The World Without Us presents houses, cities, museums and monuments–the man made environments we imagine will last centuries after we are gone–as fragile, perishable creations that endure only through our constant vigilance and care. We are ants, ever building, patching, pumping, and shoring-up our constructions. Without us, the passage of decades would wear down even the greatest cities, bury them in greenery, or wash them away like sandcastles in the rain.

This book is a must for anyone who reads or writes sci-fi. I just started reading, and only 6 chapters in, it has reshaped the baker’s dozen of post-apocalyptic futures sitting in limbo on my hard drive. This book rocks. Get it, read it, love it. The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.