Reviews
Comments on Eco-Optimism
(Öko-Optimismus)
"A change of the guard is taking
place in the environmental movement. After the Knights of the Apocalypse
come the eco-optimists."
Die Zeit
"The authors confront prevailing
opinion with empirical knowledge, logic and scepticism."
Der Spiegel
"Dirk Maxeiner und Michael
Miersch provoke German environmentalists - because they are optimistic."
Focus
"In their latest book, two
committed German eco-journalists, of all people, challenge green myths,
environmental legends and doomsday fears. Read Öko-Optimismus."
Profil
"The authors' declared intention of opening new mental horizons
for the environmental movement commands respect."
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
"A knowledgeable and courageous book - and one that has been overdue."
Die Welt
"The buzzword 'eco-optimism,' coined by environmental journalists
Michael Miersch and Dirk Maxeiner, has found its way into general political
discourse. The book Öko-Optimismus offers a contrasting perspective
to the harbingers of catastrophe who have set the tone in environmental
politics for years."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"This new classic of environmental literature is not only entertaining
from the first page to the last, it is also highly instructive."
amazon.de
Comments on Encyclopaedia of Eco-Myths and Misconceptions (Lexikon der Öko-Irrtümer)
"One of the most important environmental books in recent years."
Der Spiegel
"A compendium of a good four hundred pages listing the deliberate
deceptions, empty phrases and outright mistakes that characterise the
often shrill tone of environmental debates in Germany. It is a plea for
an environmental policy that pays more attention to facts than to moods."
Focus
"Maxeiner and Miersch argue for a constructive culture of change
in the environmental movement."
Profil
"Maxeiner and Miersch deploy a classic medium of the Enlightenment
- the Lexicon - to promote their good cause. The aim is to do away with
the myths and phrases of ecologists that conceal the real possibilities
for change. Their book is not directed against environmental protection,
but seeks to redirect attention to the problems really facing the world."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"Maybe the environmental associations should have written a book
like this themselves."
Hubert Weinzierl
(President of Friends of the Earth, Germany)
in Die Welt
Comments on Life Counts - Cataloguing Life on Earth (Life Counts - eine globale Bilanz des Lebens)
"The two-page graphics are an absolute eye-catcher. Outstanding
in both form and content, these illustrations already make this work an
unparalleled treasure of data and comparisons. Life Counts fills the reader
with a desire to keep exploring it afresh and learn new facts."
Carl-Albrecht von Treuenfels (President of
WWF Germany) in natur & kosmos
"An exciting and astonishing read. An indispensable work for all
those keen to learn more about the diversity of species and help protect
them."
Maritta R. von Bieberstein Koch-Weser (Director
General of The World Conservation Union)
"Life Counts calls for a new alliance between man and nature that
gives a central role to the sustainable use of resources. We have become
accustomed to count value in numbers, and these numbers are provided by
the Life Counts project. It shows that conserving bio-diversity is well
worth it."
Die Welt
"Life Counts is infotainment at its best."
Die Zeit
"Every life counts. Which species are multiplying, which are dying
out? Conservationists have collected numbers from around the world, putting
together the first global census of the animal kingdom."
Stern
"It would come as no surprise if this book attained the status of
an eco-Bible."
Darmstädter Echo
"An astonishingly exhaustive overview, a great accomplishment."
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Comments on The Mephisto-Principle (Das Mephisto-Prinzip)
"In these times, Das Mephisto-Prinzip should be required reading
for all those long-winded pie-in-the-sky Sunday columnists who lament
the dangers of the free market."
Die Welt
"An impeccably provocative work."
Die tageszeitung (taz)
"At times brilliant, at times relaxed and often polemical, the authors
attack the politically correct blind faith of the verbose do-gooders."
Der Spiegel
"For Maxeiner and Miersch, the free market has a liberating significance
which is only too often forgotten in economic discourse. Incidentally,
this makes the book less immoral than it purports to be."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"Being evil is good."
Focus
"The book teems with discomforting as well as amusing insights.
It offers strong arguments, and is a very entertaining read."
Capital
"I must say, no one has put the advantages of capitalism so well
as you! I am only 14, but still I downright devoured your Mestipho Prinzip
in 12 classes! I hope you write more books like this, so I can keep making
clear to my socialist German teacher over a cool Coke and BigMac that
your books do not restrict my horizon, but his teaching does!"
E-mail from a reader
Comments on The Future and its Foes (Die Zukunft und ihre Feinde)
"An orgy of reason."
Die Welt
"This is a book for friends of spontaneous order,
who believe in freedom and serenely look ahead to the future: a book against
gloommongering cultural critics and brazen purveyors of state hand-outs."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"Maxeiner and Miersch leave no popular truism
unchallenged and dissect even the latest special offer in our eco-supermarket.
They defend their reputation as critics of doomsday scenarios and challenge
the enemies of progress who cripple our society."
Der Spiegel
"The new opus by Maxeiner and Miersch is a call
to all optimists not to leave the field to the nay-sayers, do-gooders
and ideologues."
Deutschlandfunk
Comments on Good News (Frohe Botschaften)
"The authors always strike the right note and are never patronizing know alls. This is one of the reasons why one enjoys being led on a tour of everyday German life by them. We haven’t had such good and ecouraging reporting in a long time."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"In their texts, they disagree with nearly all the stereotypes so common in public debates and landtag level disputes today."
HR-Online
"At last, something positive for us to read."
Bild-Zeitung
Comments on How to remodel your thoughts (Schöner Denken)
"An intellectual cure against the dumbing down caused by political correctness."
Bonner General-Anzeiger
"The book titled How to remodel your thoughts argues against the interpretative authority of do-gooders and bleeding heart liberals and their manipulation of concepts and ideas."
Focus
"This book is a gem. Read it. Smile."
Geffrey Gedmin in Die Welt
"A comprehensive and disconcerting yet amusing collection."
Novo Argumente
"Time and again our authors manage to focus a flash of insight, illuminating the real issue, while enlightening the readers."
NZZ am Sonntag
Comments on Hooray, let's save the world! (Hurra, wir retten die Welt!)
"Dirk Maxeiner, a professional sceptic and co-author of bestsellers like the ‘Encyclopaedia of Eco-Myths and Misconceptions’ settles the score with climate alarmists in a competent and experienced manner."
Der Spiegel (Buch Spezial)
"I read this book in one sitting. It is the best on this topic."
Jan Veizer, earth scientist, Leibniz Prize winner
"Maxeiner brings up many a painful subject and addresses a broad audience. Science needs controversy."
Deutschlandfunk, Politische Literatur
Comments on Organic food and eco-cult (Biokost & Ökokult)
"A highly enlightening book."
Stern
"Something to learn on every page."
Literaturen
"Dirk Maxeiner and Michael Miersch clear up the ‘organic’ myth."
Frankfurter Allgemeiner Zeitung
"Criticism that is easy to digest."
Tagesanzeiger (Switzerland)
"Is organically produced food really healthier for us and the environment? A new book by two noted authors contrasts common dogmas with scientific facts – resulting in quite a few surprises."
Profil (Austria)
"Chemicals yuck, organic yum – the eco-apostates Maxeiner and Miersch try to prove that this simple formula does not add up very often… And even if they have a lot to criticize, Maxeiner and Miersch, who are both rooted in the environmental movement, do find positive aspects in organic farming after all."
Focus
Copyright © 1996-2011 Dirk Maxeiner and Michael Miersch.
All rights reserved.
