September 11, 2022
It’s rare to find a book that uses narrative so bluntly to express a particular agenda and still remains compelling and fun to read. Often, the message of the book becomes preachy, mired in dogma or rhetoric, and fails to sell itself based solely on its moral merits. McKibben does an excellent job of balancing activism, perspective, character, and action. His characters feel real, and only a tad exaggerated, as well as representing a number of different experiences and points of view. This diversifies his agenda in a welcoming and open-minded way. In addition, many of his ideas are presented from the perspective of a self-aware human being, with insight into not only the legitimate arguments against any particular idea, but also the doubts that will plague any ideological movement. Vern Barclay is (as he often states) no politician, and not interested in governing or policy-making. He is a citizen, and an observer, and is pushed along by the momentum of his own actions. At no point does he preach his platform as infallible or universally correct, but instead invites questions and critiques so as to better understand what it is he wants to fight for. While I don’t agree with all of the ideas espoused in this book, I never felt attacked for it, nor did I feel the desire to dismiss these ideas out of turn. The writing is accessible, very fast-paced, and divided into short, digestible chapters interspersed with endearing scenes of craft-beer appreciation, local news stories, and the stories of hospitality and community that are so common in small-town culture. McKibben paints a picture of a flawed but beautiful Vermont, a place close to nature and far from most everything else.
8.5/10
Photo by Aaron Schneider
Comments