What is my Reaction to The Bet?

Were there omissions made or arguments made by Paul Sabin that you found concerning?

Sabin focused a lot on the bickering between the sides but I would have liked him to address more on the main ideas of both Simon and Ehrlich. I would have liked to better understand both sides instead of the author focusing on what person is supporting who. By also focusing on extreme ideas like not giving food to countries in need or forced sterilization, that was a bit alarming and concerning. I was also very concerned by the lack of a solution provided at the end of the book. I was hoping the author would be more optimistic providing a solution or middle ground to both arguments in terms of environmental law or ideas but Sabin left it very open ended.

1. What did you think of this book?  Did you like it?  Dislike it?  Feel ambivalent about it?
   Overall, I really liked this book. What I enjoyed most about this book was Sabin presented both arguments equally in the form of a story allowing the reader to decide where they fall. I also really liked how the author ended the novel referring their opinions two ends of a continuum. He allows the reader to decide what ideas they support and like and whether they are all for Ehrlich all for Simon or right in the middle. This book allows me to better understand the historical content that was pivotal to the environmental movement while also showing a lot of the opposition present, which I never before understood.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. What part of the book did you feel you already knew about?
   Coming into this class with a biology background, I knew a lot of content Ehrlich used to support his argument. When he talks about carrying capacity, exponential growth or references the laws of thermodynamics, it is very relatable making his argument more approachable to me.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. What did you learn from the book?  What lessons did you draw from the book?
   This book taught me a lot about where were are today in terms of environmental policy and the great divide between Democrats and Republicans through the different presidencies on the issue of addressing our environmental needs. I also learned that if you are going to make a bet like Ehrlich and Simon did, it is best to make a bet over more than just a 10 year period. If Ehrlich had made the bet later on or had suggested a longer time frame, he would have won bringing more attention to addressing the needs of overpopulation and the impact on our environment.