Cover Image: The Exhausted of the Earth

The Exhausted of the Earth

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Member Reviews

Parts of this book were really interesting and nicely worded and overall I did think it was a good read. That being said, while this book is supposed to be for the general public there were quite a few segments that had me questioning which general public because the language used, and style certainly were very academic.

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The Exhausted of the Earth is a well-researched analysis of climate change, global economics, and global politics. While the writing style is accessible, this is a thoroughly researched and wide-ranging text that draws upon complex theories of Marxism and critical theory from the Frankfurt School, which may initially deter the average lay reader. Readers interested in climate change and our future, however, will be delighted to have found such a carefully crafted text that provides a thoughtful, and not entirely despairing analysis of our current situation and our future.

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The Exhausted of the Earth by Ajay Singh Chaudhary is a comprehensive analysis of a politics of exhaustion to create a left-wing climate realism. It is a beautifully written book that makes complex philosophical, political, and scientific topics easy to understand as Chaudhary analyzes what he calls the "extractive circuit" of capitalist production. Examining our composition through this lens is essential to seeing the North's interconnectedness to the South and vice versa when creating global climate politics. As he shows, we're all exhausted from the cobalt mines to the digital workers at home and everywhere in between. And while, these levels or reasons for exhaustion are not the same, they are a baseline for every living under capitalism.

His critique of current climate policies on the right and the left are brilliant takedowns of what will not work. Through a range of thinkers and radicals, the book leans on Fanon, Marx, Malm, Fisher, Berlant and more to develop their theories and critiques of capital into a leftist climate realism that has potentials far beyond just climate politics. Ultimately finding that we need "The Long Now" in order to achieve the most habitable Earth possible. Much of his brilliant analysis stems from the scientific fact that, unlike how many frame, climate change is not doomsday and its effects are not felt equally. This is a key aspect to come away with through this book.

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I've been sitting with this one for a minute, getting no closer to a satisfactory review, so here goes nothing.

Parts of this book were really interesting and nicely worded and overall I did think it was a good read. That being said, while this book is supposed to be for the general public there were quite a few segments that had me questioning which general public because the language used, and style certainly were very academic.

Fanon's name appears a total of 167 times in the book so at some points I wondered why I wasn't just reading Fanon but also like if you haven't read Fanon you might just find yourself a little lost.

I'm pretty much an all digital girlie when it comes to books, but I also like a chunky footnote and Chaudhary certainly seems to share my affection for them so in this case I would recommend reading the physical book instead because of the digital edition unless you don't mind doing a lot of back and forth.

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