Chris Turner is one of the best non-fiction writers in the country,
as anyone who's read his entertaining first book, Planet Simpson,
or his work in various magazine and newspapers knows. His latest
book, The Geography of Hope, came out last fall, and it's a
stunner.
Along with the stylish writing we've come to expect from him, the
research is truly impressive, but what really blew me away was how
smart it is. Turner travelled the world to see examples of
sustainable living: housing, buildings, communities, transportation
systems and so on. There's even a good chapter on cars. Toward the
end, he has a great - and, bizarrely, relevant - riff on The Big
Lebowski, the brilliant Coen Brothers classic.
Best of all, though, is the optimism that fills the book. The
Geography of Hope is an inspiring look at the world as it could be.
Yes we can, indeed.