Book Review: Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change

Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate ChangeDon’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change by George Marshall
Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury
Release Date: January 6, 2015
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don’t Even Think About It isn’t a book about the science behind climate change; it’s a book about why people don’t believe the science behind climate change. Marshall delves into the psychological reasons why people don’t believe in climate change as well as why the current strategies to try and get them to believe aren’t working. He interviews high-profile people on both sides of the debate. His dry wit keeps the book from becoming too depressing.

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator, John Lee, has a British accent which makes sense because Marshall is British. He has a jolly sounding voice which also serves to keep the book from becoming too depressing. He did a great job of bringing Marshall’s wit to life.

Some have said that this book is preaching to the choir – that only people who already believe in climate change will read it. That may be true but this is still a valuable book to gain insight into what is going on in the deniers heads and how to structure the message of climate change in a way that might possibly change their minds. If climate change is an issue near and dear to your heart, then this is the book for you.

(I received this book courtesy of the publisher.)

February 18th, 2015 in Books
  • http://foofynotfoofy.blogspot.com/ HeatherAnne Norbury

    Do you think this same psychology can be applied to other BIG issues people like to “ostrich” on? Does he make that argument in the book?

    I like your perspective from having listened to it. I wonder if reading it and not having the benefit of the jovial narrator would make it more depressing.

    • http://www.chaosisafriendofmine.com/ ChaosIsAFriend

      You could definitely apply this psychology to other issues. He discusses the general first and then narrows it down to how it applies to climate change. His humor would help reading the print version but it would still be somewhat depressing anyway.