Picked up from the local bookshop when spending some vouchers, this was an example of judging a book by its cover (and blurbs). I anticipated a really enlightening and entertaining read…
The author Tim Minshall favours a very personal and light-hearted style, which does make for a fun read although I would prefer a slightly lower ratio of puns (perhaps I’m just getting grumpier with age). The content flows along nicely and does open your eyes to the wonders and evils of modern manufacturing… but I was expecting maybe more mind-blowing facts about scale, complexity etc. Material World really delivered on this, packed so full of insane descriptions that I couldn’t help feel a little underwhelmed with the examples here.
It also felt like the author could have pushed the reader a little harder… it all felt a little introductory, rather than digging down to the next level. My final criticism would be the over optimistic tone; do we really believe at a global level that manufacturing will rid itself of its environmentally damaging element, its exploitation of people, its commercially cynical efforts to drive consumerism?
However, I did enjoy the read, and so am perhaps being a little harsh!
