I waffled between four and five stars, because this book is not as engagingly written as, say, something by Malcolm Gladwell. However, I think it achieves its aims admirably, without much fluff, and the world will be a better place if people read it and take it seriously.

The book had all the rigorous focus on data I'd expect from a nerd (I love nerds!) and the big-picture strategic focus that I'd expect from someone who's spent years dealing with overwhelming, systemic problems.

It also had a level of data-driven pragmatism and global perspective that's a refreshing shift from the usual virtue-signaling and egotism that tends to accompany discussions about "the environment."

Some reviewers seem annoyed that Gates doesn't have a long list of "personal application" suggestions; I'm grateful, because the truth is that the scale of the problem is not one that can be fixed by lifehacks, and I'd rather be honest about that so we can put our oomph where it actually CAN make a difference.

Similarly, I appreciate the reminder that the ultimate goal is not deprivation but empowerment. We WANT the whole world to have access to the goodness that is a ready supply of convenient energy! The challenge is figuring out how to give everyone that opportunity while also doing it in a way that will serve our long-term interests (you know, health, safety, survival, those kind of things).

Another point on which I differ from some other reviewers is that I did not have an education that covered all of the science well. Some of this is age (I'm getting old, y'all), some of this was my particular school, and some of this was me (I didn't seek out science). I found the overview helpful. If you already understand the science well, you might prefer to skim the early chapters.

One bit that I think is underappreciated: his argument about why we need to focus on "zero by 2050" and be wary of "decreased by 2030." Intuitively, I wouldn't have spotted the danger, but most of the book is essentially laying the groundwork for this one crucial point.

Gates is generally very optimistic (within reason; I do remember him being one of the few people in the early days of COVID-19 who predicted 18+ months of dramatic changes when so many others were saying "two weeks"). I'm a little more cynical, but I find this book encouraging. There are reasonable paths forward. I hope many people will seriously engage with the ideas and help us get on the right track.