BLUBBERLAND

It surrounds us. Comforting, warm, convenient, killing us with an easy complicity.

Blubberland: The Dangers of Happiness, by Elizabeth Farrelly (an Aussie) is a book that manages to take an amazing idea (that our overconsumption, simple-mindeness and desire/need confusion are killing us and our planet) and turn it as boring as a sociology textbook. Such a shame.

There are shining moments, but sadly the author takes the idea and absolutely pummels it into our brains. The final effect is that a reader is overwhelmed with sociological ideals vs. an interesting and perhaps shocking theme and story. Also, the text chosen is dense, as dense as something by John Locke or Thomas Hobbes. We are not socio-philosophers. We are readers who liked the word blubberland. Please treat us as such.

-more-more-more-more-more-more...the refrain never ends for us!

The author, Farrelly, takes us on a trip through the suburbs-Aussie, American, it doesn't matter anymore. We're all alike in our obsessive overconsumption. Sadly, the author also takes into her argument a criticism of art, the discussion of what true beauty means, and in that she starts losing her audience. We are not academics nor art critics nor architects--please don't overcomplicate things. An amazing book idea with some in-depth arguments lose their appeal when we are forced to consider things far beyond our comprehension. That may seem like an appeal to 'dumb down' the argument, which is not what I am asking. I am merely asking to liven up the text, perhaps more anecdotes and less literary criticisms? We don't want NIMBY-esque sociological/philosophical arguments. We want snap, jazz, fright. Show us, don't blather at us.

Again, a fantastic idea and aptly titled. Collectively, we humans are stupid, dangerous creatures. Individually, we are smart, clever and capable of enormous change and potential.