From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America

Albert Brooks

Why we're reading this: June 12, 2030 started out like any other day in memory—and by then, memories were long. Since cancer had …more
[close] June 12, 2030 started out like any other day in memory—and by then, memories were long. Since cancer had been cured fifteen years before, America’s population was aging rapidly. That sounds like good news, but consider this: millions of baby boomers, with a big natural predator picked off, were sucking dry benefits and resources that were never meant to hold them into their eighties and beyond. Young people around the country simmered with resentment toward “the olds” and anger at the treadmill they could never get off of just to maintain their parents’ entitlement programs.

But on that June 12th, everything changed: a massive earthquake devastated Los Angeles, and the government, always teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, was unable to respond.

The fallout from the earthquake sets in motion a sweeping novel of ideas that pits national hope for the future against assurances from the past and is peopled by a memorable cast of refugees and billionaires, presidents and revolutionaries, all struggling to find their way. In 2030, the author’s all-too-believable imagining of where today’s challenges could lead us tomorrow makes gripping and thought-provoking reading.

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What Members Thought

Sep 03, 2011 Mitchell Friedman rated it really liked it

Shelves: library, liked-reviews, author-b, four-star, four-star-science-fiction, political, science-fiction, published-2011

This is not an especially good book. It is not particularly well written. It has unnecessary elements with characters that don't add more to the story. But that's not why I read it anyway. This book takes a stab at predicting the future - specifically the US in 2030. Do I agree with the predictions? not really - but they are interesting and that's good enough for me. It's basically dealing with a US that's out of money, dramatically in debt, old people with money just about don't die - and young ...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Schnaucl rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, library, read_2011, august

This is a really interesting book. I was caught up in it enough that I was willing to overlook some things when I was reading it, but once I finished and started to think about it was harder to ignore important points.

The book is set in America in the year 2030. The annual deficit outstrips the GDP and the debt, mostly held by China, is already an astronomical figure that no one really thinks the US will ever be able to pay off. Most of the money goes for caring for the "olds" (those 60+). Thank ...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Joshua rated it it was ok

2030 by Albert Brooks started out with promise but it just kind of fizzled out. There was no real plot drama, just situations that kept happening. Blah blah blah. It's the future, L.A. gets razed by an earthquake, the Chinese rebuild L.A. and some other stuff happens. Young people hate old people. Lots of debt. Cancer is cured.
There, I just saved you from reading the book. Trust me, this is all you'll walk away with after reading this. ...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Becky rated it liked it

Frighteningly plausible.

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Jul 04, 2011 Bridget rated it liked it · review of another edition

The ending was too easy, I was expecting something bigger and more profound. However, it was an interesting perspective that doesn't seem to be much of a stretch for the future of America ...more

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