Book Review: "The Upside of Down" by Thomas Homer- Dixon

So, I have decided to add to this blog. In addition to the the progress of the novel that I will continue to do on Sundays, I will be adding a little commentary on how I designed the story, the setting, the characters, and everything that went into this novel.

Today I'm going to start by reviewing one of the books that was my one of primary research sources for designing how the post-collapse world would look.


The author is arguing that five systemic pressures are threatening the stability of civilization as we know it. According to his official website:

"Homer-Dixon contends that five "tectonic stresses" are accumulating deep underneath the surface of today's global order:

• energy stress, especially from increasing scarcity of conventional oil;
• economic stress from greater global economic instability and widening income gaps between rich and poor;
• demographic stress from differentials in population growth rates between rich and poor societies and from expansion of megacities in poor societies;
• environmental stress from worsening damage to land, water forests, and fisheries; and,
• climate stress from changes in the composition of Earth's atmosphere." [See link here]

 I found the book's first chapter to be very dense and more than a little dry. The only reason I persisted through the first chapter is book had been highly recommended to me by a friend. After the first chapter however, the author seems to find his flow and the writing mellows and loosens up. The books is still very scholarly and the author has double digit citations at the end of each chapter. Homer-Dixon seems aware that what he is arguing is very contentious, and he doesn't want anybody thinking he's on the fringe.

What makes "The Upside of Down" even more frightening in its predictions is that fact that Homer-Dixon doesn't over claim and isn't given to exaggeration. He consistently draws a less the worst case scenario conclusion and is cautious about reading too much into a single study or piece of evidence. Despite this restraint, Homer-Dixon's predictions are terrifying. The extensiveness of Homer-Dixon's research and the obvious complications that could be the result of his separate predictions interacting is alarming.

When I first read this book, I was studying James A. Michener's writing style and I wondered about the idea of a historical epic set in the future. Looking at books like "The Upside of Down" started me thinking about the concept of this novel and gave me early ammunition for building the setting of the story.

I highly recommend this book even with the difficult first chapter. The book is convincing, compelling and thorough beyond measure. It is also alarming, but unlike many books on this subject, "The Upside of Down" does offer solutions. All things considered, this was a well written, well researched book. Homer-Dixon's style is engaging (excluding the first chapter), and his conclusions are convincing. These factors combine for an excellent book on this subject.