World Book Day 2023

World book day

I didn’t plan to become a librarian. I wanted to be a writer. On my first day at University, I selected English and History as my majors – between those two you have all the tools you need to write stories. I thought. To fill up my course I chose Library Science. Working at an all-night library would give me all the time to read and write. The first things we were taught were Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science:

  1. Books are for use.
  2. Every person his or her book.
  3. Every book its reader.
  4. Save the time of the reader.
  5. A library is a growing organism.

With such a clear mission statement I said goodbye to pretentious literary criticism and stodgy historical analysis: this was my vocation. Since then, I have left the profession, but…

I still take pride and care in bringing books and people together.

I regard myself as a doctor caring for my patient’s well-being.

In celebration of World Book Day (23 April, the death of Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote) and in the spirit of what Zero Carbon Charge is trying to achieve, I will try to save you time by suggesting these books:

Silent Spring Rachel Carson

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson

This book kickstarted the environmental movement in 1962. Carson’s eloquent book vividly sketched the disastrous effects of pesticides on the environment.

Speed and Scale A global action plan

Speed and Scale:
A global action plan for solving our Climate Crisis now 

John Doerr

Many handwringers bewail the climate crisis but don’t offer viable solutions. Doerr does. His book is an attempt at providing a practical timeline for getting to carbon zero by 2050.

a brief history of motion

A Brief History of Motion

tom standage

A fun book that traces the story of the car.

what technology wants

What Technology Wants

KEVIN KELLY

The author, who is a great blend of hippy, scientist, and tech-savant – spells out how we need to think about using technology to better our lives, while not wrecking our future.

Apocalypase never

Apocalypse Never

MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER

This book gives an opposite view of the climate crisis. There are some radical views, but there are also some sobering exposés of skewed environmental thinking.

Tribes we need you to lead

Tribes: We Need You to Lead

SETH GODIN

Zero Carbon Charge and its windmill-tilting affiliates are a tribe, and our clean energy mantra is not appreciated by the uninformed people or whose interests are threatened. Godin’s book shows how fundamental tribal thinking is and how to be a leader within a tribe.

Cloud cuckoo land

Cloud Cuckoo Land

ANTHONY DOERR

A novel about a war veteran who must stop a young bomber who has been radicalized by climate change.

Factfulness. 10 Reasons we're wrong about the world

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

HANS ROSLING

The sub-title says it all.

Thank you for reading. If you have suggestions for titles on Climate Change or Electric Vehicle Charging, please share them with us on Facebook or LinkedIn .

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