One weekend of full-fledged social isolation and intense reading, only interrupted by some necessary sleep and hastily concocted dinners mainly based on junk food. That, to me, shall be my recollection of The Weekend I Devoured "Dust".

The story is as simple as it is plausible - following an ecological disturbance there happens an ecological disaster, followed by economical disaster and, in the end, World War III. This may sound far-fetched but let me assure you it's not. "Dust", more than anything else, teaches the reader what makes the world - nature, people - tick. Apart from the fact that it's a positively riveting read that incidentally makes you think hard about the world you live in and instills more than a bit of Genuine Fright, "Dust" is strewn with scientific fact. As a matter of fact, although strictly take the book could be classified as 'science fiction' I'd rather give it the 'potential science fact' label.

That is what makes "Dust" the most unsettlingly realistic. The shit that hits the fan could very well start hitting in the near future. "Dust" is not just a disturbing account of what the future might look like, but, on a lighter note, a veritable treasure of little known scientific facts that will go down well in any conversation (there are literally dozens, of which I found the one proclaimed that, in fact, if you pile all people on the world today in a cube, leaving some breathing space, the cube would only be two miles in size).

This powerful warning of a book - not just some eco-nutter's unfounded rantings - should be read by all those with the power to decide. And that includes you.

Released 1999, ISBN 0-553-50706-0

RK

Written March 1999

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