Timothy Snyder, a history professor at Yale and the author of Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin, has written another book about the Shoah. In Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning (Tim Duggan Books), Snyder draws parallels between the historical terrain of Europe in the early 20th century, which gave rise to Nazi totalitarianism, and our world today, where a changing climate could destabilize nations and lead to horrific events. In his concluding chapter, Snyder proposes the wise application of science in transitioning our economy to ecological sustainability — and thus avoid mass panic triggered by the scarcity of food and water. He writes, “Understanding the Holocaust is our chance, perhaps our last one, to preserve humanity.” — M.S.
(American Jewish World, 10.9.15)
