Alan Weisman is the author of several books, including The World Without Us, which is a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, winner of the Wenjin Book Prize of the National Library of China, and an international bestseller translated in 34 languages.
His work has been selected for many anthologies, including Best American Science Writing. An award-winning journalist, his reports have appeared in Harper's, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, Discover, Vanity Fair, Wilson Quarterly, Mother Jones, and Orion, and on NPR.
A former contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Weisman is a senior radio producer for Homelands Productions. He lives in western Massachusetts.
"Countdown converts globetrotting research into flowing journalism,
highlighting a simple truth: there are, quite plainly, too many of
us. A world that understands Weisman's words will understand the
pressing need for change." -- Bill Streever, author of Cold and
Heat
"Countdownis a gripping narrative by a fair-minded investigative
journalist who interviewed dozens of scientists and experts in
various fields in 21 countries. He also scoured the literature to
deliver not so much a doomsday narrative but a warning followed by
the practical solution employed by various countries to get control
of their population." -- Wall Street Journal
"[Weisman] found vivid, real-world portraits of what overpopulation
portends." -- Men's Journal
"A frenzied barnstormer of a book.... Countdown is a chaotic stew
of big stories, bold ideas and conflicted characters, punctuated by
moments of quiet grace--just like our people-packed planet." --
Scientific American
"A hugely impressive piece of reportage, a cacophony of voices from
across the world." -- Washington Post
"Alan Weisman's Countdown is rich, subtle and elaborate. His
magisterial work should be the first port of call for anyone
interested in the relationship between population and the
environment...It's a tightly argued, fast-paced adventure that
crosses the plant in search of contrasts." -- Literary Review
"He makes a strong case for slowing global population growth-and
even for reducing overall population numbers-as a prerequisite for
achieving a sustainable future...Weisman's book...offers hope...
Weisman's emphasis on expanding access to contraception as the
next-best strategy is both pragmatic and workable, as past efforts
have shown. It is to be hoped that his message may be heeded sooner
rather than later." -- Nature
"Provocative and sobering, this vividly reported book raises
profound concerns about our future." -- Publishers Weekly (starred
review)
"Rousing." -- Ihsan Taylor, New York Times Book Review's "Paperback
Row"
"Rousing, urgent.... By exploring and integrating the lessons from
cultures the world over, Weisman has been able to provide a
blueprint that will ultimately benefit the planet as a whole.
"Countdown" is a timely, essential, and hopeful work - one that
suggests compassion in place of consumption and promises a return
to an equilibrium that will prove a veritable windfall for humans,
non-humans, and ecosystems alike." -- The Oregonian
"Spirited descriptions, a firm grasp of complex material, and a
bomb defuser's steady precision make for a riveting read...
Weisman's cogent and forthright global inquiry, a major work,
delineates how education, women's equality, and family planning can
curb poverty, thirst, hunger, and environmental destruction.
Rigorous and provoking, Countdown will generate numerous media
appearances for Weisman and spur many a debate."-- Booklist
(starred review)
"Unflinching and ready for anything, Weisman's Countdown tackles
the biggest question facing not only us, but every other living
thing on earth. How many people can there be on the earth? Written
with extraordinary clarity, without all the arm-waving and
doomsaying that seems to kill the conversation, his firsthand tour
of the globe offers both worst case scenarios and the most hopeful
futures we can imagine." -- Craig Childs, author of Apocalyptic
Planet and House of Rain
"Weisman offers heart-rending portrayals of nations already
suffering demographic collapse... A realistic, vividly detailed
exploration of the greatest problem facing our species." -- Kirkus
(starred review)
"Weisman reminds us that when the experts are worried, we should
pay attention." -- Los Angeles Times
"Weisman's anecdotes and explanations...draw a clear picture....
Countdown asks the hard questions." -- Shelf Awareness
"Weisman's gift as a writer with a love of science is in drawing
links for readers on how everything in our world is connected - in
this case, population, consumption and the environment.... The
pleasure in reading Countdown is in the interplay of interviews
with experts and with everyday working people around the world, all
trying to figure out the size of family they want." -- Toronto
Star
"Weisman's stories--from his travel to contemporary Israel and
Palestine, where reproducing is a form of warfare, to histories of
family planning in Asia and South America--are fascinating and
often chilling." -- Slate
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