Jonathan Yardley
The deservedly respected journalist David Owen spent a lot of time in recent years patrolling the environmental beat, doing research for the excellent book we now have before us…Owen's style, here as in his 13 previous books, is cool, understated and witty; it does not appear to be in his nature to be alarmist. But this is a thoroughly alarming book, perhaps all the more so because Owen is so matter-of-fact: The facts alone are so discouraging that no rhetorical flourishes are necessary to underscore their urgency.
—The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
Owen packs a mean and green punch in this comprehensive look at how high-density city living is the environmentally responsible choice. His argument seems sound and his research is extensive, but Patrick Lawlor’s delivery lends a defensive tone to Owen’s appeal. The slight chip on the shoulder edge to his reading aside, Lawlor has an engaging and lively voice that breezes through Owen’s more complicated explanations about the differences between city dwelling and its potentially sustainable opportunities. Both author and narrator come together well to provide a fresh new point of view in the debate on humans and the environment. A Riverhead hardcover (Reviews, June 1). (Dec.)
Library Journal
New Yorker writer Owen lays out a simple plan to address our environmental crisis—live smaller, live closer, and drive less. He presents a convincing argument that the antiurbanism of American environmental thought is flawed [Stewart Brand makes the same point in his Whole Earth Discipline, see above—Ed.]. The built-in efficiencies of urban life create and preserve open spaces, whereas suburban sprawl contributes to energy inefficiency and further environmental degradation. Just as Thomas L. Friedman in Hot, Flat, and Crowded discussed the role of oil in American life and our need to redefine America's vision, Owen asserts that every discussion about the environment is, in the end, about oil and that reducing environmental destruction means redefining our view of prosperity. He effectively connects the dots among oil, cars, public transportation, ethanol, rising food prices, and the role of plastic in modern life. VERDICT Owen's engaging, accessible book challenges the idea of green and urban living. Recommended for readers interested in urban planning or environmental issues. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Robin K. Dillow, Oakton Community Coll., Des Plaines, IL
Kirkus Reviews
Want to reduce your carbon footprint and save the planet? Move to Manhattan. New Yorker staff writer Owen (Sheetrock & Shellac: A Thinking Person's Guide to the Art and Science of Home Improvement, 2006, etc.) seeks earnestly to overturn the traditional wisdom that says the only way to show your love for Mother Earth is to move to the country, make candles and go locavore. "New York," he writes, "is the greenest community in the United States." This may seem counterintuitive, but consider: Most urbanites live in small spaces rather than the McMansions of suburbia, if only because they cannot afford anything larger, and most walk to the grocery store, take mass transit and get enough exercise to avoid becoming slugs (mere consumers, that is). Conversely, a back-to-the-lander may live virtuously, but taking a Volvo rather than Birkenstocks to the store undoes many good intentions. Owen assembles useful facts, some of them sure to be surprises even for the most learned of NYC boosters. Still, he recognizes that were it not for the accident of crowded island life, Manhattan and environs could just as easily be Los Angeles. "When cities are built on a ‘human' scale," he writes, "they virtually force the creation of vast suburbs, with miles of freeways, long commutes, traffic jams, and shopping malls." Occasionally the author inflates the significance of the facts to support his thesis. After all, it comes down to the hows as well as the wheres-a vegetarian living in the country, for instance, no matter how car-happy, will use fewer resources than a meat eater in the city. Owen works the city-versus-countryside theme into the ground-ruralites may feel a little picked-on-but the author does animportant service in pointing out that those who live in cities can be just as green as your garden-variety organic farmer-and even more so. He's no McPhee or Pollan, but Owen provides a dogged, contrarian argument that scores some good points.
From the Publisher
"Owen's style...is cool, understated and witty; it does not appear to be in his nature to be alarmist. But this is a thoroughly alarming book." ---The Washington Post
MARCH 2010 - AudioFile
GREEN METROPOLIS is David Owen's book-length version of his important and influential 2004 NEW YORKER article "Green Manhattan." Unfortunately, in the book Owen focuses too little on the environmental virtues of high-density urban living. Instead he wanders across the landscape of environmental initiatives, finding little he likes. Owen is an excellent prose stylist. His punchy sentences work well in an audiobook. Owen can be quite funny, although this book tends more to righteous declaration. Patrick Lawlor's clear, even narration is easy to take. Lawlor conveys both Owen's humor and dissatisfaction without too much drama. Lawlor's slightly nasal tone complements the author's Midwestern roots and conveys his general displeasure with the world beyond Manhattan. F.C. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
