A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and its Assault on the American Mind

A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and its Assault on the American Mind cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Technical
  • ID: 4895
  • Added: 2025-10-22
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 2
Reviews
goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-22
powerful 4.50

The book explores the devastating impact of environmental racism on the American mind, highlighting the systemic and often overlooked consequences. It's a powerful call to action that combines personal stories with scientific data to make a compelling case for change.

A Terrible Thing to Waste delves deeply into the often invisible yet profound effects of environmental racism on communities of color. The author masterfully weaves together personal narratives, scientific research, and historical context to illustrate how toxic environments disproportionately affect marginalized groups. They argue that these environmental injustices are not just physical but also mental, eroding the cognitive and emotional well-being of those exposed. The book is a poignant reminder of the urgent need for systemic change and collective action to address these issues. The reviewer found the book both eye-opening and deeply moving, praising its ability to humanize complex data and make the case for environmental justice compelling and urgent. They appreciated the blend of personal stories and scientific evidence, which together create a powerful narrative that is hard to ignore.


Quick quotes

    The book is a powerful call to action that combines personal stories with scientific data to make a compelling case for change.

    They argue that these environmental injustices are not just physical but also mental, eroding the cognitive and emotional well-being of those exposed.

    The reviewer found the book both eye-opening and deeply moving, praising its ability to humanize complex data and make the case for environmental justice compelling and urgent.

schalifax.ca · Unknown · 2021-06-15
engrossing 4.00

The book 'A Terrible Thing to Waste' explores environmental racism and its impact on the American mind. The reviewer found the book to be meticulously researched and engaging, highlighting the dual narratives of the Chicago World's Fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes. The reviewer was particularly engrossed in the descriptions of the fair and the historical context provided.

The book 'A Terrible Thing to Waste' delves into the issue of environmental racism and its assault on the American mind. The reviewer was initially drawn to the book by the macabre fascination of the serial killer angle but ended up being just as, if not more, engrossed in the descriptions of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The book intercuts chapters about the fair with the dark story of H.H. Holmes, creating a compelling narrative that captures the magic and darkness of the era. The reviewer appreciated the meticulous research and the way the book paints a vivid picture of the time, highlighting the challenges and achievements of the fair's construction. The historical context and the dual narratives make the book both informative and engaging.


Quick quotes

    The book unfolds primarily with intercutting chapters about what’s happening with the World’s Fair versus what’s happening with Holmes as he constructs his own building full of peculiar corridors, soundproof rooms, and traps… and then carries out his own dark plans.

    I found myself feeling upset and angry and sad at times while reading it. I set it aside more than once.

    Larson clearly did a lot of research to write this book. He used personal letters, court transcripts, meeting notes, news articles and interviews, and journals to unfurl the story of the World’s Fair and Holmes’s crimes in a style that feels almost novelistic at times.