I also found it very US-centric and would have liked to read more global examples. Essentially I came away not feeling entirely satisfied: like I needed to look up these subjects more, and overwhelmed about what to do next. Perhaps that's the point.

I also understand why some readers didn't like the writing style, though I didn't mind it myself (though think it may work even better as a documentary or podcast).

Overall I think this book kickstarts an important and valuable conversation, but personally I was left wanting a little more from it.

This short book covers the many ways “just doing what we can” simply isn’t enough. How people need to pay more attention to changing policies and ways of life and not just buying a Prius or using expensive green products to feel better. While most of her points are true, Jenny Price comes off as a shouty rambling (incoherent at times) environmentalist that makes even bleeding heart liberals like me cringe a bit. She recovers much of the information again and again, and seems to not finish thoughts often. Also the formatting of the digital copy was downright terrible. Hopefully that will be fixed in editing but cause a lot of annoyance during reading.

Stop Saving the Planet is a refreshing look at the direction environmentalism has gone in our culture. It was striking to look at how some of the government's environmental actions have actually done more harm than good. It started to explore subjects like how economics play into environmentalism and why people hate righteous environmentalist. Throughout the whole read, you could clearly hear the author’s voice. Prices have a uniquely snarky perspective that was energizing.
I felt there was a little repetitiveness to the chapters. Some of the examples could have gone into more depth and cited current examples. I would love to have seen how different presidential administrations have impacted efforts. Historical accounts of what changes have actually been made and things that did and didn’t work.
It looked more at the social and cultural aspects of Saving the Planet. It touches on the corporate influence and past marking claims.
I think this was a good read for those that want to make a difference and stop pretending they care.
This review based on ARC obtained via NetGalley from W. W. Norton & Company in return for a candid review.

I found this hard to read - partly because of the formatting in the digital copy and partly because it was very SHOUTY and not very coherent. I didn’t get past section one, which tries to explain to (American) “environmentalists” where they’re going wrong by trying to save the planet. It pushes them towards a more socially just alternative - making the economy work for everyone and the environment, rather than billionaires - which I assume is what gets discussed in part two. But I didn’t get that far, because it’s too hard to read and I’m not stupid enough to think I can save the planet by buying a Prius.

A book that made a lot of great, and easily verifiable, points, but given the prestige associated with the author, I honestly expected...more.

Yes, all of Price’s positions are true and offer a very useful perspective on environmentalism. Consumerism and the banner of “personal responsibility” isn't going to fix the environmental crisis. Major corporations are the worst offenders and major environmental groups are not making much progress in curbing that. The people that need to show up aren’t and this will be a necessary level of understanding moving forward. As a layperson’s introduction to a “new” view on saving the environment, this book has the potential to get readers engaged with the idea that there is more to it than cloth diapers and sorting your recycling.

My issue: this isn't particularly well written and, even more importantly for non-fiction from an expert, not even remotely cited or verified. Yes, a quick google search will prove Price’s statements correct, and a quick peruse of peer-reviewed research also backs all this up. However, you wouldn't know that from reading this book. This makes the book feel like an extended letter to the editor and less like a useful resource for understanding the changing direction of environmentalism. Add in that the writing gets repetitive, a few of the sections are just reiterations of the central premise with not much added, and the book leaves a lot to be desired.

Non-fiction can, and should, serve as a user friendly introduction to complicated topics while also adding to the useful body of literature on the topic. This book only kind of succeeds at the former and definitely misses the mark on the latter.

Stop Saving the Planet! is a thought-provoking and insightful read about key issues with “environmentalists” and our desperate (and failed) attempts to save the planet.

I respect this book for fearlessly calling out everything that is wrong with environmentalism. I really admired Price’s ability to taking difficult to understand topics and condense them to short segments. I also enjoyed the fact that Price did not exclude other key elements that are delicately intertwined with environmental issues, such as poverty, race, and class.

One of the good things about this book was that it was not sugar coated. My favorite part of this read was the list of ways to stop saving the planet. I would have preferred that section to be longer since the earlier segments often felt long-winded, although necessary. Overall, I think this short manifesto is an absolute must-read if you want to stop saving the planet and actually make a difference.

I wish! Corporate and environmentalists should either get their acts together and DO something, or just shut up. I do my share as much as is humanly possible, but it makes little difference. Recycling has been a joke since practically day one! I'd love to live in a "walking " town, but no ones building them. Or, they cost a mint to live in. One needs a car to get around as public transportation is a joke in most places. Yep, it is really in corporation, government, and environmentalists courts to fix the mess we're in. Good luck.
Fun read!