Review of 'Toisinajattelijan päiväkirjasta' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
It was a heavy read, partly because of an unfamiliar topic, but also because towards the end I found Linkola's cynicism and misanthropic attitude a little exhausting.
On some topics Linkola is very prescient and at certain points his frustration is justified - many of the issues pointed out have been present and known since the 1960s, but nothing has been done to alleviate the problem in 60 or so years. Linkola is extremely knowledgeable on topics most closest to him, especially biology and ecology.
But then come the other topics, where he'll resort to plain demagoguery and edgelordism, like the multiple instances of praising totalitarian governments unapologically. He seems to be nostalgic for a perfect world that probably never existed as he envisions it. I don't for example think the idea that medieval feudalism was somehow better on the environment, really stands up for the scrutiny. After all, Western …
It was a heavy read, partly because of an unfamiliar topic, but also because towards the end I found Linkola's cynicism and misanthropic attitude a little exhausting.
On some topics Linkola is very prescient and at certain points his frustration is justified - many of the issues pointed out have been present and known since the 1960s, but nothing has been done to alleviate the problem in 60 or so years. Linkola is extremely knowledgeable on topics most closest to him, especially biology and ecology.
But then come the other topics, where he'll resort to plain demagoguery and edgelordism, like the multiple instances of praising totalitarian governments unapologically. He seems to be nostalgic for a perfect world that probably never existed as he envisions it. I don't for example think the idea that medieval feudalism was somehow better on the environment, really stands up for the scrutiny. After all, Western Europe's deforestation started during the Roman occupation and continued deep into medieval times.
Linkola has a somewhat mythological status in Finland, but I don't think he lives up to what he (or his most fervent follower cult) has set himself to be.
In conclusion, I did enjoy parts of the book, some parts of it were thought-provoking, and the rest of it reads like bad forum posts.