This book could only have been written by Foer. The magical realism of his first books of fiction, and the positive reception they received, gave him the authority to switch genres and still write with a compelling literary voice. He is well positioned to write a researched nonfiction book about climate change and include poetic and literary language, including his beautiful metaphors, at the same time. His talent as a writer allows him to weave personal essay with scientific inquiry, but it is his position in the modern literary canon that allows this contradictory style to be accepted by a large audience. It is also what makes his writing such a book worthwhile. Where countless voices have contributed to the climate change conversation, it takes a well-respected voice like Foer’s to break through the noise and actually have an impact.

One of the major threads of the book is Foer’s admittance that he himself has made mistakes, and he is willing to admit to them. He lied when he was on tour for his previous book, Eating Animals, by presenting himself as a vegetarian when in fact he was still eating meat.