The World Without Us

So what if every human just suddenly disappeared from the Earth? What would happen? The worldwide effect of our disappearance will be profound: nature will begin to reclaim what people have so painstakingly carved out of the primeval wilderness, endangered species will return, and the countless tons of pollution that humans have dumped into their environment will slowly dissipate. The World Without Us covers many aspects of exactly what would happen to the planet if humans didn't exist, both in the past and future. With stories mixed in as well as many scientific information, The World Without Us explains complex ideas in a simple but effective manner. I would recommend this book to whoever would want to read a non-fiction book. It may be one of my favorite non-fiction books I've ever read so far.

The Stand

Another good Stephen King novel, The Stand takes the reader into a completely altered world. A secret US military project code-named "Project Blue", a super flu, is accidentally released, and kills most of the population of the earth. The few survivors face huge hardships, due to the complete devastation of society and the loss of any form of authority. Wandering around, the survivors eventually form bands. The first part of the book follows the endeavors of three bands; Stu's, Larry's, and Nick's. Through shared dreams and visions, they work to converge in Boulder, Colorado. This area would seem to be the least affected by the disease. They also seek the guidance of a very old woman they call "Mother Abigail". With her help, they set up a democratic society, called the "free zone". Yet there are problems between members of the newly-formed society. Stephen King's apocalyptic novels do not fail to impress, and despite their fictitious nature, are a enjoyable read.